Harnessing A Sighthound

[Macha]

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my question would also be relevant in greyhound, whippet, lurcher threads

Are there any particular harnesses which fit sighthounds better than the average harness does?

My greyhound type crossbred dog has a strong chase instinct. He has in the past twisted out of his collar a few times and once out of a car harness (while walking, not in car). For a few years now I have been using a halti harness attached to his collar, with the lead attached to rings at his chest and back. This has given good control until earlier this week when he managed to shake loss of his retraints and chase a loose dog. I've tightened the straps on the halti, but I wonder if there is a more suitable harness available.

- yes I have worked a bit at training my dog, but we have lapses ... -

Aso, I tried using a halti harness on a fairly stocky whippet who pulls, but the small size was too small and the medium size can't be adjusted tight enough to suit. I would have preferred a harness to a head collar.

 

[sue burton]

have the same problem but mine can back out of his harrnes if startled

 

[sue burton]

have the same problem but mine can back out of his harrnes if startled

 

[masta]

my question would also be relevant in greyhound, whippet, lurcher threads
Are there any particular harnesses which fit sighthounds better than the average harness does?

My greyhound type crossbred dog has a strong chase instinct. He has in the past twisted out of his collar a few times and once out of a car harness (while walking, not in car). For a few years now I have been using a halti harness attached to his collar, with the lead attached to rings at his chest and back. This has given good control until earlier this week when he managed to shake loss of his retraints and chase a loose dog. I've tightened the straps on the halti, but I wonder if there is a more suitable harness available.

- yes I have worked a bit at training my dog, but we have lapses ... -

Aso, I tried using a halti harness on a fairly stocky whippet who pulls, but the small size was too small and the medium size can't be adjusted tight enough to suit. I would have preferred a harness to a head collar.

no need for a harness they are a bad fit for sighthounds and dangerous have yet to see one that a hound can not get out of, buy a decent hand made collar leather collar fit it on the dog correctly and there is no way it can free itself

 

[bertha]

Try a canni collar. You have complete control of their head and it is impossible to shake off.

 

[Macha]

Try a canni collar. You have complete control of their head and it is impossible to shake off.

is a canni collar a head collar like Halti and gentle leader? (I've also heard they aren't good for whippets!)

Would it stop a dog that was determined to get away to go after a cat or rabbit, as opposed to your run of the mill pulling?

I don't believe it's true that sighthounds can't ever get out of properly fitted greyhound/whippet collars.

The greyhound cross in question has an additional reason for wearing a harness; he has glaucoma and pressure on the neck is known to increase eye pressure. So the question remains; I want to use a harness and is there any harness design that is more suitable than most for sighthounds?

Harnesses are also useful in cars and for getting hold of dogs if they get stuck in a ditch, crevice etc (when you wouldnt want to pull them up by the neck) but that's not a very salient point because most people would take a harness off before letting a dog run loose, lest the harness got stuck on something. So if the dog fell or got trapped somewhere it would probably be necessary to fashion a sling to go around it.

 

[masta]

Try a canni collar. You have complete control of their head and it is impossible to shake off.

is a canni collar a head collar like Halti and gentle leader? (I've also heard they aren't good for whippets!)

Would it stop a dog that was determined to get away to go after a cat or rabbit, as opposed to your run of the mill pulling?

I don't believe it's true that sighthounds can't ever get out of properly fitted greyhound/whippet collars.

The greyhound cross in question has an additional reason for wearing a harness; he has glaucoma and pressure on the neck is known to increase eye pressure. So the question remains; I want to use a harness and is there any harness design that is more suitable than most for sighthounds?

Harnesses are also useful in cars and for getting hold of dogs if they get stuck in a ditch, crevice etc (when you wouldnt want to pull them up by the neck) but that's not a very salient point because most people would take a harness off before letting a dog run loose, lest the harness got stuck on something. So if the dog fell or got trapped somewhere it would probably be necessary to fashion a sling to go around it.

"I don't believe it's true that sighthounds can't ever get out of properly fitted greyhound/whippet collars."

:blink: must be a lot of loose greyhounds at race tracks was at clonmel this year didn't see lots of greyhounds running loose must of been scores of courses never saw any greyhound struggle free from the slipper????

 

[Chaumsong]

is a canni collar a head collar like Halti and gentle leader? (I've also heard they aren't good for whippets!) Would it stop a dog that was determined to get away to go after a cat or rabbit, as opposed to your run of the mill pulling?

In my experience no My borzoi escaped from a canny collar, halti, gentle leader, car harness and a made to measure fleece harness - all after prey. He was a regular houdini though and 50kg of solid muscle pulling this way and that to escape! To be honest the only thing I could walk him on when he was young and even his breeder wanted him put to sleep was a metal check chain. Not that I'm recommending them though as they're not good for sighthound necks, but for him where the options where pts or not walk at all then a check chain was the answer. He mellowed a lot as he aged and was able to be walked in head collars later in life, but always with another lead clipped onto a check or half check just in case.

Sorry I cant offer any help on the harness front, just wanted to share my experience of head collars.

 

[flyballcrazy]

Dog games harnesses are good but I always for safety's sake have a double lead so one end is on a collar and the other ends on the harness. You can get a harness that does up behind the dogs ribs as well as behind the front legs but this is quite expensive, I think their called ruff wear harnesses

 

[Foxglove]

Tina used to be a little monkey for wriggling out of her car harness if she wanted to be somewhere :rant: I want a harness for Spot for when he's in the car too. He's a good traveller and tends to just curl up in a ball on the back seat as soon as we set off but I would like him fastened in for safety in case I need to suddenly brake or whatever.

Been looking at those Ruff Wear harnesses - I don't mind paying the price if something works!

 

[Sadie]

I started a similar thread to this over on Whippets. We have had no luck with the Canny collar and Jacques. He refuses to walk and just jumps up at me the whole time. He has pawed the slip lead off his nose twice too!

Seems these hounds that pull just need to learn some road manners! We are doing better each day with the standard whippet collar/good leather lead/Homeopet's Anxiety drops and plenty of patience!!!!

Sadie x

 

[Strix]

I can't comment on sighthounds as I'm not really qualified to, but I too have used the double lead method with both a halti and a half check as a belt and braces

I find it is much easier to steer a large dog by this method, making backing out more difficult

A canny collar is different to a halti or gentle leader. It pulls the muzzle downwards to the chest rather than out sideways if the dog tries to pull

 

[Biker John]

I cant help with the question of a sight hound getting out of a harness as my Whippet does not try to, (or at least hasen't yet), but for a car harness I use Bergen harnesses for both my Whippet and my Shih Tzu. This make has been crash tested, and although a bit of a fiddle to fit initially once you have it right it is quick and easy to put on. They are not cheap but really well made so I am happy with them. I dont walk my dogs using them just use them as car restraints, but you can clip a lead to them.