Harness question 2!

Again, no offense intended....
Do any of you put the leather studded harness/collars on your dogs?
What are the general views on such attire?
Personally, and apologies to those of you who use them...but i think they give off TOTALLY the wrong impression, they make them look macho and almost intimidating! Have seen rotts in them too and think they look bloody awful!
With the way thing are with BSL and what not (both staff's and rotts) for those of you (in england) who DO use them, do you not think that having them seen in a positive light (no scary harnesses lol) would do much better for the general public's opinion?

Is it juts me with those opinions or do others share my thoughts?

i like the proper staffie leather harnesses with the knots on. i think i'm gna have Toby one made when hes big enough. i dont think i'd go 4 anything with spikes on tho.

and with regards to ppls opinions on staffs i dnt think a harness is gna make much difference ppl already tend to have biased opinions anyway

My brother-in-laws staffy Buster has one, but I don't think it looks intimidating on him. I also bought Jasper a studded collar when I got him because I liked them. I think people already have their opinions to what staffys are like, wearing a studded harness or collar isn't gonna make much difference.

You'd be surprised actually... the amount of people that approach Honey and Kane (Rotts) because they have tails is quite impressive! A first impression is all you get to give, so I say try to make it the best one you can

I don't like the leather stuff (on the dogs lol) its not something I would put on mine I prefer the collars they have.

these are the ones im talking about



As far as I've learned/ been told these harnesses were originally created back in the day when dogs were regularly used for fighting, they protect vital parts and obv the ones with spikes cause damage at the same time... which is why if i see someone with a staff wearing something similair to these (or a Rott) im sorry but i give them a wide berth

we did have one for archer but i stopped using it as it gave people the wrong impression and they tended not to be so friendly yo speak to me or meet him with it on so i just use a collar for him now xx

this is him in his harness i still think he looks great in it though

Personally I don't like the leather & metal harnesses & collars but..

Normal Staffy owners that choose to put these on dogs do it in the same way that horse brasses are put on Shire Horses. They are traditional and still popular for that reason.

Spikes are not a normal feature of the Staffy Brass harness. They are usually made of a different metal are not brass.

No offence but can I ask why a harness would make you avoid the breed you love and own, let alone a Staffy.
Understand if you don't like the look of the owner!! But would you walk past / avoid a 75 year old walking a Rottie or Staffy in a Leather & Brass harness.

Ralph has a harness, it's his 'Sunday best'. I have to say I quite like to see a traditional harness. He was only 14 months in this picture and I don't think he looks intimidating.

Ralph and intimidating in the same sentence is very wrong Paul

Time to Shine wrote:Ralph has a harness, it's his 'Sunday best'. I have to say I quite like to see a traditional harness. He was only 14 months in this picture and I don't think he looks intimidating.

What a great picture, really cute!

watts1974 wrote:Ralph and intimidating in the same sentence is very wrong Paul

I know, he's grown a lot since this picture but still looks and behaves like a Gent ! (Unless you're a sheep)

Fortunately I'm not a sheep.

watts1974 wrote:Fortunately I'm not a sheep.

Then you're perfectly safe

I'm very relieved

I do not like the leather ones at all and I do not like the impression they give.
I prefer to use a harness that is comfortable for the dog to wear which is why I use an Ezy dog

I agree with you (again) Vix, I think the chunky leather harnesses give the wrong impression.

They give the impression the owner wants their dog to look tough. And if they want it to look tough they might want it to act tough and aggressive. Add to that that harnesses don't give as much control as a normal collar. It's a scary combination if the dog really is aggressive. I use common sense too and check the dog's body language before deciding to avoid.

I am contradictory because when I see photos on here of other staffies wearing traditional type harnesses I think they look sweet and cute. But I don't think it's the most sensible idea to take dogs out in public like that.

I think we all have a job to show the ignorant public how brilliant these dogs are but we won't get the chance if the public won't come within 100 feet of us because of what the dogs are wearing.

georgestaff wrote:I agree with you (again) Vix, I think the chunky leather harnesses give the wrong impression.

