Sporn harness

[Joules]

I always take Coco's harness off when I let her off lead - too easy for her to get tangled up.  Also, the harness will loosen when it does not have the tension of the lead holding it. 

[merry]

I now have a new sporn harness and I won't be letting Merry off the lead with it on.  I think it must have come off in the shrubs and really, I have been probably very lucky that it did come off and he wasn't caught on something.  It was just laziness on my part not to take it off, but no more! it comes off with his lead now

[DennyK]

I found the Sporn (new model, not at all like the MIKI lookalike as described by Colin) of declining use with Paddy on the pulling front - my OH lets him pull like a train at the weekends, so I spend the first half of the next week getting him to walk in a vaguely acceptable way.

Top tip for Sporns: resist the urge to put them in the washing machine....the elastic wasn't elastic when it came out after a quick wash at 40 degrees.  Oops.

I've recently bought the Mekuti harness which is interesting - someone on here  (Claire?) recommended it.  I'm still reserving judgment on it, because Paddy started acting like his back was hurting again so he's had a week of restricted exercise just in case.  But it's sturdy, easy to put on (am I the only person who always struggled with the "which end is up?" conundrum with the Sporn??) and take off - and whoever recommended it, raved about it.

Other added advantage - my lead is too short, when attached in two places to the harness, for my OH to hold it, so I'm hoping I can keep control of the Paw on weekend on-lead walks, and lose the "steam train" behavious.  Keep your fingers crossed for me, good people!!!

Practical point for anyone interested in the Mekuti is about which lead length to buy to go with it.  I'm 5ft 1inch tall and the lead that comes as part of the "lead and harness" set on offer is only 2m long.  With a cocker, I found it too short and returned it.  I realised that my other double-lead was 2.5m long which is fine for me.  For those of you taller than, I'd guess, 5ft4", you may well need the 3m lead.  The idea is that, once it's attached in two places, you hold each resulting "rein" one in each hand - with a slack loop between your hands.  I found the 2m lead left me with no real slack.

Denise

[Colin]

I've recently bought the Mekuti harness which is interesting - someone on here  (Claire?) recommended it.  I'm still reserving judgment on it, because Paddy started acting like his back was hurting again so he's had a week of restricted exercise just in case.  But it's sturdy, easy to put on (am I the only person who always struggled with the "which end is up?" conundrum with the Sporn??) and take off - and whoever recommended it, raved about it.

I bought a Mekuti too after reading Claire's post ( THIS thread ) and I've been really impressed with it... so thanks Claire.  It works really well with Stevie and feels like I'm training her rather than just restricting her from pulling. I've found it's only really effective when I take her out on her own though - when walking all three dogs I didn't have enough pairs of hands to use it properly and ended up getting in a bit of a muddle. 

 

[DennyK]

I've recently bought the Mekuti harness which is interesting - someone on here  (Claire?) recommended it.  I'm still reserving judgment on it, because Paddy started acting like his back was hurting again so he's had a week of restricted exercise just in case.  But it's sturdy, easy to put on (am I the only person who always struggled with the "which end is up?" conundrum with the Sporn??) and take off - and whoever recommended it, raved about it.

I bought a Mekuti too after reading Claire's post ( THIS thread ) and I've been really impressed with it... so thanks Claire.  It works really well with Stevie and feels like I'm training her rather than just restricting her from pulling. I've found it's only really effective when I take her out on her own though - when walking all three dogs I didn't have enough pairs of hands to use it properly and ended up getting in a bit of a muddle. 

 

Colin - do you just follow the instructions as to pulling on one, then the other, if/when there's any tension?  I'm concerned that, with Paddy, he'll be pulling and I'll be doing the "rein" equivalent of milking a cow - squeeze one rein, yep he's still pulling, squeeze the other rein, yep he's still pulling ad infinitum...any technique tips very gratefully received!

D

[Colin]

Colin - do you just follow the instructions as to pulling on one, then the other, if/when there's any tension? 

More-or-less. Stevie isn't a head down, full steam ahead merchant like Jimmy can be - she tends to lean into the lead and also weaves from side to side across my path. When using the Mekuti with her I've found that I'm mostly using the chest attachment as she can't lean in to it so easily, I switch to the  back attachment when she starts weaving... I haven't been using it long enough to know if it will carry on being successful but so far so good. It seems daft to say dogs can pull in different ways to each other but it probably explains why some harnesses etc work better with some dogs than others. The sporn works great with Jimmy but not so well with Stevie, she's much better with the Mekuti. I haven't got round to trying the Mekuti with Jimmy - he's a lot bigger than Stevie so I'd need to alter all the straps.

