Currently, I have an EZ Dog Harness, sent to me by the company, to review. It has a seatbelt attachment that I haven't used yet, but that was a primary reason for me wanting a harness for Elka.
Elka seems to like the harness well enough so far, and I don't have major complaints. Primarily, my worry is that the buckles are plastic. But, she walks well on it (other than having forgotten how to heel, apparently. Sigh.)
It was sunny at the park, and actually rather crowded, but we made a nice circuit and enjoyed the warmth.
There were a lot of dogs around, but all of them nice and with their owners, and we had no issues with impoliteness. That was a relief, I'll tell you. A lot of people around here, though their dogs seem healthy and exercised, don't seem to actually teach their dogs anything. It's a bit irritating.
Elka's recall was lovely each time I whistled for her, and I alternated between letting her go back to what she was doing and treating her for it. She scrunched around in all of the fallen leaves, and occasionally splashed a mud puddle or two, just to show 'em who's boss. Interestingly, she works better on the long leash in the harness; it was our first time doing so, so the leash itself got up under her legs sometimes, but she pulled far less and seemed more aware of how much line she had. Not that she's so bad on the regular collar, but it was enough of a change that I definitely noticed.
On our way home, we passed a group of teens on the sidewalk, four girls and a boy. The boy, in his very best, deprecating Teen Voice, said "What kind of a dog is that?" In my best Neutral tone (with a little bit of "If You Read a Book Once In Awhile, You Might Learn Things thrown in) I said "She's a Doberman." His reply? "It looks weird." So I, beacon of maturity that I am, said "You look weird." And we didn't hear from him after that.
My pups are hibernating
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Kari
http://dogisgodinreverse.com
That looks like a beautiful park. Frankie and Beryl would love to race around there! I have got the other easy-walk harness for Frankie and the buckles are plastic too. But everything has survived his lunging so far, although he's much better in the harness than on just his collar.
ReplyDeleteWe sat inside and waited fir the rain to stop.it never did. Very very sad & gloomy. I find harnesses GREAT for oullers and they are much safer. There are lots of issues with collars, trachea collapse and future thyroid problems, not to mention issues with neck &back alignment. Since Felix is basically a sled dog in a poodle suit, we've been using harnesses for years and love them!
ReplyDeleteHaha I enjoyed the "you look weird" comment!
ReplyDelete@Kari in Vegas when it gets cold out, Elka shivers inside the house. But if there's snow on the ground? She wants to be IN IT! All the time! It's kind of hilarious.
ReplyDelete@Greyhounds Can Sit: I was (and still am) a bit wary of the plastic buckles, but they seem to be holding up so far! It's obviously a heavier-duty plastic, I was just confused at the choice. Cheaper, probably.
@Kolchak I the it when the rain doesn't stop! So does Elka.
@Doodling Dogs it was the only thing I could think of to say that could still be construed as "acceptable". It certainly ended that interaction!
Fun post. I was super curious what your first post would be. It's amazing how well you've done on your blog over the years. Congrats! Sara at pettium
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