[nagdu] where to buy guide dog harnesses

Christel Sogenbits christel.chrissu at gmail.com
Sun Apr 21 22:27:09 UTC 2013


Julie!

Thank you for very good information:)smile:)
I think I need to buy new harnesses for  us but  its  gonna be hard to
choose...:)smile:) Thats the down side  if you have too many options:)
smile:) But it is interesting  that there are different materials  from what
harnesses are made  of...  
When im chosen from where to order im gonna  keep you updated allso:)smile:)

Tervitades / With greetings
Christel Sogenbits
GSM: +372 58 440 521
E-mail: christel.chrissu at gmail.com
Skype: christel.chrissu


-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Julie J.
Sent: Monday, April 22, 2013 1:07 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] where to buy guide dog harnesses

Lyn,

the problem with the carting style of harness is that the D rings where you 
could attach a handle are further back, more on the sides of the dog.  You 
couldn't put stabilizer loops on a carting harness for the handle because 
the handle connection is essentially directly under where the loops would 
be.  The handle couldn't thread through, unless you wanted the handle to 
stand straight up.

I think a carting harness could work in a pinch, but you are going to lose 
much of the shoulder movement which is what you normally feel through the 
handle.  For beach use I think it'd be fine, but I wouldn't use a carting 
harness if I needed those subtle movements to give me details about what the

dog is doing.

And yes, making a guide harness isn't terribly difficult, especially if you 
have the dog right there to periodically check for fit.  It is a very time 
consuming project though. If you are fairly comfortable with basic sewing, 
you could probably use the harness you have as a pattern and end up with a 
good harness.

I have the supplies to make a harness sitting on my desk.  They've been 
there for over a month.  I know how much work it's going to be and I keep 
putting it off in favor of more fun projects! *smile*

Last time I looked EBay had guide dog harnesses listed.  They were actual 
companies selling their products, not used program harnesses though.

Bridgeport Equipment has nice quality leather harnesses.  However they are 
pretty heavy and the fit can be problematic for some breeds.  If you have a 
tall narrow dog, the front chest strap is probably going to ride too low, 
more on the legs than the chest.  They are also using a fake sheepskin stuff

and it flattens and gets nasty pretty quickly.  The leatherwork is nice.

I also have a harness from a company in Canada, maybe Canam?  I can't 
remember.  It's a nylon harness they use with their program dogs.  I liked 
that there is space on the sides for a print message or picture.  I did not 
like how the front chest strap was constructed.  It was way too high up for 
Monty.  Maybe one of those skinny dogs would fit in it better.  I ended up 
taking off the front chest strap and replacing it with a Y shaped front 
chest plate.  That worked out well, but after a few months I noticed that 
Monty had a couple of small places on his belly where the underneath strap 
was rubbing.

I have an LDS harness that I had for Belle.  The customer service was bad. 
It took forever to get my order and even more time to get the rest of my 
order that wasn't in the first box.  There was one place on the inside of 
the harness where the metal rivets weren't rounded correctly.  It could have

caused nasty sores if I hadn't cobbled together a solution.  I suppose I 
could have sent it back, but by then I had had it with their service.

I think that's all the harness companies I have first hand experience with. 
Oh, I also have a Pawpower harness.  Monty outgrew it though and I passed it

on to someone who needed a harness.  It was lightweight and overall a nice 
harness.

There are other companies that make harnesses.  Some of them look pretty 
good, and others I don't think I'd waste money on.  So far I've resisted 
buying more equipment I honestly don't need.   *smile*

All you guys that told me that a white harness would get dirty really 
quickly and that I shouldn't go with white...well, you were right. *sheepish

smile*  that is why I have harness parts sitting on my desk.  The once very 
pretty white harness is now a dingy gray brown. *sigh*  It did look really 
classy there for a few weeks.  I've tried soaking it in bleach water with no

luck.

Anyway that really is all I know about harness companies.

Julie




-----Original Message----- 
From: Lyn Gwizdak
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2013 11:51 AM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] where to buy guide dog harnesses

Harnesses also can be made.  I have a friend who wanted a white leather
harness so she bought the supplies based on her school harness and proceeded
to make one.  She did a nice jot of it!  She did enlist the help of a
leather worker who had a sewing machine for leather and he did that part of
the project.

Shannon, if you want a nylon harness and can't get one made anywhere, I'd
get a nylon one at a pet supply place.  the best kind are the carting
harnesses that are very sturdy with fleece materal on the inside part - the
parts that touch the dog's body.  there are rings on each side and one on
top.  I've seen them mainly in black nylon.  Then you can just attach a
regular guide dog harness handle to this and you have a harness for the
beach. For the handle, I'd strip the leather off so you're down to the bare
metal.  The harness body can be washed and dried - fleece is the fake kind
like what fleece dog toys are made of and not real wool from a sheep.

For the ears - the loops to pass the handle through - you can get two cheap
nylon leashes and cut the handle loops off and have them rivetted on by
someone who does leather work or a shoe repair place.

The school harnesses are the property of the school you got them from.  Most
are stamped with the school name - usually on the back strap and sometimes
also on the handle.  I think the schools have asked eBay to not sell
harnesses on their website but not sure if that pertains to harnesses that
have a school name on them.  But who knows, they can be stolen property or
not and I don't think very enforceable.

HTH

Lyn and Landon
"Asking who's the man and who's the woman in an LGBT relationship is like
asking which chopstick is the fork" - Unknown
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Buddy Brannan" <buddy at brannan.name>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2013 8:41 AM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] where to buy guide dog harnesses


> Hi Ken,
>
> This is absolutely, completely, unequivocally incorrect.
>
> For one thing, of course anyone can buy a white cane. I've never, ever 
> been asked for proof of blindness to buy a white cane, and there are 
> several places you can get one.
>
> As for guide dog harnesses, I've said this a hundred times over the years,

> at least. There's nothing magic about guide dog working gear, or, for that

> matter, any dog working gear, and i believe the schools do us all a 
> disservice in their promulgating of the guide dog mystique in this regard.

> While it's true that the harnesses we get from the school are generally 
> property of the school, there's nothing stopping you from getting one from

> somewhere else They're really not terribly complicated; I expect any 
> decent maker of horse gear, for instance, could make you one. But there 
> are one or two places that will sell you a guide dog harness; Bridgeport 
> is one such. LDS used to be another, and I'm nearly certain there are 
> others besides. There's of course Paw Power Creations, whose status seems 
> to be a bit unknown at the moment. Point is, guide dog working gear isn't 
> particularly special if you know where to look.
> --
> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>
>
>
> On Apr 21, 2013, at 10:04 AM, "Ken Ace" <ken at acenovels.com> wrote:
>
>> I am obviously misinformed because I am sure we were told by my school 
>> that
>> "Harnesses are always the property of the school and where you get
>> replacements". They likened it to white canes, you just can't go out and 
>> buy
>> a white cane if you haven't gone through the training. Does anyone have 
>> any
>> input?
>> Ken & Ace
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Christel
>> Sogenbits
>> Sent: Sunday, April 21, 2013 9:55 AM
>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] where to buy guide dog harnesses
>>
>> Hello!
>>
>> It is very interesting question for me allso beacuse we have only one 
>> kind
>> of harnesses  here. Allso I would be really happy and thankful if 
>> somebody
>> wants to write me offlist  and describe their harnesses or send pictures.
>> I can  do picture  of my guides harnesses and write there what part of it

