Ok, now this is weird. When I put Charlie’s harness on today (we've been using a collar for a while but he has worn a harness for about a month before now), I got him to stretch his nose into it for a bit of roast chicken and he was still munching his chicken when the harness was on. Same in reverse, stretch up for a bit of chicken and its off in a jiffy. No probs. Easy Peasy. And a lovely run off lead (although as mentioned in the thread "collars" he wasn't so keen on the harness at first). Came to put the harness on tonight – not having any of it. We try never to force him to do anything (unless it’s ear cleaning…. and even then we’re as gentle as possible). So we thought: a few treats on the harness, Charlie will do anything for food… this was the amazing result… Hope you can see the vid ok. I started filming at 4 kibble and counting... http://www.flickr.com/photos/97932779@N08/9183873857/ What's going on with the harness?
Re: The harness... It was funny, and of course I think he is the sweetest thing - but, might this also a little concerning? Why should he be so wary of the harness? I know it constrains him, which he might not like at all, but is he fearful do you think? If so, what could have caused this reaction in a dog that would sell all his toys and bed for a single kibble?
Re: The harness... That's so funny!! I wonder if it was just the shape of it on the floor looked new and threatening? Sometimes I'm walking with Simba and he'll see a plastic bag that suddenly looks like a monster.
Re: The harness... I'd repeat this exercise but just leave the harness in the room and walk away. In that vid the harness is getting an awful lot of attention - everyone is standing around it and staring at it as if it needs to be carefully monitored....approaching it then backing away. Charlie is kind of just copying you (if you look at it from the alien anthropologist perspective). So try just being more casual and ho-hum about it all.
Re: The harness... Yes, I agree. Just try to be very matter-of-fact about it. 'This your harness, it goes on like this, and NOW WE GO FOR A LOVELY WALK...' Although the video is very cute!!!
Re: The harness... Well, maybe that's right about the vid - but the problem didn't start with us having the harness in the middle of the floor (I appreciate that what you say might explain the duration of Charlie's reluctance to take the kibble though). The wariness started as soon as I picked up the harness. He hung his head and sort of slunked away with his head and tail down immediately I touched the harness. Worried now... have I somehow traumatised Charlie with the harness! What have I done!
Re: The harness... Don't worry We can't always fathom their furry minds. Just try continuing to do exactly the kind of thing you have started doing with the kibble (associating the harness with something he already likes). Just put it on the floor in the general area of his food bowl when he has his meals. A whole meal should be enough to entice him near - if not, just move the harness a bit further away. Don't make a fuss and just let him work it out. Ultimately you want to associate the harness with going out and walks, though, as Karen says. So I'd take the harness with you on walks (just carry it if you like) so he learns that when you pick it up it probably means a fun adventure. In the meantime just keep working on 'good on-lead walking' with the collar or whatever else you have been using. For dogs not pulling is a really hard one to learn and it probably takes more patience and perseverance than anything else. The rewards of pulling are so great - saying hello, sniffs, just getting to go forward, finding stuff to eat.....delaying gratification for all those things is a big challenge.
Re: The harness... I'll do that and see how we get on - I'll just have the harness generally about our play area this morning. I want to use it tonight if possible, as OH let's him do what he likes on his walk (it is his dog too, although he says I own the chewing front and the pooping back, and he owns the silky bit in the middle) and I very much like the idea of the harness just being about keeping Charlie safe while we get to the wood, and using the collar later on after we've done more walking nicely work. Very much more relaxing.
Re: The harness... Sorry but crying with laughter here, that is hilarious, his face bless him, having to face the killer harness He is a gorgeous puppy
Re: The harness... Absolutely gorgeous !!! I have watched it 5 times over !! Fed-Ex him to me pleaseeeeeee!!! batts lashes...the thing is ..Mcqueen ..I don't how it happened exactly because he sure as well wasn't trained conciously for doing this..hes 7months now but since the age of about 4...he BRINGS me his harness KNOWING it means a walk...they are incredible arn't they ?!!!! Then mind you I add the leed and he ends up taking himself for a walk !!! ------> wants another labrador pup !!!!
