Sensation and Sensible Harnesses

Hello Everyone! I hope the week has been treating you well. I haven't been around as much as usual because I've been working quite a bit and school has recently started. However, I still aim to get my blog posts up at a reasonable pace, even if it's slowed down a little. Now to the subject at hand...

Why A Harness?

I was always leery of harnesses because they made me think that a dog was being treated as if it's a horse. When Homer came into the picture, my horizon was broadened. Homer is the type who gets easily distracted by dogs. The way he acts around them is unpredictable. He'll come across one dog and will become fast friends with it. The next dog he encounters, he'll want to bark and charge at it (usually because he's fearful).

When I have him on the leash, he can pull so hard, it's overwhelming to restrain him. Recently, he attended his first obedience class. It's a huge class with over twenty dogs.  In class, my trainer demonstrated a Sensation harness made by Soft Touch Concepts. I take Homer and Gigi on three walks a day. With his willful stubbornness, it couldn't hurt to try this out.

Homer and His Harness

After class, my trainer accompanied me to the retail store and showed us which size to put Homer into. She helped us fit him and the harness was so easy to slip into place. All you have to do is put it over your dog's head and fasten it around the bottom of the check. You don't have to maneuver the legs at all and as a result, the dog has full range of motion. In order to get an accurate fit, you need to measure the circumference around the chest. Luckily, our trainer had worked with enough dogs and knew Homer's size, right away, and sure enough, she hit the target.

While the price can be a little steep ($18.00 to $28.50 USD) but is so worth it. Homer became a different dog. Because the leash attaches to the loop of collar and harness, a dog can walk without pulling. If they pull, they will turn to the side and have to redirect themselves to go forward. Walking Homer with this was incredible. He walked at a slower pace and still had full mobility of his walking. I certainly like using these over choke or pinch collars.

Things To Remember

There are two varieties of this harness. The Sensible Harness is made with a coarser fabric and is better suited for long-haired or dogs with dense fur (such as a Chow-Chow). It also costs slightly less than the Sensation Harness. The Sensation Harness is made of a softer material and is ideal for shorter haired dogs like Boxers.

You can find these harnesses at most pet stores,  online or through the manufacturer's website. If you would like to learn more about these products, visit the Softtouch Concepts website.

Let's Discuss!

Have you tried this harness? Do you use any special accessories while walking your pets?

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