Stay in touch
Conclusions
A single universal harness cannot be recommended for all dogs . Any discussion with an owner about a harness , collar or head collar should be given careful consideration , especially in relation to young dogs , with thought given to the activities the dog will be undertaking while wearing the harness or collar .
Training a dog to wear a harness or head collar should be positive and reward-based . Advice can be supplemented by material displayed in the practice reception area .
Dogs should be regularly assessed for gait abnormalities , joint movement or lameness ( with and without their harness , where possible ). This will be of particular importance for dogs partaking in strenuous or irregular activities , such as canine sports or training .
8 Haug LI , Beaver BV , Longnecker MT . Comparison of dogs ' reactions to four different head collars . Applied Animal Behaviour Science . 2022 ; 79 ( 1 ): 53 – 61 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / S0168- 1591 ( 02 ) 00115-6 .
9 Peham C , Limbeck S , Galla K , Bockstahler B . Pressure distribution under three different types of harnesses used for guide dogs . The Veterinary Journal . 2013 ; 198 : e93 – e98 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . tvjl . 2013.09.040 .
10 Galla , K , Peham C , Limbeck S , Bockstahler B . Kinematic analysis of the influence of three different guide dog harnesses on the movement of the spine . Wiener Tierärztliche Monatsschrift . 2013 ; 100 ( 11 ): 306 – 312 . [ In German with English abstract .] Available from : https :// www . wtm . at / explorer / WTM / Archiv / 2013 / WTM _ 11-12-2013 _ Artikel _ 2 _ Art . 1311 . pdf [ Accessed 8 December 2024 ].
11 Gates F , Deverell L , Ritchie D , Fagan A , Wood M , Bhowmik J . Piloting a guide dog harness evaluation tool to inform evidence-based practice . SSRN . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.2139 / ssrn . 4334843 .
12 Lafuente MP , Provis L , Schmalz EA . Effects of restrictive and nonrestrictive harnesses on shoulder extension in dogs at walk and trot . Veterinary Record . 2019 ; 184 ( 2 ): 64 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.1136 / vr . 104946 .
REFERENCES
1 Blake S , Williams R , Ferro de Godoy R . A systematic review of the biomechanical effects of harness and head-collar use in dogs . bioRxiv . 2019 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.1101 / 759258 .
2 Townsend L , Dixon L , Buckley L . Lead pulling as a welfare concern in pet dogs : what can veterinary professionals learn from current research ? Vet Record . 2022 ; 191 ( 10 ): e1627 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.1002 / vetr . 1627 .
3 Grainger J , Wills AP , Montrose TV . The behavioral effects of walking on a collar and harness in domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris ). Journal of Veterinary Behavior . 2016 ; 14 : 60 – 64 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.1016 / j . jveb . 2016.06.002 .
4 Pauli AM , Bentley E , Diehl KA , Miller PE . Effects of the application of neck pressure by a collar or harness on intraocular pressure in dogs . Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association . 2006 ; 42 ( 3 ): 207 – 211 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.5326 / 0420207 .
Stay in touch
5 Zilocchi M , Parisi C . The behavioral effects of meeting unfamiliar dogs with a collar or harness . Dog Behaviour . 2021 ; 6 ( 3 ): 27 – 31 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.4454 / db . v6i3.126 . twitter- bvnauk instagra thebvnaltd
6 Pálya Z , Rácz K , Nagymáté G , Kiss RM . Development of a detailed canine gait analysis method for evaluating harnesses : A pilot study . PLOS ONE . 2022 ; 17 ( 3 ): e0264299 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.1371 / journal . pone . 0264299 .
7 Weissenbacher A , Tichy A , Weissenbacher K , Bockstahler B . Influence of two types of guide harnesses on ground reaction forces and step length of guide dogs for the blind . Animals . 2022 ; 12 ( 18 ): 2453 . Available from : https :// doi . org / 10.3390 / ani12182453 . facebook BritishVeterinaryNursingAssociation
linkedin The British Veterinary Nursing Association Ltd
Mouse-po https :// bvna . org . uk ENVELOPE bvna @ bvna . co . uk
50 Veterinary Nursing Journal