Re: The harness... hey if its any comfort cuillin is also petrified of her harness and always has been! she first got one at five months and still runs away and hides under the bed whenever it appears. ive just ended up adopting the matter of fact approach and stuffing it on her cheerfully as nothing has changed her attitude and she will be two end august. she sort of collapses her back legs and crawls down the stairs to the front door usually in a dramatic fashion looking like i Beat Her Daily...once she is outside running about all is forgotten and she's happy as larry! no idea whats going on in her furry mind...
Re: The harness... Thanks! "The killer harness" made me laugh, and I need to relax about this. Today, I put his lunch bowl on the harness and he didn't give it another glance. Tonight, I took the harness down ready for our walk, and Charlie hung his head, and tried to hide behind the kitchen bin. I just walked over, gave him his bit of chicken and then put the harness over his head. He looked miserable, I gave him another bit of chicken, and he cheered up and was ready for the off. Really, I don't know...
Re: The harness... Now I'm getting worried again - sorry! Off to the vets this morning (still struggling with the blasted ear infection) and he was sat in his (well, my) armchair in his pen. So I walk over all business like with the harness, and did the here is chicken which comes with the harness "on it goes" thing. Because my face was really close to his, as he was higher up, I heard his breathing rapidly increase when I put the harness one. About 3 or 4 breaths, really rapid. Then he sat frozen in the armchair, even when I had the font door open ready to go. I walked out, and just waited and after about a minute he followed me to see where we were going. Darn it. Worried he is fearful of the harness. Shall I keep going with it? I really want to use it, as making a clear divide between "harness and we're just getting down this road in the most sensible fashion we can managed in a reasonable time" from "collar and now we are learning to walk properly on a lead" is really working for me. Mostly happy and relaxed as anything once we were out though - stopped in the middle of a road for a big poo! : Did the limping "this harness is made of piano wire" just a little bit until distracted by a leaf.
Re: The harness... What about just leaving it on him all day? It won't physically hurt him. Take it off after his dinner and before bedtime. I'm wondering if that'll help him get over it - making it part of the furniture, so to speak. What happens if you put the harness on outside, just before going out your gate? (when the walk has kind of already begun). He has obviously developed a bit of an anxiety reaction to it, hasn't he, poor lamb.
Re: The harness... I think some are jus more cautious than others where adapting to a new item or situation is concerned, just their character really . Sam is not nervous but is very cautious of anything he isnt sure of , its just something we have learned to live with and accept, its just how he is, Charlie may just be the same , needing more time to get used to thing before becomming comfortable about them . Try not to worry as he will pick up on your anxiety , just try to be relaxed and matter of fact around the harness
Re: The harness... poor boy...I felt the same way about Cuillin's reactions (ie this harness is made from barbed wire), I think the thing that makes me not worry so much is that fact that she does seem to forget about it instantly once out. I spoke to an obedience trainer at one of her classes about it, they said that she just needs desensitised to it, I had to start really small, with the harness just happening to be lying on the floor of the room where she was, she was rewarded for passing by it and not reacting to it, then next to pick it up while she was there, put it back down quickly, reward if no reaction, pick it up, hold it a bit, put it down, reward if no reaction, pick it up, get her to approach, put it down, reward if no reaction, pick it up, put it by her head but not on, reward if no reaction, pick it up, put it over her nose but not on, reward if no reaction etc etc until I actually had it on. I wasn't allowed to go to the next stage unless the stage I was on produced no reactions with quite a few rehearsals of it. I have to say I never got past approaching her with it without a reaction, and I faithfully kept to the programme for weeks...I do sort of wonder whether this process actually made things even worse, as Kate said I probably got quite anxious about it myself too and this long drawn out process made a Big Thing out of it all! Anyway then she went to a gundog trainer, who just laughed and said it's not hurting her, and she is being a drama queen, stick it on and ignore her and she'll get over it...well that hasn't worked either she still runs when she sees it but she has to wear one now and then, and I just stick it on and ignore her and she is fine with it on in no time...
