Problems with using a harness..

We're having problems with Rio and his harnesses currently, we use 2 and they're both rubbing and causing blisters under his arms and on his chest. I've tried sewing a fleece material to the bit where it rubs but we've just gotten back from a run and he has a new one he also likes to splash in the sea here, which i realise also won't help, along with when he pulls on the lead/ needs a correctional tug.

Does anyone have any suggestions/ recommendations for soft/safe harnesses that would stop this? Poor Rio is looking like he has chicken pox at the moment

We use a Sporn non pull harness which is very light weight and has fleece straps. We also have a half check collar and use a halti double ended lead to attach both. Any time she needs a correction it can be given by through collar.
Pete

My personal preference is not to use a harness at all.  I've always found issues with them and I feel that the dog can put more weight behind it to pull.  I used to work at a guard dog training facility and we always used collars and leads not harnesses.  I found it more effective to keep a short lead with a collar than a harness.

It's all personal preference though and loads of people on here will give you great advice on harnesses good luck in the future xxx

Harnesses were designed to help a dog to pull things so it makes sense that they will find it easier really,although I tried one on Holly when she was younger and it did seem to calm her down a bit as she wanted to know what we were doing more rather than just looking at everything else. I've not used one on Stanley as I don't like the image that some people think it encourages, especially studded stuff. You can't beat good old fashioned training really and so Stan's pretty good. I used to like a programme on the telly called Dog Borstal and kind of followed their ideas and they worked. Maybe at certain points of their exercise it might be better to take the harness off and let them rest of it for a bit and that might help with the rubbing. Holly's one was a bright red webbing type called CANAC if I remember rightly.

If you want to use a harness then two I would recommend are 1. Julius K9 and 2. Howling Dog Alaska Second skin. I use the K9 for general walking and it doesn't rub, fits well and its strong and lasts along while. no 2 is a sporting harness I use to run the dogs but could be used for walking if you have dogs that like to be out front. its light, fits like a glove, drys very quick and allows lots of freedom of movement. neither will stop pulling as they are designed to allow it especially the second skin which is a racing harness. but if you want something that is comfortable and kind to the dog they are the ones I would recomend.

The only thing is we want to use a harness, he bolts so fast for things like cats, he wouldn't care about the collar around his neck and i think he'd just hurt himself. I like the look of the sporn one and the K9 one, will take a look at them both, thanks.

He has such little fur on his chest and belly which doesn't help things either

I recommend the Ferplast harness. It's padded everywhere it touches and it's really strong. Our two go in the wash all the time and they're still like new a year later. (Bo is modelling a rather grubby one in my avatar).

Edit: Regarding pulling, I've no explanation for this but when Bo went from collar to harness he stopped pulling overnight. He does still pull when he sees someone he knows, or wants to chase a train, but normal walking - never. Before he was a nightmare. The only reason I can think of is that the harness 'hugs' him and makes him feel more secure, so he doesn't need to scout around up ahead for danger.

My Flo has a harness which we bought at a local French market. We didn't buy it for looks but more for where the clip ring was located which is quiet far behind her shoulders. This is the only harness that she hasn't been able to pull out of and completely stopped pulling on.

No help to you whatsoever but I thought I'd throw that in the mix

The Sporn harness is available in pets at home but if you have a poundstretcher near you their pethut section has them for about a fiver cheaper.

Hello! So are you using the harness to help with pulling? Or for another reason? How hard are the "tugs" when you correct him?

I use trixie harnesses - Bug has sensitive skin and I've found these to be fine. Have you tried reward based training for loose lead walking? I have found this to be more effective than corrections when pulling - dogs naturally walk at a faster pace than us and so don't understand why they're being told off.

I solved the speed difference by using a bicycle a lot, Stanley loves it.

Thanks for all your replies, and Ian as long as Flo is happy thats all that matters

Rio walks really well with just one of us but gets excited when both of us walk him and so pulls more. I do a quick sharp tug to the side with a "sh!" noise and he stops generally, but if he sees a cat all bets are off; his nails scratch on the floor as he tries to run on the spot and i end up just picking him up and taking him away to calm down.

I use the harness because i don't like the idea of pressure being around his neck and he's stupid enough to not care and hurt himself if he tries to bolt, i also think a harness allows me more control of him if he goes berserk or tries to walk across a road like he has done before.

So I got a sporn on delivered today and will see how that goes, but i'm still researching all your suggestions as i think i need back ups

Ah okay, is that a Ceaser Milan method I spy? How about trying something like this?
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sFgtqgiAKoQ

When I first started training I was 18 and taught all in corrections/dominance training. From my own research and experience I found them to be ineffective and I never did train a dog sufficiently using said methods. You can do so much more with PR. If you want to stop the cat behaviour, teach an alternative behaviour. Bug is the same with cats but she now turns, sits and looks at me when she sees one and gets a whole tonne of cheese for doing well. We did this by teaching "focus" or "watch me" as others call it. If you're interested I could find a link to show you how to teach it. The aim is always to offer an incompatible behaviour - simply correcting does nothing to train your dog, it just suppresses behaviour which will then pop up elsewhere.

He isn't food orientated outside at all and there is nothing he will respond to with cats. In the house he is well behaved and has good recall, outside, nope. Corrections work for him, he stops pulling and relaxes on the lead as it snaps him out of this fixation he has when trying to get somewhere and then he can re-focus. Clicker he doesn't respond to, the only possible thing that will distract him is his favourite toy which we do use as well.

The sporn lead was surprising in how effective it was really, it gives him an extra foot on his lead which i think he likes but if he pulls it uses the pull through loop system to squeeze gently and he stopped.

I think i may get a trixie one as well. I've booked an appointment with the vets for saturday just to get his skin generally looked at as he's a had the odd bump and rash too. Poor mutt!

I've tried ordinary collars, half check collars, harnesses of all sorts but the best one I've found is the Sporn Harness with the fleece straps under the front legs. Got mine from ebay and it was about a tenner I think. Came with a lead too. Milo walks beautifully on it.