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Puppias--Be very, very careful!!!!

Denise G.

Denise G.

Well-known member
I just had a nightmare experience! I was walking Wrigley and Mia and stopped for a couple of little boys who wanted to pet the dogs. As usual, Mia stayed behind my legs, as she is afraid of children. One of the boys starting running over to pet Mia, she got spooked and wiggled out of her Puppia! She ran across two lanes of traffic, across a greenbelt and another two lanes of traffic with me screaming like a mad woman and running with Wrigley to catch her. Thank God traffic wasn't bad and the couple of cars that were coming saw her and stopped even though it was dusk and it wasn't easy to see anything. She ran straight to my house and stopped to wait on us to get there.

I had heard that the latch on the leash could come loose and test it before we go on our walks each day. Didn't know it was possible for them to wiggle out of the harness--geez!!! The harness is not loose and is pretty snug on Mia.

Please be careful if you walk your dogs in a Puppia. It took me 30 minutes to stop shaking and hugging Mia.

I'm at a loss--do the people at Puppia know about this danger? This is a HUGE flaw in their design.
 
What a fright!!

Very glad that everything turned out alright!

Mary Alice can also get out of her harness, not a puppia but a seat-belt harness.

She only tries to get out in the car! :roll:

I think if they're frightened enough, they get a boost of adrenaline or something. Really! :flwr: :flwr:
 
Oh God Denise.....I am shaking just reading your post. That was too close for comfort. I had no idea the latch had a problem. I just ordered 2 more puppias for Lily today. The one we have is getting frayed, as I leave it on her most of the time. Her leg has slipped out while she has been playing in the house, but never while on her leash. How did she get out of it???
 
When the little boy made a sudden move to pet her, she freaked out and started trying to get away and somehow wiggled out of it--it happened so fast I didn't see exactly how she managed it. I was trying to head off the little boy and get between her and him but she just lost it anyway.

I wonder if the Puppia people know about this flaw. I realize it's possible to get out of any harness, but this seemed way too easy for her.

Thanks, Shay and Zippy. I'm so relieved she's o.k., too.
 
oh, no!!

First off, Denise I am SO glad that Mia is OK. That is quite a fright. I remember reading something about Puppias coming loose, but I thought it was mainly at the 'puppy' stage, when they're a bit big on the dog and the pups are wriggling all around. I wonder if others have had any sort of similar experience. . thanks for posting and good to know...so glad she's oK...and you are too!-Natalie
 
Gee, thank the gods that didn't end the way it could have. Thanks for the warning. I figured a puppy could get out of a loose one, but hadn't realised they could get out of a well fitting snug one. Will be extra careful after this.
 
Yes Denise...Thanks so much for posting this. Someone had posted about the puppia leashes not being safe, but never about the harness. I will definitely be very careful. Lily wild stand up and walk on her hind legs in the darn thing while I am trying to pull her back sometimes. I am always afraid the hook is going to give way. I am so glad you had a happy ending. So scary!!!!!!
 
Wow, your heart must have just stopped! Actually, I can see this happening with them. The fabric does stretch a lot when you put it over their head. I have had my dog slip from a collar in a similar fashion - if they start to back up its hard. But I would have thought in your case with the puppia the other band would have held her. She must have been so scared first by the kids and then getting loose and the traffic.
 
Wesley was able to do this as a tiny pup in his small Puppia. Even if I had it tight around his chest. He has yet to do it in his medium size, as he's much more used to being on the leash. But it has always concerned me since you can't tighten the neck part. All they have to do is wiggle out of the chest area. Dogs bones are so pliable that I think that's how they do it.
 
That was a close call! I'm so glad that Mia wasn't hurt. I wonder if maybe Mia's puppia just isn't tight enough? I must say, I think it's a great harness, and I've never had any problems with it.
 
Hi

What a scare, i didn't realise they could get out of them, I have just bought one for Harvey, I shall not be using it now after reading this, I am so pleased Mia and yourself are ok.

Anna (Mum of Harvey)
 
So glad Mia is OK - that must have been very scary.

My Molly is an expert escape artist - she has gotten out of her crate before as well as her puppia. I think she just wriggles like crazy. Once I found the puppia lying in the bottom of her crate and another time she got out of her puppia when she was buckled to her sealt belt.

