best harness for bullies

NekodasMom

I've gotten my dog several nylon harnesses. And she keeps chewing through them. Usually in the chest area. What do you recommend? Do you think a leather harness would stop her from chewing through? Or is there a certain type that they can't reach to chew?

philsergeant

Try this string:
http://www.bulliesofnc.com/BTforum/discussion/comment/15086#Comment_15086

Trent

Kong makes a great harness.

Quinnofhearts

Is she chewing them while wearing them...? Shouldn't be able to get her jaw in there if so. Maybe a poor fit.
I've seen a lot of people give rave reviews of the Julius K-9 harness, though I don't own one. I think they're bulky. And I wouldn't recommend one unless your dog is full grown.

Quinn has two harnesses, one is an EzyDog harness (not the chest plate ones) we use for casual walks. This one allows her to pull, so she does not wear it when we are in public. But it's the more comfortable one, so she only wears it around the complex and down to our yard. There's a handle on the back that has been proven very useful for additional control.

Her second harness is a Halti Harness, it's a front-clip body harness (not a head harness). While it is effective as far as her pulling because it clips in the front, the construction of it isn't the best. The way they made the front loop/clip part allows it to slide from side to side, and the harness rubs against her skin.

SO, that being said...if your girl is a puller, get a front clip harness. If not, get something stronger like the Julius K-9.

chooba

chooba was also trying to chew on the chest strap of his harness.
It is supposed to be adjusted so you can fit 2 fingers between the harness and the dog. Problem with that is the way chooba would get a hold of it was getting is jaw "beneath" in the 2 finger gap. The last 2 harnesses i used, as he continues to outgrow them, would not adjust to be tight enough in the front and allow for comfort in the back and shoulders, as Chooba already has the build of an NFL linebacker, Not one harness we tried b4 purchasing was ideal.

The way I fixed it was wrapping the front strap with HD seamed packaging tape multiple times as to thickening the chest strap to be tight, yet padded for comfort. Once wrapped I sprayed it with the bitter anti chew spray and let it sit out for a day before putting it on Chooba.

Worked like a charm, but the first day or so it was kinda funny wacthing him lick the bitter strap, make a face, fortget 5 minutes later, rinse and repeat.

exiled

The link that philsergeant provided has a discussion about some great harnesses.  Through trial and error, we finally tried the Freedom Harness by 2 Hounds Design http://www.2houndsdesign.com/Freedom-No-Pull-Harness/  We were struggling walking him because he was pulling so much, and he's so strong.  After trying some leashes that weren't working very well, the doggy spa that he goes to helped me try the 2 Hounds Design that they sell.  They said that's the best harness they've ever tried.  Sure enough, walking him through the shop was a dream.

It's great because their harness has clasps that connect to the chest and back.  When you pull the dog, it pulls him sideways towards you instead of pulling him backwards.   Maybe you can go onto their site and see if they have a store locator that you can bring your dog and have them fit it for you.  If you measure your dog, there's a guide to help you buy the correct size online. 

There are several harnesses that use the same basic design, but I went with the one that the shop had in stock so that I could try it on him before I bought it.  We left the store with it on him, and we haven't used anything else since.

Are you leaving the harness on your dog throughout the day or is she trying to eat it the moment it gets on her?  We only have the harness on him when he's in public or on one of his walks.  Otherwise, he only has his collar on when he's in the yard, and when he's inside he doesn't have anything on him.

philsergeant

We also tried the no-pull freedom harness , and while we use them all the time because they are so comfy, I don't find they stop them pulling at all...
When we take the dogs places that they are bound to pull:
1) Bugs hunting ( that's Bugs Bunny, not creepy crawly)
2) People viewing
3) Other dog visiting.
4) On leash dog facilities ( some beaches etc)
They have to have a pinch collar... A stern word is more effective than a no-pull harness with our kids.

exiled

I've never tried a pinch collar before.  Was it pretty much instant with that collar?  I think the humidity and southern summer heat have have slowed him down a great deal, but when the cooler weather eventually makes it down here and he's charged up, it would be nice to have something like that.

