Just wondered as now Bella is getting bigger I've realised she isn't having me pop her harness on anymore with ease.... She knows it means fun .... treats, walkies etc but when it comes out she doesn't let me put it on easily. I request sit first which she obliges too with a treat but when harness comes near she starts running around / away , sometimes trying to grab it., bite it etc...I initially click and treated to make it a nice time, but I can't do it all at once ( but still treat her) she runs around in it no issues and likes walks etc in it, but it's the initial getting it on I'm struggling with...what do u guys do? She's going on holiday with my mum and dad soon ( gulp) for a few days, so I don't want her creating for them when harness time appears !! Plus i don't want a five minute saga every day!! Thinking about it ... Does she really know what it means at 16 weeks????
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... Riley was like that with his collar so I just waited it out. If he wants to go out he has to sit still for his collar. If he jiggled about partway through I went back to the beginning. It didn't take long for him to catch on I think trying to handle clicker, treats and collar or harness would see me out of hands in no time!
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... Charlie started this at about the same age, and it turned into a real hatred of harnesses. I tried everything, and never really got over it. In the end I'd take him out of the house on a collar, put his harness on and let him off lead so he associated the harness with the biggest reward of the day which was free running. That helped, in that he'll tolerate it now, but really doesn't love it at all.
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... I'm not sure what kind you have, some of them are trickier as you must get their legs in as well. Right now my girl wears a "wonder walker" which I just have to pop over her head and buckle under her belly, so once it's over her head we're good. What I did to start was hold the halter with one hand and a treat in the other hand and give her a treat as I slipped the headpiece of the halter over her head. This helped as she was distracted while I was putting it on.
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... Shadow doesn't give two hoots about the harness, but Willow recently started to shy away from it. She's fine once it's on, but I don't think she likes it going over her head. So I just put my arm through the neck strap and put a treat in my hand. When she takes the treat, I slip it over her head. Maybe I should train it so that I don't need the lure, but I'm not that fussed, to be honest. She's absolutely fine with me lifting her foot through the other loop, it's just the head part she doesn't like. She gets another treat once it's fully on, too.
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... The one I have is the pets at home car/walk harness where you put left paw through a hole and then just to click both bits together on top ........ She doesn't try to pull it off etc when it's on..l maybe I need to be more patient?!? I'll persevere but hard to treat her as it's paw not over head ha multi tasking!!! She walks beautifully in it doesn't pull bad rarely jumps up so hope we can get over this!! I wonder if puppy sitters being a bit quick and pushy when putting it on her ( they do it 4 days and me 5...). I haven't started lead walking yet maybe I should start practicing in the house as well now :
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... I've got the Pets at Home one which I use as a car harness. I clip together the 2 straps which go round the neck before I start. This loop then goes over the head - when Molly was little I did as Snowbunny has described and held treat in hand, but I no longer need a treat. Then I get Mollly to lift her paw and put it through the hole between chest strap and tummy strap. Then there's only one fastening to click in. I taught Molly to put her paw through by lifting it and saying 'paw' and then giving a treat as soon as it was through the hole. It's hard to describe in words!
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... [quote author=snowbunny link=topic=9822.msg142401#msg142401 date=1423382734] Shadow doesn't give two hoots about the harness, but Willow recently started to shy away from it. She's fine once it's on, but I don't think she likes it going over her head. So I just put my arm through the neck strap and put a treat in my hand. When she takes the treat, I slip it over her head. Maybe I should train it so that I don't need the lure, but I'm not that fussed, to be honest. She's absolutely fine with me lifting her foot through the other loop, it's just the head part she doesn't like. She gets another treat once it's fully on, too. [/quote] I do exactly that if I need to use the harness but we've dropped it mostly now... I do the same with his collar through habit but Chris doesn't he just tells him to sit and he will let him put it on no messing...the lady at daycare today said he was messing about and jumping around when she was trying to put his lead on today :-[ so I should do a bit of tidying up on this x
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... [quote author=Joy link=topic=9822.msg142429#msg142429 date=1423396933] I've got the Pets at Home one which I use as a car harness. I clip together the 2 straps which go round the neck before I start. This loop then goes over the head - when Molly was little I did as Snowbunny has described and held treat in hand, but I no longer need a treat. Then I get Mollly to lift her paw and put it through the hole between chest strap and tummy strap. Then there's only one fastening to click in. I taught Molly to put her paw through by lifting it and saying 'paw' and then giving a treat as soon as it was through the hole. It's hard to describe in words! [/quote] Loop over the head?! This can't be the same harness .. Can it?!?! I could try clipping first both bits but not sure how that would work ...as her paw needs to go through and it would be too tight?! Ill have a look : .....
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... Put the harness on Bella just to feed her for a couple of weeks. Harness on -- meal -- harness off. Then only short, local walks which are uneventful (if something they don't like happens in the early days they can begin to 'blame' the harness and get an aversion to it) Then longer walks when you are sure she's happy having it on. This is how they train Guide Dogs as it's essential they like their harnesses. It's how I had to train Gypsy with her jacket, as it's the equivalent for her of the harness (her working gear).
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... [quote author=Boogie link=topic=9822.msg142466#msg142466 date=1423415511] Put the harness on Bella just to feed her for a couple of weeks. Harness on -- meal -- harness off. Then only short, local walks which are uneventful (if something they don't like happens in the early days they can begin to 'blame' the harness and get an aversion to it) Then longer walks when you are sure she's happy having it on. This is how they train Guide Dogs as it's essential they like their harnesses. It's how I had to train Gypsy with her jacket, as it's the equivalent for her of the harness (her working gear). [/quote] Ok thanks I'll give it a go, all walks so far have been fun and as soon as I pick the harness up she's starts getting excited ... I think?!! :
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... [quote author=Joy link=topic=9822.msg142429#msg142429 date=1423396933] I've got the Pets at Home one which I use as a car harness. I clip together the 2 straps which go round the neck before I start. This loop then goes over the head - when Molly was little I did as Snowbunny has described and held treat in hand, but I no longer need a treat. Then I get Mollly to lift her paw and put it through the hole between chest strap and tummy strap. Then there's only one fastening to click in. I taught Molly to put her paw through by lifting it and saying 'paw' and then giving a treat as soon as it was through the hole. It's hard to describe in words! [/quote] Just re read that a few times....l I know what you mean now, duhhhh it must be me having a blonde moment!!! So much easier doing that first, thanks for the tip!! She didn't even flinch when I put loop over her head ... Fingers crossed ... ;D
Re: Do you train 'put on harness' .... Is Bailey the only dog that walks off, if I lift harness, or lead off the side, he's perky perky once out the door! Putting on lead or harness is a game of subterfuge! But compliant once commences the putting the harness on!
