Switching from a collar to a classic harness: And your dog knocks you over.

More and more dog owners are realizing that leading their dog by the collar can have health consequences. The repeated pulling on the neck not only leads to physical discomfort and defensiveness, but can also encourage aggressive behavior towards other dogs – especially in confined spaces or with confident breeds.

Many owners therefore switch to a standard chest harness. However, it often turns out that this makes the dog much harder to control . As soon as the pressure on the neck is removed, the dog feels freer – and grasping the front of the body or pulling back on the leash triggers the so-called opposition reflex, which instinctively makes the dog push forward.

But why does this happen – and how can this behavior really be changed?
I will explain this in detail here: