HARNESSES
Why Dog-Games recommend the use of a dog harness
We strongly recommend that dogs wear comfortable and well-fitting harnesses when walking on a lead. Here are the reasons why -
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Because dogs are required by (British) law to wear a collar with the owner's contact details on, it is very common for people to attach their dog's lead to the metal ring on the collar - after all the dog is always wearing it! What these people fail to realise is that collars give unpleasant and painful choking sensations to a dog's throat and neck when the dog pulls against the lead. The pain and anxiety that this creates causes the dog to pull even more in an effort to escape the pain at the front of its neck. This is one of the reasons why dogs pull on their collars and leads. They have found it works as the lead is taken off when they arrive at their exercise area/home, so they pull even harder in an effort to get there quicker! See the Memory flow chart Why Dogs Pull on a Lead which explains how dog's thought processes work when a lead is attached to a collar, and when it is attached to a harness. There is veterinary research to prove that when leads are attached to collars the build up of Intraocular Pressure causes eye damage to dogs with weak or thin corneas, glaucoma, and other eye conditions. In their research they compared the pressure to the dog's eyes when it was pulling on a collar (with a normal buckle) to when it was pulling on a harnesses. The results showed that eye pressure did not develop when the dog was wearing harness. As a result of this research, Veterinary Eye Specialists are actively encouraging dog owners to walk their dogs on harnesses, particularly terrier breeds which have a predisposition for these particular eye problems. Sadly too many dogs have had eyes removed due to Intraocular Pressure caused by pulling on a "normal" collar and their owners have begged me to pass on this information to all my readers. Read Pickle's Story for a first hand account. Vets & Rescue Centres recommend our 2 styles of harnesses
Leash Stress by our guest writer Eggi Chromecek Choke Chains by our guest writer Laraine Malvern |
Perfect
Fit Dog Harness |
Fleece
Lined Dog Harness
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WHICH HARNESS IS BEST?
There are a number of different designs of harnesses from which to chose from
- some suitable, other not. Here are some features to look out for when choosing
a harness.
It should be made with wide straps and be well padded
* Please do not use harnesses with thin straps of
line, rope, webbing or leather. They cut into the dog's body when they pull
or lean against the harness and cause discomfort and pain.
* Avoid buying any harnesses made with hard
materials or sharp edges, or those used to stop dogs pulling when on a lead.
* Try to buy the biggest and widest straps
you can possibly get.
HOW WILL I KNOW IF IT FITS?
When trying a harness on for the first time, adjust the buckles
and lengths of the various straps until the harness fits snugly, but not too
tight! To make sure that the harness is fitting correctly, place four fingers
flat against your dog's body, underneath the girth strap (like testing a horse's
girth).
IS IT POSSIBLE TO MAKE A HARNESS?
Yes it is. We have come across a webpage called "Make Your Own Dog
Harness" that gives directions on how to make different types of harnesses,
including a Walking Harness. Although I have not actually tried making one myself,
it may interest those of you of a practical or imaginative nature! Only use
soft edged webbing so that it does not cut into the dog's body. I would also
strongly suggest that you experiment by customizing the harness by adding padding
to the neck area, and possibly putting it almost everywhere that the webbing
could rub against the dog. If you do make one of these harnesses,
let us know as we would be very interested to hear your comments.
INTRODUCING THE HARNESS TO THE DOG
Be careful how you introduce the harness to the dog, bearing in mind that
we don't want the dog to have unpleasant or bad associations with wearing the
harness, otherwise it will be reluctant to wear it and play any Games when in
a training environment. Look at Nibbles for
the ideal way of introducing a dog to wearing a harness. Soon the dog will look
forward to seeing the harness and will be more confident when the harness is
put on properly - building strong happy and positive
associations for the dog.
WHERE CAN I GET A GOOD HARNESS?
Either visit your local pet shop to see if they stock suitable harnesses
or, better still, browse around our Dog-Games
Shop. There are a two styles of harness to choose from in various colours
and sizes.
CAR HARNESSES
Our harnesses are designed as WALKING HARNESSES and should not be used as a
car harness as they have not been tested under crash conditions. We recommend
car harnesses made by Safe
Dog, who have designed and thoroughly tested them for use in cars.
"I WANT A HARNESS FOR DOG CARTING OR PULLING"
The two styles of harnesses that we have designed and manufacture are not suitable
for pulling carts etc - they are for walking a dog either on a lead or long
line.
When a dog is pulling something along the ground its centre of gravity is not
the same because the weight is being applied from a different angle (horizontally
behind its back legs and body) rather than coming from an angle from above when
it is attached to a lead.
Here are a number of links that may be of help if you are looking for a dog
cart/pulling harness -
http://www.dogplay.com/Activities/index.html
http://www.everythinghusky.com/equip2.html
http://www.alaskanmalamute.org.uk/WorkingInformation.htm
http://www.absasleddogracing.org.uk/
http://www.pulldoggies.com/
Types of dog walking harnesses for sale at the Dog-Games Shop
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