OurBoys Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 Is there a manufacturer that makes a harness where the back strap fits around a dogs stomach vs just behind the front legs? Jake can pull a Houdini with one quick tug wearing a regular harness. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 Is there a manufacturer that makes a harness where the back strap fits around a dogs stomach vs just behind the front legs? Jake can pull a Houdini with one quick tug wearing a regular harness. Ruffwear web master harness Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted May 12, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 Thank you, Liz!! That harness looks amazing and the reviews were great! I was a bit concerned if Jake would get overheated with the 'vest' part but realized I would be able to pick him by the handle and just place him in some water if I need too. (We usually hike toward waterfalls and stop by pools for JJ to take a swim.) I think this will work great! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Liz P Posted May 12, 2010 Report Share Posted May 12, 2010 Anything made by Ruffwear is great. I've been using their packs for years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieDog Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 We have a Webmaster - it's wonderful and oh so handy! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 We have a Webmaster - it's wonderful and oh so handy! As much as Jake hates slick floors, I have a feeling one of these harnesses will come in handy for more than one reason. I noticed they sell them at REI stores. Glad DH is wanted to make a trip to one. I hope the one we go to has them in stock. If not, I'll just order one online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njnovice Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 As much as Jake hates slick floors, I have a feeling one of these harnesses will come in handy for more than one reason. I noticed they sell them at REI stores. Glad DH is wanted to make a trip to one. I hope the one we go to has them in stock. If not, I'll just order one online. I'm not sure if REI still does this, but they used to have free shipping if something wasn't in stock and you got it delivered to the store. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nancy Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Lupine (http://www.lupinepet.com/dog/med_dog.php) makes two styles of harnesses. My brother uses their harnesses on his two huskies - one of whom outweighs me. Lupine has a fantastic warranty and really neat designs. And they now sell online. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Thanks for the info on the Lupine harnesses, Nancy, but I don't think they will work. Jake is long and lean and if the back strap doesn't fit behind his rib cage, he's going to be able to come out of it. I feel bad because I've been living under a false sense of security. The first time Jake pulled out of his harness was back in Oct 2006. He was wearing a Gentle Leader harness; it tightened up when he pulled but loosened up when he walked correctly. It didn't take him long to figure it out. He took a step back, turned 180, planted his back feet, arched his back while raising his front legs and pulled. All in 1-2 seconds. After that, we switched to the regular harness. I thought it was working until last Friday. Last Friday I packed a picnic lunch, DH & I loaded up the dogs and we drove up to South Mountain State Park to go on a hike. JJ & Josie were tethered together and Jake was only his own leash. When JJ wanted to go swimming, Josie didn't seem to like it. Jake, who hates water, acted like he wanted to go in. I made the mistake of suggesting to DH that we tether JJ & Jake together. Jake looks to JJ for confirmation at times so I thought if he was tethered to JJ, he would feel more confident. I was wrong. When JJ went into the water to go swimming, Jake decided he didn't want to go in. As JJ was pulling on the tether, Jake takes the Houdini stance, planting his feet and arching up. Even though I wasn't expecting it, he didn't get away from me that time. I stepped into the water and grabbed some fur just above his tail. (At least finishing the hike with squishy hiking shoes and socks cooled me off. ) All this time I thought he was safe and it turned out he was just letting me think that. He could have gotten away from me/us anytime he wanted. I'm glad he enjoys being with us! But the next harness is going to have to fit tight enough around his skinny waist so it can't slide over his deep chest. Thanks for the tip, njnovice. I'll keep that in mind when we go. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Is he a puller so you can't use a reg. collar? I've always heard that harnesses are for pulling and when a dog pulls on one they are rewarded for the efforts by how the harness feels on them. We've never used one so i don't really know. And maybe I'd be letting them each have their own leads while hiking, I don't think my dogs like each other enough to be tied together. I think it'd become a battle of the doggy wills if I it. Plus if one loves swimming and the other doesn't it just seems easier to let them do their own thing. JMHO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 You bring up some good points, Kristen. We don't go hiking enough to figure the pecking order yet. JJ is our 'problem' dog. He forges and weaves. When it was just JJ & Jake, both wanted to be the lead dog. By tethering them, Jake doesn't seem to mind JJ's weaving while wearing a harness vs a collar. Last Friday, Jake was on lead by himself and he and DH were in the lead. If I stayed back far enough, JJ & Josie did ok. (Jake does great. As soon as he feels the leash tighten up he slows down.) I think JJ's weaving bothered Josie a little. Jake and Josie do great tethered together. Even though the coupler gives them 4'-5' spacing, they walked so close together you couldn't slid a piece of paper between them most of the time. I was concerned about tethering them together initially because when crossing over a bridge, Jake usually decides to hug the rail. When we went on a trial run to a local park last year, he pushed her off a bridge (small bridge, dry creek bed). Because walking across a bridge is the only time JJ walks straight I decided to tether him and Josie together. I decided to tether Jake and Josie together last Friday only after watching Jake cross over several bridges with confidence. I'm still going to try different ways; all 3 tethered together with JJ in the middle and on the outside and all 3 on separate leads. But I still want to use harnesses. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cody & Duchess Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 We use the harness method on our 3 dogs when we go hiking. If they all have to be on lead - there are a couple of options. Use a 20 ft long lead- use a camping type clip through the handles. There is an official name for these clips - but it is escaping me now. They are about 3 inches long with a quick release spring. If I am responsible for 2 dogs they are clipped together but now I have lots of leash to let out or in according to the movement of the dogs. If they get tangled - I just unclip, fix the leashes, reclip, go merrily on my way. If you have a really well trained dog- the flex leash /harness duo is the least amount of work. The harness keeps the leash from getting tangled in their leags and the flex leash requires less juggling by you. Put something through the handles of the flex leashes so that they are all together. I use an old headband that is really stretched out. This allows me to swing the leashes over my head easily if the dogs are moving around to much. I bind the leashes using a 9 knot for quick release. