Harnesses

[xoxHannaHxox]

Hi everyone, Charlie has his second lots of vaccinations and microchip on Wednesday. My first question is how long till they can go walkies? Vet said a few days but I was thinking more 1-2 weeks? I'm sure it was around 2 weeks with my Harry.

Also I'm pretty sure I am going to buy a Puppia harness - would you recommend? I have been looking at car harnesses, should I get a separate one or just an attachment for his puppia? I think I will probably go for Clix.

Thank you for any advice,
Hannah xxx

[Nicki]

Hi Hannah I would follow your vet's recommendations but it is usually a minimum of 1 week following the 2nd vaccination. Don't forget that you can carry him around though so that he is being socialised as long as you don't put him on the ground or near other dogs.

Many people do use PUppia harnesses but most of my Cavaliers do not like having them pulled over their head. Please don't be tempted to use it as a car harness though, it is not designed for that. We stock these harnesses on the Cavalier gift shop [raising money for Cavalier health research] http://cavalier-gift-shop.org/cavali.../prod_216.html


They come with an attachment

[MadeleineSarah]

I would agree, Oliver doesn't like an over-head harness.
His first puppy harness was a Rogz over head style and he didn't like putting it on much.
I always buy step-in harnesses now and have 3 different types.
Oliver now knows to lift one paw then the other to put it on. So cute! lol

[meljoy]

We have the harness that Nicki shows in the photo.
It's great for the car and also just walking. It's a good snug fit and he's never wriggled out of it which he did with the puppia!!
Plus you dont have to pull it over their heads which is a huge bonus.

[dandelos]

Puppia is the only one we've used for Skippy. I don't have any full-body pictures of him in them but can take some and post them here if you want to see how they look.

[murphy's mum]

I can recommend the harnesses Nicki is showing. We have two, one for our SM dog who we struggled to get a comfortable harness for. The are great quality, and easily cleaned

[Nicki]

Glad to hear they are popular! Yes I like that they make a good walking harness too and are not too hot even in teh summer - they also dry very quickly if they do get wet. Mine have been through the washing machine on a gentle cycle quite a few times and seem to be surviving well!! The chest panel feels hard when they first arrive but it quickly moulds to the shape of your dog.

Few more photos!

It is comfy to wear




It has clips on both straps so you don't have to pull it over their head [which many Cavaliers hate ] MadeleineSarah - mine have learnt to hold their paws up to have it put on too





You can also get the camo colours - this is the pink [of course!] - but there is also a blue camo

[Nicki]

PS I'm sure you all know this, but DO NOT ever allow your dog to travel on the front seat. A "deployed" airbag could kill them.

[MomObvious]

I started Fletcher out with a step in Coastal harness 5/8 inch I believe works great but he's growing fast so another few weeks maybe.....I do what to get him another one like pictured above but I'm going to wait until he's bigger and slows down growing some. I did pick him up a plain regular collar today tho too but only because its was the kind I like, with the plastic buckle and was on sale for $1.15.

Also just a little FYI I live in a planned neighborhood with lots of walking trails, people walk there dogs all the time. So I asked my vet, can we walk some in less traveled areas. He told me where exactly is that (we live in the same neighborhood) I say the middle of the street in some side roads... he said oh ok that sounds smart. So I have been starting walk training with him in the evenings when the streets are empty, early morning works too, but not at dark. When a car is coming I just pick him up and move the the grass and wait for the car to pass. Not sure if that would be an option for you but most people don't talk there dogs down the middle of a street and I think dogs are even less likely to poop or pee there either.

Also, my car and I think others have weight limits before the airbag will even turn on however, its too easy to get distracted but that cute little face so the back seat is better for us too. My car also has a "I can see you mirror" just for the kids so I can see him back there too.

Just my 2 cents,
Melissa

[emmaK11]

Where I am in the US, they advise us not to walk puppies or put them down anywhere (other than in your house and yard) until they have had ALL vaccines. Ive used multiple harnesses for Emma and she doesn't mind the ones that go over the head. The Puppia ones are nice because they are very soft and flexible, they have more surface area for less stress on the body. I have seen once or twice harnesses that are step in and that are fabric like Puppia, which might be useful to try as well.

There are special crash tested "seat belts" and harnesses at many local pet stores also. The average harness may not be built to withstand any impact such as a car accident, so look for those specifically built for the car.

Good Luck!