Bella has a dear dog harness and I have never had this problem. The large DD harness is just that bit too small for Molly - I wish they did an XL.
 
Barney manage to get out of his when 2 dogs set on him so I am very careful ----Aileen and the gang ( Jazzie---Barney----Sam)
 
this might be a little off topic but is there a size of the puppia harness that can fit the CKCS as a puppy and an adult? Or if I buy one for my puppy will I have to buy another one as he grows bigger?
 
OMG I am so glad that Mia is OK!!! It is a total SHOCK that she was able to get out of her Puppia like that!!!!!! Just once Max got his front leg through the neck hole and that freaked me a little. I think if I went through what you did I'd probably not sleep for days.

I do notice that the fabric stretches a lot. I wonder if there is a way to make a security 'strap' or tie to loop into their regular collars from the puppia for double protection??? My pups wear their normal collars all the time even when wearing their Puppias.

Thank you so much for bringing this issue to our attention. :flwr:
 
Realy glad that Mia and you are both OK. Please don't shout at me but I don't think this is actually a fault with the Puppia, I think it's more that some Cavaliers can literally get out of anything.

Charlie hasn't managed to get out of his Puppia yet but has managed to get out of two other different walking harnesses and also his car harness - all of which were done up very snugly on him.

I think, from watching Charlie and also my friend's little Cav that they seem to inhale and pull in their chests and can then move their shoulder blades in a way that will release anything from around their chests or middles. Then of course, the rest will just slide over their heads :roll:

It is however, really scary when it happens and especially if like Mia did, your dog bolts and makes a run for it - at least Charlie will just stand there and give me this 'Huh stick that!' look :roll: Maxx would have bolted and as he's 75% deaf, he wouldn't have heard me calling him.

I am just glad that Mia is safe :flwr:
 
Maxxs_Mummy said:
Realy glad that Mia and you are both OK. Please don't shout at me but I don't think this is actually a fault with the Puppia, I think it's more that some Cavaliers can literally get out of anything.
Click to expand...

I understand what you mean, if a dog is an escape artist I suppose no harness is 100% safe. But it seems like the design should be changed so that the front leg holes are not quite so spacious. I think it would still serve the same purpose of not pulling on their necks and would still be comfortable. Or maybe they should add an additional safety strap that attaches to the dog's collar for double protection. Something definitely needs to be changed in the design--it was just TOO easy for her to get out of.

I just don't want this to happen to anyone else. We were SO lucky that Mia wasn't hurt and also that I didn't break my neck trying to get to her. Wrigley thought it was a game and was running full speed to catch up to Mia all while pulling me like a rag doll across the street and greenbelt. I'm sure it was quite comical to watch--I laugh when I think about how it must have looked now...and of course I was screaming at the top of my lungs to get her attention. Sheesh!
 
Denise, so glad she is safe! You are right, when they put their mind to it they can get out of anything! I think you have to find the particular harness that is right for your particular dog. My 2 adults are built totally different and the Puppias do not fit them the same. I hope you never have to go through that again! :hug: :flwr:
 
Battie4 said:
this might be a little off topic but is there a size of the puppia harness that can fit the CKCS as a puppy and an adult? Or if I buy one for my puppy will I have to buy another one as he grows bigger?
Click to expand...
Small fits most puppies and med seems to be the average cav adult. Although larger cavs on this site do wear the Large.
 
I know most people here love the Puppia harnesses, but I have to admit, I threw mine away this weekend! I bought one when Daisy was a small puppy, and she broke out of it 3 times on walks. If she twists just the right way, the black plastic clasp comes unhooked and she is gone.

I put it on her last week for the first time in several months just to see if it was a fit problem that would be OK now that she is full-grown. I put it on her and then tested the clasp by pulling on it at an angle. Sure enough, it popped right open! So I just threw it away. I don't know if that is a common problem or if I happened to get an especially ill-fitting clasp, but as I HATE dealing with complaints and returns, I just threw it away and decided not to mess with it. I bought it from the NY Dog Shop online in July or August, so it's probaby too late anyway. Puppia needs to do some improvements with their quality control. I like the design of the harness, but the implementation was lacking in our particular one.
 
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