A harness for a dog who doesn't like harnesses....suggestions?

Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
Trixie is not keen on harnesses. She also hates Halti. She basically hates anything but a collar. And she pulls. And she will choke herself to get to things.

I've tried various harnesses, and I'm ruling them out based on her various preferences...here's where we're at:

No going over her head.
No bulky harnesses
No saggy chest
No pulling sideways
No pushing on her throat(high chest)

I'd prefer if it didn't enable her to pull more easily. I do prefer a front clip.

If anyone has a finicky dog, and has found a harness that they like--please link me a source. I'm considering Perfect Fit, but balking at the price. The last one ran me nearly $100 after shipping. (I ordered the three modules, plus a spare girth the size up in case of weight fluctuations because shipping fees were enough to make me want to forget the whole thing)

She's holding steady at 70-74lbs, slim, with a skinny neck. I'll post a photo from a couple of months ago--she's not changed20230322_192936.jpgOh..actually she has a bit...she's longer, with a more tucked waist. 20230416_093356.jpgNear as I can tell, she's right at the end of Medium....most of the harnesses I have are fitting too snug. Large might be too big. I have an easywalk, but it sags. She doesn't protest it the same as others....just nips at the front where it sags.

I'm trying to find a solution to the choking issue that doesn't involve Halti, which she also hates. She walked really well today on a retractable+easywalk. listened to all of my commands. so I wonder if front clip is my solution?
 
Jacqui-S

Jacqui-S

Moderator
Location
Fife, Scotland
Is it not that you need a certain type of harness, but rather you might need to go about introducing it and working up to actually using it, in a different way?
Some dog owners take weeks and weeks of patient acclimatisation for harnesses and muzzles before getting to the point their dog tolerates them enough to use.
I guess which of the ones you have already is the best fit, think about how to get Trixie comfortable with it.
 
Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
The way I did it with Joy was to start practising when we weren't in a hurry to go anywhere, so had plenty of time. I seem to remember that I made a conscious effort never to put the harness over her head, but rather to encourage her to put her head through the harness, which involved a lot of chicken and sossijes! Then I tried to always make sure that we did something super exciting and fun once it was on, often involving going somewhere in a car (she loves going in cars) because the reason I wanted to use the harness was mainly for the seat belt attachment. I think it took over a year for her to come and put her head through without being bribed with treats, but now she loves having her harness on because she knows it means we're going on an adventure ( that's a car or a train journey to her!) It does take time though and I think for Joy it was the having it put over her head that was the problem, rather than the harness itself.
 
Atemas

Atemas

UK Tour Guide
Location
North Cambridgeshire
Candy said:
it was the having it put over her head that was the problem, rather than the harness itself.
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Yes this is definitely a problem with Red. She has a Julius K9 harness which once on is ideal and she’s not bothered by it. She still doesn’t like the going over her head bit despite months and months of gentle practice…..but she accepts it needs to go on; there’s no forcing but she’s not keen on that bit - I have to go to her. I talk minimally and very softly and gently to her and put it on in the garage where we exit from.
 
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Shamas mom

Shamas mom

Location
Canada
She's been wearing harnesses since we got her......we just stopped when she injured her shoulder. Her aversion started then. I know that she likes to be free moving. She's always done best with mimalist style harnesses rather than vests---but most of those go over her head and she's got to step in.

I think what really turned her off harnesses was the one with the Martingale loop on the back. And she hated the vest harness, with the bulky chest. It interfered with her smooth motion of her legs.

@Candy WE have tried and tried to encourage Trixie to put her own harness on but she flatly refuses to put her head in. I think all the dangly pieces are too much for her. She does seem to be able to cope if I put it on her back, and clip on her neck and chest. She will put her own collar on, but that's only one strap. And she has minimal protest to her patch harness....one wide strap in front, one under.....but I can't walk her on that. If she pulled, she'd choke because the chest strap is too high.

The goal is to get her to where I can take her to the field without worrying about her yanging her neck if she forgets she's on leash and tries to go for a run. I'd rather have her stopped from her body than her neck. And if I can add a front clip, we can do relaxed walks too. She walks so much better, if she forgets she's got a leash on her lol
 
JES72

JES72

Location
SW London UK
Different harnesses for different jobs. Homer started with a simple harness, I'm not sure why i got it but i think it was when he pulled my arms out my sockets and I didnt want his collar pulling on his neck, never mind my shoulder joint! Then he has a Julius K9 one partly becase he could slip out of the old one and parlty because it got stollen out of our car. He was also getting noise anxiety so needed something that gave us a good hold onto a slipper eal if he got frightend out and about especially on holidays. Then he has his mantrailing harness which is long along his body and has a clip at the end for his long line, which I still get tangled up around him and myself, sometimes simultaneously.
My brother has a harness for his kangaroo vizla, He attaches the lead to the front chest ring as this will stop him pulling but all it does is pull the harness around sideways and the dog still does its own thing, but thats what the man in the video he watched said to do, so that's what he does, instead of listening to his sister!
 
HAH

HAH

Moderator
Location
Devon, UK
JES72 said:
Different harnesses for different jobs. Homer started with a simple harness, I'm not sure why i got it but i think it was when he pulled my arms out my sockets and I didnt want his collar pulling on his neck, never mind my shoulder joint! Then he has a Julius K9 one partly becase he could slip out of the old one and parlty because it got stollen out of our car. He was also getting noise anxiety so needed something that gave us a good hold onto a slipper eal if he got frightend out and about especially on holidays. Then he has his mantrailing harness which is long along his body and has a clip at the end for his long line, which I still get tangled up around him and myself, sometimes simultaneously.
My brother has a harness for his kangaroo vizla, He attaches the lead to the front chest ring as this will stop him pulling but all it does is pull the harness around sideways and the dog still does its own thing, but thats what the man in the video he watched said to do, so that's what he does, instead of listening to his sister!
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Brothers |(
 
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