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 We use the flexi leash/harness combo. Two flexi leashes actually. One dog on one and the other 2 tethered together on the other. Our coupler is nothing fancy; just 2 4' leashes tied together. But it's handy. When we're passing someone on a narrow trail, I can put them in a sit and grab the knot. If one of them (usually JJ) decides to suddenly 'greet' the oncoming person or people, I have better control over them. One of the pictures from last Friday. C&D, do you have a picture of your setup? And you're right. By using the harness, we lessen the chance of them getting tangled up. They can still get tangled up, just not as often. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted May 13, 2010 Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 Never thought about the harnesses not getting tangled in their legs. I guess I'm really lucky, usually where we hike (our property allot or in desserted areas) we don't need any leashes. Recall is not an issue for any of them. But brush and the likes would make leashes a huge hassle as I'm sure they'd get tied up in brush unless I was using something like a flexi where they had room to untangle them selves. So you use the harness to keep the leash from tangling in their leggs? Bet you really freaked out when Jake pushed Josie off the bridge! I know I would! BTW...love your J names but I'd hate to get aggraviated and try calling them by name! I'd have all the names running together. I can't keep my dogs name straight on a normal day....But they all answer to "hey you" really well!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted May 13, 2010 Author Report Share Posted May 13, 2010 I guess I'm really lucky, usually where we hike (our property allot or in desserted areas) we don't need any leashes. Recall is not an issue for any of them. But brush and the likes would make leashes a huge hassle as I'm sure they'd get tied up in brush unless I was using something like a flexi where they had room to untangle them selves. Where we hike, in the mountains, leashes are mandatory. Even if it wasn't, we would still leash them. I just don't trust their prey drive. And it can be very easy for anyone to get lost in the mountains. So you use the harness to keep the leash from tangling in their leggs? Yes. It works great! Bet you really freaked out when Jake pushed Josie off the bridge! I know I would! Lol! Not really. We had taken them to a 'park' up the street for a dry run. It was a little bridge over a little dried up creek. It was only a 2' drop at the most. Josie just kept walking. Now if it had been like the bridge in the background of this picture, I would have done more than just freaked! BTW...love your J names but I'd hate to get aggraviated and try calling them by name! I'd have all the names running together. I can't keep my dogs name straight on a normal day....But they all answer to "hey you" really well!! Thanks! I have to admit, sometimes we do. In fact, there have been a couple of times this week I heard DH say "J.......J" I have a feeling he was getting ready to call him Jake. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njnovice Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 And maybe I'd be letting them each have their own leads while hiking, I don't think my dogs like each other enough to be tied together. I think it'd become a battle of the doggy wills if I it. Plus if one loves swimming and the other doesn't it just seems easier to let them do their own thing. JMHO My dogs will snark at each other sometimes (Translation: Mick will snark at Sinead), but they walk great on a coupler. It actually keeps them very focused on the walk. The only issue I ever had was the time Mick stopped and peed on Sinead's head. He walks on the left side of the coupler now because of that. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 The only issue I ever had was the time Mick stopped and peed on Sinead's head. He walks on the left side of the coupler now because of that. To funny! But couldn't he just lift the other leg??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njnovice Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 To funny! But couldn't he just lift the other leg??? He will only ever lift his left leg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bcnewe2 Posted May 14, 2010 Report Share Posted May 14, 2010 ohhhh...a lefty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anne-Marie Posted June 21, 2010 Report Share Posted June 21, 2010 hello all, We have been trying most types of harness and nose control devices such as the Halti, and dylan and duchess still lean into them, makes for hard work. However, after 2.5 yrs of life we have found the answer it is a harness made by "Dogmatic" uk company with web site. These nose devices really work and the dogs do not object. Cannot speak too highly of them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rainierlass Posted June 22, 2010 Report Share Posted June 22, 2010 These are really nice and might solve your problems........ http://k9gear.us/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donald McCaig Posted June 22, 2010 Report Share Posted June 22, 2010 Dear Doggers, Why use a harness? Donald McCaig Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shysheperdess Posted June 22, 2010 Report Share Posted June 22, 2010 Ummmm I don't believe I could give many answers that wouldn't offend anyone... I might possibly refer them to the article geared towadrs Novices in the newest edition of the working border collie magazine on how to get there dog to walk calmly to the post.....pretty simple advice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OurBoys Posted June 22, 2010 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2010 Just to clarify, Jake never wears a harness when he's on stock. In fact, the only time any of them wear their harness is when we go hiking and it's for safety. Some parts on some of the trails come within a few feet of a steep drop. If one of them (admittedly it would probably be JJ) wondered too close to the edge and/or the ground gives out from under them, I don't want to take the chance of breaking their neck or crushing their windpipe if the leash is attached to their collar instead of a harness. With that said, thank you for the heads up on the working border collie magazine , shysheperdess. That article sounds interesting. Thank you too for bumping this up, Maggie. I don't think that style will work for Jake but you reminded me I need to order the one from REI. (Too much going on around here lately.) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NorthfieldNick Posted June 23, 2010 Report Share Posted June 23, 2010 Dear Doggers,Why use a harness? Donald McCaig Because my 10-month old pup pulls like a freight train in a collar. No training method was working to stop it, but the EasyWalk harness stopped the pulling immediately. I suppose it's different than a "regular" harness because it has a specific design for a specific purpose. Now that Hoot has gotten the idea of walking on a loose leash, it's transferring to the collar. I had him at a trial this past weekend & I did get a few comments on the front-pull harness. I don't really care what anyone else might think about it- it has saved my shoulders! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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