Dogs · 4 min read

5 reasons owners of strong dogs are switching to a side-ring harness

7:10 am, the squirrel at the corner, and the leash is wrapped twice around your hand again. If every walk with your 60-pound dog feels like a tug-of-war, the problem may not be your dog, or your arm. It may be where the leash is clipped. Here’s what changes when you move it to the side.

1

A back clip gives him something to lean into

Dogs tend to push against pressure, a reaction known as the opposition reflex. A collar or a harness clipped on the back pulls him from behind, so he leans in and pulls harder, like a sled dog. That’s why some harnesses seem to make the pulling worse, not better.

2

A side ring turns him back toward you

KOPPLA has a metal ring on each side of the chest strap. Clip the leash there and a lunge no longer pulls you forward: the pull comes from the side of his chest, so his body turns back toward you. You stay where you are, he comes around.

3

Two rings work like reins

Clip a double-ended leash to both side rings and you can steer him left or right with a small move of your hand, past the squirrel, around the other dog, back to your side. One relaxed hand instead of two clenched ones.

4

No pressure on his neck

With a collar, every pull lands on his throat, and you hear it: the cough, the gagging. KOPPLA’s padded, breathable vest spreads the pull across his chest instead, so there’s no pressure on his neck, even on the walks where he forgets everything.

5

A handle for the moment another dog walks by

The handle on top lets you hold him close in a second when a dog, a jogger or a bike comes past. It goes on over his head with one click, so getting ready is no longer a wrestling match, and reflective stitching keeps you both visible on dark mornings.

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