>> is
>> made of metal and what part is made from leather if somebody is 
>> interested.
>> Allso I can send you pictures do show how  they are on my dog.
>>
>>
>>
>> Tervitades / With greetings
>> Christel Sogenbits
>> GSM: +372 58 440 521
>> E-mail: christel.chrissu at gmail.com
>> Skype: christel.chrissu
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Shannon L. 
>> Dillon
>> Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2013 11:21 PM
>> To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>> Subject: [nagdu] where to buy guide dog harnesses
>>
>> Hi, does anyone know where to get guide dog harnesses (other than the 
>> ones
>> we can get from our schools)? I got my previous harness from Paw Power
>> Creations but their web site doesn't seem to be functioning anymore.  I'm
>> looking for another lightweight, flexible, nonleather harness  to use on 
>> the
>> beach this summer, and I would have gotten it from Paw Power Creations if
>> they were up and running. I love my old one but I had it made without
>> stabilizer loops and I wanted to have one made with the stabilizer loops.
>> Does anyone know of alternatives?
>> Thanks.
>> -Shannon and Yalie
>>
>>
>>> From: graduate56 at juno.com
>>> To: nagdu at nfbnet.org
>>> Date: Sat, 20 Apr 2013 12:57:23 -0600
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] my surgery
>>>
>>> thats a really good description of the exhibit hall.
>>> I remember when I took my girl to convention for the first time. We
>>> got through the crowd in the exhibit hall and to tables. She found the
>>> Gdf table right away. she was so happy with herself for it. She knows
>>> her school.
>>> Lol!
>>>
>>>
>>> Blessings,
>>> Sincerely,
>>> Melissa and Pj
>>> Find me on:
>>> Twitter melissa5674
>>> facebook Melissa R Green
>>> Linkedin www.linkedin.com/in/melissagreen5674
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Jenine Stanley" <jeninems at wowway.com>
>>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2013 12:43 PM
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] my surgery
>>>
>>>
>>> Hi Mary,
>>>
>>> So glad the surgery went well. Please give us a call at GDF and Barb
>>> can talk to you about recovery and getting back to work with Felix.
>>>
>>> As for the national convention, what's really nice about the exhibit
>>> hall is that there is a great description printed ahead of time and
>>> possibly even a tactile map you can look at prior to going in so you
>>> know where you are going.
>>>
>>> I use the "Find the counter" command a lot to have Swap take me to the
>>> edges of tables when he can. Sometimes, and not to be crude here, you
>>> just encounter a wall of butts. That's why when reaching out to see
>>> what's in front of me, I use the back of my hand initially to see how
>>> close we are to people. <grin>
>>>
>>> Enjoy.
>>>
>>> Jenine Stanley
>>> jeninems at wowway.com
>>> http://www.twitter.com/jeninems
>>>
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Mary
>>> Wurtzel
>>> Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2013 1:18 PM
>>> To: 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users'
>>> Subject: [nagdu] my surgery
>>>
>>> Hello all,
>>>
>>> I wanted to share about my recent surgery and how it went fore Felix
>>> and
>> me.
>>> First, for some reason, the hospital said I could bring my dog but had
>>> to find my own way to take him out. I didn't have family who could be
>>> there whenever Felix needed to go out. I decided to board him at the
>>> vet for the three days I was in the hospital. That went fine.
>>> The rehabilitation facility allowed me to bring my dog. They were
>>> willing to have staff to take him out. I could not walk for two weeks
>>> after surgery.
>>> I am very grateful to all of the nursing care aids who took Felix out
>>> for me.
>>> Felix was on a tie-down on one side of my bed. I was fortunate to have
>>> a private room.
>>> Friends of mine who also have guide dogs came and groomed and
>>> exercised Felix for me.
>>> I took him on leash with me to the dining room in a wheelchair.
>>> Because I did not use the harness, I let people pet him. The other
>>> clients and the staff really enjoyed having a dog to pet. Some of the
>>> people were seniors who had ffallen or had replacement type surgeries.
>>> They love to remember dogs that they had during their lives.
>>> It was kind of neat because Felix seemed to know I was in pain. He
>>> would come right up to the side of the bed and stand close so I could
>>> pet
>> him.
>>> After two and a half weeks I could come home. I have a boot on my foot
>>> and still cannot work Felix. I worry about this. I now have about a
