Hey! Hello there! Remember me? It's been a while...
A while, like, a year...
But I'm back, and I hope to catch you up on some news, share interesting thoughts about service dog use, users, culture, et cetera.
So, some news. Greta is on medical leave after some repeated shoulder injuries. Nothing serious, she's responding well to chiropractic and acupuncture care and the addition of a treadmill into her routine. There's 3 posts worth of material right there, but that'll come later. The point is, with the way the working harness fits over Greta's shoulders, she can't work comfortably or safely for me right now so she's on leave. She's got the best short-term disability plan any workplace could offer, though. Full pay, benefits, total health coverage...
Now for today's topic.
This article brings up a thought that had only crossed my mind 3 weeks ago, yet it seems rather obvious now that I think about it.
The traditional harness for dog guides hasn't really been updated for 90 years.
A dog trainer I'm working with suggested finding a more ergonomic harness design, and I stared at her like she'd started speaking Klingon. Could there be such a thing?
Turns out several people have had thought and followed through on it. I'm late to the game.
The article above describes a harness specifically designed for runners to use with their dogs. Despite my recent acquisition of a treadmill, I do not fall into that category. But the idea is intriguing. Here's a link to the harness that I'm considering. Its design isn't as radical as the running harness, but it does resolve several ergonomic issues that had never occurred to me.
This just in: canine ergonomics is a thing.
TTFN, and in the meantime, you can now follow me on Twitter!
It is difficult to find a harness that fits Saban and has room for his insignia one that fit him well and didn't rub his chest would be awesome.
ReplyDeleteI have a black lab who pulls me lots when I take him out. Its made me think reading this of buying a proper harness
ReplyDeleteA harness might be the solution you need. The ones I referenced above are specifically for dog guides. To manage pulling, I would suggest a different design. There are dozens of good low-pull designs at pet stores or on Amazon.com.
DeleteHowever, absolutely nothing can replace regular walks and good discipline for reducing pulling. I also highly recommend Be the Pack Leader by Cesar Milan. That's done more for me than any piece of equipment.