[pixieKatie]

Hi, I have recently joined and have been reading some of the old forum comments/topics. I am interested about the SPORN harness discussions that have taken place during the last few months. I know there are lots of brands of harness out there and from what I gather, some suit certain builds and behaviours better than others. It does seem that getting the prefect harness/walking on lead method the first time round can be as much about luck as anything else - each dog has his or her own way of responding to their owners choice of solution! I am going to order a SPORN harness this week, but having looked online for the best prices (various pet/dog related sites) I have found two different styles of what is being described as the same product. One must be a newer version/a resdesign, but there is nothing to tell me which one this is. One version is black only and the packaging shows it on a boxer/on a yorkshire terrier (sizes). The other is black with a red trim around the front seems to be shown on a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Both are Sporn and both are labelled as being distributed by The Company of Animals - incidently this company only stocks the totally black versiony only at the mometn. As many forum members have talked about these harnesses which version are you describing? You might not realise that there are two versions ......Thanks in advance for any steer in the right direction.

[chickrockguitar]

Can you give us some links to the two diff kinds?

[Joules]

This is the one I have - haven't seen any other design on sale tbh so I guess this is the one most people on here are talking about.

http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/non-pull-harness.php

Have looked on the Sporn website and I think the one with red must just be the latest version - looks the same to me 

[Helen]

I've recently bought the Mekuti harness which is interesting - someone on here  (Claire?) recommended it.  I'm still reserving judgment on it, because Paddy started acting like his back was hurting again so he's had a week of restricted exercise just in case.  But it's sturdy, easy to put on (am I the only person who always struggled with the "which end is up?" conundrum with the Sporn??) and take off - and whoever recommended it, raved about it.

I bought a Mekuti too after reading Claire's post ( THIS thread ) and I've been really impressed with it... so thanks Claire.  It works really well with Stevie and feels like I'm training her rather than just restricting her from pulling. I've found it's only really effective when I take her out on her own though - when walking all three dogs I didn't have enough pairs of hands to use it properly and ended up getting in a bit of a muddle. 

 

That sounds very much like a t-touch principle - if you use a very long lead, attach to the collar, and then make a big loop  around the front of the chest of the dog you will find that you can use the loop to gently control the dog and you will be able to walk nicely without pulling from the neck.  Think you can also purchase one called the 'balance leash' http://www.tilleyfarm.co.uk/Merchandise.html

Dennyk - have you seen a t-touch practitioner for Paddy?  They may be able to help him greatly if he still has a residual issue (may just be a memory thing or stiffness) with his back.

[pixieKatie]

Thanks.....here are the two types I am seeing. As I mentioned, they both seem to be Sporn and both by The Company of Animals.

1) http://www.companyofanimals.co.uk/non-pull-harness.php (this one is the one Joules has posted)
and
2) http://www.pettastic-petsupplies.co.uk/non-pull-dog-harness-stops-pulling-instantly-by-gently-training-your-small-dogs-90-p.asp(this is the one with the red trim).

If you all think they are both the same apart from trimming that's perfect - I thought the designed looked a little different too, but it might just be m eyes! Thank you. Katie

[SkyeSue]

I have the first one for Chloe...couldn't open the second link.

Must admit though, it doesn't really stop Chloe pulling  (apart from in the dark for some reason!) Halti works better for Chloe.

[pixieKatie]

SORRY, try this one, for curiosity's sake:-
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Non-Pull-Dog-Harness-Sporn/dp/B000UVTB4U/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=garden&qid=1229342312&sr=8-2

(Alternatively, Amazon do promote both types if you type 'non pull harness' into the search bar)

All comments have been taken on board about 'better' options. It does seem that success orf failure with a harness depends on so much.... I just feel I need to start somewhere as my dog has been allowed to run off the lead since a puppy and was well behaved. Having adopted a second, both are encouraging one another to be more badly behaved week on week, so I am now starting lead training again!  Thanks again.

[chickrockguitar]

I looked at both those types when I got mine, and yes, I do think they are the same.
Both seem to be the "new" version people are talking about. I haven't seen the old version - they seem to from what people have said, work better. But it seems as if you are unable to get it now...

[Cob-Web]

Just to complicate the issue; I have an all-black Sporn harness, with the mesh panel at the front - but the panel is not elasticated - unlike the ones that are for sale on the Company of Animals website