One of the cool things about being a trainer is that sometimes I get free stuff. I like free stuff. The downside to offers of free stuff or invitations to link exchanges is that some of them are things I wouldn't promote even if you paid me ridiculous amounts of money. Some things are just not happening here. (go hawk your e "training" collars elsewhere please and oh you might want to READ the trainers site before you ask silly questions thank you very much) But I digress.
About a week ago I got a request from a company to send me a free sample to try and give an opinion on. It was the Freedom No Pull Harness from http://www.wiggleswagswhiskers.com/ I am always interested in new (pain free) products to help owners with dog training so I said yes. Here it is straight out of the package:
I took some photos of the harness on Jenny but it can be seen more clearly on their site here: http://www.wiggleswagswhiskers.com/products/harnesses/keystone/HF_KY.htm
Now my Jenny isn't a super puller (normally) but the principals of the harness are very sound. I'll explain those in a minute. The few times she did pull during our "trial walk" it was effective in stopping her with no extra direction from me.
The first thing I really like is that the configuration of the buckles make it super easy to put on AND figure out each time. Some harnesses are confusing to the average owner (in my experience) and I can't count the number I have seen a certain no pull harness on upside down and in two cases even backwards. Here are great photos on putting it on from the brochure that comes with it: http://www.wiggleswagswhiskers.com/products/harnesses/keystone/Freedom_no-pull_Ins.htm
The other things I like about it include the velvet chest strap. My Jenny is quite nekkid under her front legs to I worry about chaffing. Of course any material can chafe given the right circumstances but I certainly appreciated the softness.
The harness comes with a double ended clip leash with a sliding handle so it can be clipped in a number of ways. Two clips to the front ring, or both on the back loop, or one clip on each the loop and ring for extra control. Or one clip to the harness and the other to a collar. Heck you could even use it as a leash for two dogs at once! How's that for options? I like a longer leash so I came up with another. I clipped one end to the loop under the handle to lengthen the leash so only one clip was attached to the harness. (disclaimer-this is not how the manufacturer intended it to be used. I am just a master of jury rigging.)
So back to those principals I mentioned. The strap that goes around the chest has a loop on the back that tightens as the dog pulls. This works to apply pressure around the dog which is a helpful deterrent to pulling. It is similar to a product called the Weiss Walkie: http://www.emilyweiss.com/arquan/arcart/ProductDetail.cfm?ProductID=3 This is also a trick you can do with a long leash paired with a martingale collar in a pinch.
The front ring is also helpful to bring a dogs body around when they pull too. Much like an Easy Walk harness but without the loop that tightens to make the dog off balance. Because it lacks the front double loop it doesn't hang down and get in the way like the Easy Walk harness does on some dogs. http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/behavior/easywalk/productdescription I also really liked that it came with a brochure that was well written and super clear with training tips included. They do not believe the product alone is a cure for pulling. It is simply a tool to help give you more control during training. No one likes getting dragged down the street after all. Their point is that you still gotta do the work needed to teach your dog how to walk properly on leash. (Bravo for this!)
Because my dogs tags are on a removable clip so I can switch collars and still have my dogs id attached, I also liked using the front ring for her tags. It just seems like a better spot than on the back loop like her other harness.
Jenny and I took a trip to our favorite local dog store to show the harness off and hint that she might want to carry them there. (She looks good in pink no?) I will definitely be recommending them to clients and friends in the future. Aside from the harness the company also makes some drool worthy collars and leashes too. (leashes with my favorite scissor clips and my favorite collar type: the double loop also known as a martingale) Go check them out and see for yourself. I will totally be ordering one in the near future. The harness also comes in different types as well as other colors and patterns. It's nice to have choices.
So I report that Jenny and I give this product a 4 paws up. I love it. Happy walking!!
(P.S. The Weiss Walkie and Easy Walk are also good products that I have used and recommended in the past. I just really like the flexability that this product offers and the ease in which it can be used by the average owner. )
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