They give the impression the owner wants their dog to look tough. And if they want it to look tough they might want it to act tough and aggressive. Add to that that harnesses don't give as much control as a normal collar. It's a scary combination if the dog really is aggressive. I use common sense too and check the dog's body language before deciding to avoid.

I am contradictory because when I see photos on here of other staffies wearing traditional type harnesses I think they look sweet and cute. But I don't think it's the most sensible idea to take dogs out in public like that.

I think we all have a job to show the ignorant public how brilliant these dogs are but we won't get the chance if the public won't come within 100 feet of us because of what the dogs are wearing.

That is my view exactly! yes they do look rather smart and i know for FACT that some people who choose to put these harnesses on their dogs ARE good owners, but there are an awful lot who aren't, and i choose to avoid all of them, its just the same if i saw youths with a staff (hoodie types) yes i know it a stereotype and im prejudging, but id rather be safe than sorry and just avoid em

wids wrote:.

No offence but can I ask why a harness would make you avoid the breed you love and own, let alone a Staffy.
Understand if you don't like the look of the owner!! But would you walk past / avoid a 75 year old walking a Rottie or Staffy in a Leather & Brass harness.

yes i love rotties but im under no illusion of the power they have and also realise the STUPIDITY of some people who get dogs they cant control or get these kind of dogs for ALL the wrong reasons.....
Tis a sad fact of life, but thats just the way it is...

As for the 75 yr old, i'd certainly wonder why!

I wouldn't buy one as they can give the wrong impression.

Having said that there is a gorgeous brindle dog I have seen wearing one, he was sat proud as punch on a canal boat with his owners who were in their 50's I would say.

Had I seen the same dog with a track suited youth without the canal boat, I would probably have assumed different. Wrongly or rightly!

I was looking at buying a nylon muzzle for Beth yesterday on tinternet and came accross this website:

http://www.rottweiler-dog-breed-info.com/rottweiler-muzzles-dog-muzzles

Now if that doesn't give the wrong impression about your dog, I don't know what does!

yeah that does look scary. but saying that to get a strong enough muzzle for a rottie, you'd probably be looking at similair ones to that anyway

I much prefer basket muzles to nylon ones, they allow the dog to pant and drink and doesnt "hold" their mouth shut, thus allowing them to "have a paddy" (when they get frustrated) and not feel restricted

The website said that the nylon one would still allow drinking and panting, so I will have to see when it arrives.

She won't have to wear it much, just when we go to bigger parks where there are lots of dogs, so she can stay off the lead and we won't have to worry.

Surely, you can have a plain one for a rottie though, not one of those with flames, barbed wire or studs on!

yeah you can lol and id never put one of those on any dog, i just meant a decent one would be leather and i think most rottie ones have the strap that goes over the head... but yeah they dont have to be over the top lol

Sorry to those that have them but i am not a lover of the traditional leather atire for Staffords. I feel it vreates the wrong impression.

I do habve one leather collar with studs for Indi when i show him and that is only 0.5 inches wide with gold roses on it. He only ever wears it in the show ring.

I prefer to have mine in thicker collars than normal about 4cms wide and anything but leather

i have nothing against leather, mine have their "sunday best ones" which are half checks

jack has a leather one with brass on, i didnt get it to be intimidating or scary, i personally dont like using collars on dogs and prefer harnesses and at the time it was the only harness i could find that fitted his chest propperly and didnt rub under his arm pits, as all the ones from p@h etc just didnt fit right and annoyed him. he had had material ones up untill then

i also think he looks handsom in it

I use harness's on my dogs, personaly i think they look cute on, and prefer to use harness's than a collar as collars choke the dogs more, however my dogs dont look intimidating when wearing them as you can see there little tails wagging! although i do understand where your coming from as ive saw other dogs with harness's on and theyve actually been aggressive! i suppose it just depends on the owners and how they bring the dog up, just cause a dog is wearing a harness doesn't mean you have to be scared as after all no dogs the same as another dog..