Chest harnesses are commonly referred to as all dog harnesses that are designed to attach the leash to the dog's back .
This construction comes from livestock farming (e.g. sled dogs, hunting dogs) and is intended to increase the dog's urge to pull (pulling loads, sniffing, searching).
This works because of a biological reflex: If a living being is pulled backwards by its back, it reacts by moving forward. In dogs, this trait has been used through breeding over the last few centuries to enhance and utilize certain traits (breeds that are particularly interested in rabbits, breeds that particularly like to run, breeds that are particularly protective/herding). There are broadly two types of chest harnesses:
Chest harness with a front strap that lies over the shoulders: Here, clicking the leash on the back causes the dog to rush forward and at the same time feel pressure on the shoulders (signal to stop). The dog is subjected to constant back and forth. If the dog's rush forward is not particularly strong, the front belt can cause the dog to slow down, giving the impression that it is the front belt that is slowing the dog down. This ignores the fact that hooking the carabiner on the back increases the pull. Chest harness with two front straps that run along the right and left of the neck (Y-harness): Clicking the leash in leads to a particularly strong pull. There is no front strap that goes over the shoulders there is no slowing down. These harnesses are preferred for dog sports (mantrailing, tracking, sled dogs, dog scooting) because they allow the dog to pull “freely”. They are also the most popular harness currently among dog owners who actually want to prevent pulling. If you use a pulling harness/chest harness, make sure that no weight is pressed against the shoulders when the dog pulls. There are also Y-harnesses that have large areas of material at the front that hinder the shoulders.
collar The collar comes in roughly two forms. The collar that presses on the opposite side of the neck when pulled and choke collars : This involves encircling the dog's entire neck and choking the dog. Some retriever leashes follow exactly this principle. The collar comes from classical education. It is used to control the dog. For example, if a dog is interested in a spot (sniffing), a collar is used to create a negative stimulus (choking, firm pressure on the soft parts of the neck). The aim of the action is to get the dog to stop pursuing the stimulus because the threat it feels is greater than the gain it would gain from pursuing the stimulus. Most leash-aggressive dogs wear collars.
STORM FREE The STURMFREI is a lead harness . That is, it is designed exclusively for leadership from the front. The STURMFREI Saver also has a ring on the back, but this is only intended to be used when the dog goes backwards (to provoke him forward).
The dog is led exclusively at the front. The front strap lies loosely on the shoulders. When you pull on the leash, the front strap pushes against the shoulder blade from right to left (if you are standing on the left) , creating a rotation of the dog. His attention is directed to the side and to the holder. In addition to the guidance from the front, the height of the front belt is relevant: The front belt should not press against the soft parts of the neck or sit too low (thigh), but only press on the shoulder when pulling. This area is not an area that the dog perceives as threatening (collar) and therefore does not lead to a greater escalation when the stimulus is interrupted with STURMFREI. The dog turns to the owner or remains standing. If he is very excited, he needs to be actively “turned” and training should take place. The urge to pull is not reinforced by opposition reflexes (chest harnesses) or threats (collars). Dog contact between STURMFREI wearers works without any problems with appropriate socialization , as there are no stress-increasing triggers or signals that indicate danger. The dog can be turned away and conflicts do not arise.