Good point about the freedom harness.  It doesn't discourage pulling, it pretty much only makes it possible for me to be able to control him.  Over a few months of him not being able to charge off like a jet on a whim, he has stopped trying...for the most part. 

philsergeant

It's the only thing they listen to when there are major distractions around. We don't use them all the time because they can be pretty tough on the neck. But often they wear them along with their harnesses, but not "connected", and, if they don't respond to verbal command of "no pulling!", we switch the lead to the pinch collar.  Leesburg make the better ones, stainless steel if your budget allows... they are well made, nice and rounded... (the cheap ones tend to have sharp edges).

exiled

That's a great idea to have both, especially if the dog is getting overly excited or difficult, it's not the easiest time to try to switch collars and leashes, etc.  I went to Leesburg's site.  For the risk of a cheap collar possibly harming a dog, the prices are reasonable to buy one of theirs.  They have a Herm Sprenger Curogan collar that is a copper/tin alloy for lighter dogs.  Have you noticed any discoloration from the stainless?  Someone wrote a comment that the stainless discolored their white dog.  We just took him to the vet this week because his skin is having a lot of sensitivities and they put him on Rx antihistamines.  He's eating Acana grain free and transitioning to PureVita grain free, so I don't know what else I can do about his allergies.  After looking at that copper/tin alloy collar, now I'm wondering if he'll have a reaction to any of these metals.  It's a constant effort keeping them in top shape.  I really want to try the prong collar for him on those times when we know there will be lots of other dogs that have been cooped up all day and high-energy, walking around 5 pm.

philsergeant

Don't know anything about the tin/copper versions.... the stainless one does make they necks a little grubby but it washes off.  I know the skin allergies are painful... funnily we have very few with Marco but a lot with Isabella. She is white, he brindle but I don't think it's just that because she is hyper-allergic to just about everything.... sutures, medications. Besides the food you have to watch treats, washing soaps, how long between bathes... etc/etc. If you have a neighbourhood friend you can work with that, at the 5pm walk, can bring their dog and if yours gets overexcited back the other dog off so he doesn't get to interact, and if he is calm bring the other dog nearer... so he can see that if he behaves he gets what he wants, if he's out of control his treasure goes away.

Djammy

We use a Dean&Tyler Nylon Harness with optional (removable) chest support. 

@NekodasMom

I am still wondering how your dogs manage to chew on their harnesses, while wearing them Seems they have mastered the art of distortion.

The Dean & Tyler harness therefore is probably not the one for you, but they also offer some pretty neat leather options on their website. Just wanted to share this information also for others, who may be looking for a good harness. We had been looking around ourselves for quite a while, before we made our decision. Especially because all that stuff can be pretty pricey.

I like Djamilas harness, because it is really well adjustable and I don’t feel that even the unpadded areas are chafing, provided the harness really fits and is adjusted correctly. It is not a front hooking - so not a “no-pull” harness. It has a handle on the back, which is really handy when I want to hold her on the harness to switch leashes for example.

I am working on Djamila’s pulling with training. But I realize she is also not that much of a puller when read all of those stories around here.

In fact, I am also still using the tiny Martingale collar we’ve bought for her as a puppy. I guess one or the other Bully here would blast this one within a second.

The only problem we had with the harness was to order the correct size. We could not believe that our (approx. 40 lb at time of ordering, now 53 lb) Bull Terrier would only need a size small. So the medium we ordered first was way too large for her. But there are pretty good measuring instructions on the website and the harness comes true to size. Also it can adapt to a growing dog pretty well - there’s lots of room for that in the sizes.

Djamila had to get used to wearing “so much” , but accepts her “jacket” now. No chewing. So we’re good with the nylon. Besides a retractable lead every now and then, we are normally using a leather Dean & Tyler leash, which I like really much. Because it is heavy and sturdy and gives me a very good feeling of security and control.

Here's the sweet thing: The Dean & Tyler harnesses - as others too - can be badged with real information or cute slogans.