>>> week and a half before I can walk again.
>>> I have let Felix out in the fenced in yard to play with our pet dog.
>>> My husband took Felix for a walk, but he dragged back and wouldn't go.
>>> All I can think is that maybe he didn't want to leave me.
>>> This surgery is hopefully going to make it possible for me to have
>>> better balance when I walk. I am excited to see how successful it will
>>> be. I am just praying that my pup will still remember how to be a
>>> guide
>> dog.
>>> I am so blessed to have such wonderful friends and a great family.
>>> This will be my first national convention to have a guide dog. I think
>>> the thing I dread the most is going to the exhibit hall with a dog 
>>> guide.
>>> I AM SO ENJOYING THIS LIST AND HOPE TO MEET SOME OF OUR FOLKS IN 
>>> Orlando.
>>> Mary
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: nagdu [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tracy
>>> Carcione
>>> Sent: Saturday, April 20, 2013 10:29 AM
>>> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
>>> Subject: Re: [nagdu] coming on command - was no follow up
>>>
>>> My first dog Glade thought running away and not coming were a great
>>> game. A
>>>
>>> couple times, she accidently got loose, and I had a heck of a time
>>> catching her again. She would always come when she saw her harness,
>>> though, so I'd try to get close enough to her to show it to her, and
>>> the game would be over.
>>>
>>> I quote the Irish Rovers, sort of:
>>> Those labradors were hiding, playing silly games.
>>>
>>> From the Unicorn song, explaining why there aren't any more around.
>>> Tracy
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> From: "Daniel" <daniel.sweeney1 at comcast.net>
>>> To: "'NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users'"
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
>>> Sent: Friday, April 19, 2013 3:07 PM
>>> Subject: [nagdu] coming on command - was no follow up
>>>
>>>
>>>> Hi Eve and everyone,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> I was having the same problems with having Cass coming to me when I
>>>> called, and to some extent still do. Although I never allow her to
>>>> be off leash in the common area behind my townhome, I will go out on
>>>> a 25 foot leash and practice recall with food treats. This is what
>>>> my field rep advised me when she visited me on my second month home
>>>> after complaining about this problem.
>>>> I explained to her that I was having problems with recall both in
>>>> and out of the house. After returning home and keeping Cass on leash
>>>> for about 5 weeks, I let her off and when I called her she would not
>>>> come to me. We would do obedience training, sit, down, stay, and
>>>> come at short distances and she would do just fine, but when we were
>>>> at ease she would not come to me when
>>>
>>>> I
>>>> called. Talk about frustrating - to be upstairs and call and have no
>>>> dog come, or to be ten feet away and call her to come to me and she
>>>> would just ignore me. Things really came to a head when I went to a
>>>> friend's house and she was playing in the yard with his dogs. He
>>>> called his dogs to come in and Cass refused to come inside. He went
>>>> to the back door and she would run from my friend. I went to the
>>>> door and she would ignore my command to come inside. I finally was
>>>> able to get her to come inside by filling her food bowl, and then
>>>> snagging her with the leash. That was the last time she was off
>>>> leash until the field rep came. We started working with high value
>>>> food rewards. This has seemed to work for the most part, but there
>>>> are still some occasional instances where she will stay just out of
>>>> my reach when I call her, and not come to me as if I am playing a
>>>> game. Needless to say this really ticks me off since I have never
>>>> had a dog that has done this. I have had quite a few dogs. She has a
>>>> HUGE stubborn streak. I would never let her be off leash outside
>>>> unless the area was securely enclosed, and then only with
>>>> hesitation. I am just glad she is food motivated. The fact that we
>>>> have only been together for a bit over 4 months lets me think that
>>>> in time she will become a little more attached and this problem will
>>>> solve itself.
>>>>
>>>> I apologize for the long winded emails, but when I get going, I
>>>> really get going.
>>>>
>>>> Daniel and Cass
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>>
>>>
>>>
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>
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