Blog - Harnesses

Harnesses

I absolutely love this video by @dutchie.daemon
Not only does it show the negative impact of harnesses on our dog's gait with tension from the lead, but, most importantly, it also shows it without.

As demonstrated in the video, even the 'well designed' harnesses can have a detrimental impact on our dog's anatomy and physiology, causing the proprioception system to 'pull short' on the range of movement of the joints, shortening the stride and causing the front and hind legs to be out of sync.

There's also an increase in the tension of the neck causing the head to lift, and in some cases, the pressure on the abdomen causes the dog to ‘tuck up’ in the tummy triggering a roach back.

The harnesses used in this video are all ‘off the shelf’ designs that people buy because their dogs either pull on the lead or they think they’re being ‘kinder’ by not attaching a lead to their dog's collar or because they look pretty.

Unless your dog needs a harness for medical grounds (or needs to pull as part of a sport or required for its job), there are absolutely no benefits whatsoever for a dog to wear a harness over a regular collar and lead - if the dog pulls on a regular collar it will pull on a harness, and the impact on the pulling on our dogs is, for the most part, equally detrimental.

Harnesses have become very fashionable over the last few years, the fluffier and more colourful the harness the more fashionable they're becoming. But fashion doesn't belong in the dog training world, especially fashion that can have a negative impact on our dog.

If you're struggling to train your dog to walk on a loose lead then seek help, any good trainer should be able to help you to teach your dog not to pull. Most of the times our dogs pull because they can... the more they pull the quicker they get to where they're going.

Dogs are also into pressure so tend to meet pressure applied. All you have to do is add a bit of resistance to your leg when your dog is leaning against it to feel them return the pressure. Well, that’s kind of what’s happening when they pull on the lead – you’re giving them something to pull against… so slow down, stop, shuffle backwards, change direction, anything to teach the dog that pulling does not get it where it wants to go - only walking nicely on a loose lead will do that.

If that means you're pacing up and down your street for 20 minutes, so be it - 20 minutes walking is 20 minutes walking... tomorrow you may get further in your 20 minutes and the day after that a bit further still.

Do your dog a favour and train him to walk on a loose lead.

Don't pop your dog on a harness because it pulls, rather set yourself a challenge to train him to walk nicely.

And don't subject your dog to wearing a harness because it's fashionable or because it looks pretty or because it looks cute...

Thank you to Maria Mai for generously sharing this video on youtube so that others can embed it in blogs and websites
Facebook post
Original: Instagram
Da ich mehrfach darum gebeten wurde das Video auf Youtube hochzuladen, damit es auf Blogs und Websites eingebettet werden kann, bin ich dem Wunsch nachgekommen:

Another great video on youtube at the minute which demonstrates the effect of harnesses and the impact on our dog's anatomy and physiology, is the one by Working Class Canine, called Dog Harness Choice and It's Impact on Movement.

first published 18 July 2020

buy the book - https://thepetgundog.co.uk/Home/Books
join the club - https://lezgrahamonlinetraining.com/the-pet-gundog-club

Blog - Harnesses

I absolutely love this video by @dutchie.daemon
Not only does it show the negative impact of harnesses on our dog's gait with tension from the lead, but, most importantly, it also shows it without.

Harnesses

As demonstrated in the video, even the 'well designed' harnesses can have a detrimental impact on our dog's anatomy and physiology, causing the proprioception system to 'pull short' on the range of movement of the joints, shortening the stride and causing the front and hind legs to be out of sync.

There's also an increase in the tension of the neck causing the head to lift, and in some cases, the pressure on the abdomen causes the dog to ‘tuck up’ in the tummy triggering a roach back.

The harnesses used in this video are all ‘off the shelf’ designs that people buy because their dogs either pull on the lead or they think they’re being ‘kinder’ by not attaching a lead to their dog's collar or because they look pretty.

Unless your dog needs a harness for medical grounds (or needs to pull as part of a sport or required for its job), there are absolutely no benefits whatsoever for a dog to wear a harness over a regular collar and lead - if the dog pulls on a regular collar it will pull on a harness, and the impact on the pulling on our dogs is, for the most part, equally detrimental.

Harnesses have become very fashionable over the last few years, the fluffier and more colourful the harness the more fashionable they're becoming. But fashion doesn't belong in the dog training world, especially fashion that can have a negative impact on our dog.

If you're struggling to train your dog to walk on a loose lead then seek help, any good trainer should be able to help you to teach your dog not to pull. Most of the times our dogs pull because they can... the more they pull the quicker they get to where they're going.

Dogs are also into pressure so tend to meet pressure applied. All you have to do is add a bit of resistance to your leg when your dog is leaning against it to feel them return the pressure. Well, that’s kind of what’s happening when they pull on the lead – you’re giving them something to pull against… so slow down, stop, shuffle backwards, change direction, anything to teach the dog that pulling does not get it where it wants to go - only walking nicely on a loose lead will do that.

If that means you're pacing up and down your street for 20 minutes, so be it - 20 minutes walking is 20 minutes walking... tomorrow you may get further in your 20 minutes and the day after that a bit further still.

Do your dog a favour and train him to walk on a loose lead.

Don't pop your dog on a harness because it pulls, rather set yourself a challenge to train him to walk nicely.

And don't subject your dog to wearing a harness because it's fashionable or because it looks pretty or because it looks cute...

Thank you to Maria Mai for generously sharing this video on youtube so that others can embed it in blogs and websites
Facebook post
Original: Instagram
Da ich mehrfach darum gebeten wurde das Video auf Youtube hochzuladen, damit es auf Blogs und Websites eingebettet werden kann, bin ich dem Wunsch nachgekommen:

Another great video on youtube at the minute which demonstrates the effect of harnesses and the impact on our dog's anatomy and physiology, is the one by Working Class Canine, called Dog Harness Choice and It's Impact on Movement.

first published 18 July 2020

buy the book - https://thepetgundog.co.uk/Home/Books
join the club - https://lezgrahamonlinetraining.com/the-pet-gundog-club