Djamila is wearing “Can I get a belly rub?”. Our former dog, Fancy, was wearing the label “Ball junkie” on her harness (other manufacturer, but also a nice nylon harness that lasted her entire life).

It’s not like people aren’t always very interested and friendly already when they spot a Bullie. But these badges are pure icebreakers. We’ve had quite some laughs on them so far and even people following the request

I took a photo of the harness this morning when I went outside with Djammy for some ball fetching. 

philsergeant

We had Dean & Tyler harnesses until a week ago (I'll get to that)... They are nice, get a little tatty after a year or so of regular (Bullie) use.  Our kids romp A LOT, and therefore they get a lot of stress and strain.... Which brings me to the only thing I don't like about Dean & Tyler.  They have a big plastic clasp, about 2 1/4" wide, and they don't hold well, become unclipped very easily with rigorous Bullie moves.... So every day I had to thread a tie wrap through the clasp to hold it together.  We have a big canal about 1/2 mile from the house and it has some wide fields next to it.. the kids run like crazy there in the long damp grass... they love it.... But the embankment to the canal is very steep and they could run off there 20ft down if they are running through the long grass & I didn't have their harnesses on or clasp came undone.
As to the demise of the Dean & Tylers, don't ever put them in the dryer or oven to dry.... the nylon melts pretty fast.

Djammy

@philsergeant

Now that you mention it I have to say, you're right. So far the plastic clasp is fine on Djamila's harness, but what I miss every time I close it, is the confirming "click". The clasp looks sturdy and holds well - did not open unintentional yet - but first it was a tiny little bit unsettling for me, not to hear that noise with the closing. Hope it will keep holding up well. Will keep you guys posted, if anything happens.

philsergeant

I'd try wiggling and bumping it bullie-fashion, after it clicks... to be sure.

Djammy

@philsergeant

That's what I always do. I got SO used to this kind of "control grip" that I actually forgot I am doing it automatically all the time until you mentioned it now.

I would really like to know, if the failing clasp is a general issue with the Dean & Tyler harness. Well, I'll know when our's breaks, which I hope will not happen. But I'd be interested if others have made the same unfortunate experience as you. In any case I would definitely write an e-mail to the manufacturer. I think a good manufacturer will always appreciate this kind of information, because it gives them a chance to improve on their products.

philsergeant

Does yours have a very wide clasp... ??... about 2 1/4" to 2 1/2" wide and about 5/8" to 3/4" thick?
If it does, when it's latched (and under pull tension)..., just tap it on the locking wings... pretty lightly in fact... it pops out.
The smaller clasps, (that are found on regular collars and harnesses ) are more stable. 
But one of the nice things about the Dean & Tyler is that their straps are about 2" wide.. therefore are comfy & don't cut in... but need the mega clasp.

Djammy

@philsergeant

I inspected it closely and just tested it with rocking and shifting. Nothing loosens or gives way on this harness. So far the clasp appears to stay securely locked even under stress. Comforting

I measured the width with about 1 1/3".

Here are photos of the clasp.

philsergeant

Good! That's the narrow one, good to know it holds. You possibly couldn't upload the file as it has an underscore in the file name?

Djammy

Smart thinking! But it wasn't the underscore. It was the "&" in the name. Despite naming and handling files all the time, this time I didn't think of that. Thanks!

mbgood

I use two different harnesses. The one pictured is an inexpensive step-in for short excursions and especially going to the dogpark as she's off leash anyway. It's comfortable and non-chafing, but isn't great for maintaing the upper hand. For real walk, going to obedience class or other times when I need to have extra control, I have a Kong harness . It can be clipped in front or back and has a very handy loop for when you need a handle to pull your dog back (like when she's about to bowl grandma over!). Pretty bulky, though, for everyday use.

 http://www.petsmart.com/dog/harnesses/kong-comfort-dog-harness-traffic-loop-zid36-8495/cat-36-catid-100082?var_id=36-8495&_t=pfm%3Dcategory