[NAGDU] Pilot Dogs Harness Question

[S L Johnson]

Hello Lisie:

I will try to give you a good description.  Our Pilot Dog harnesses are made 
out of tan leather.  The handle is covered in white vinyl on the sides and 
tan leather at the top and partly down each side.  The handle does not have 
clips or snaps to attach it to the D-rings on the harness body.  The metal 
is wrapped around the ring and tightened by using pliers.  The ears are 
smaller than most and attached with another rib it at the top so they stay 
flat against the back strap.  They do not flop to the side like some schools 
with big floppy ears.  For example.  My previous guide was from GDF and I 
hated their huge ears because the handle would flop off to the right side of 
the dogs body and it allowed too much movement so it was harder to feel the 
dog's movements, especially with a dog who had a very light to almost no 
pull at all.  Pilot Dogs handles are straight.  They do not use any of the 
other weird curved and other strange looking handles I have seen.  I know 
some schools have been trying out some ergonomic handles and for years GDF 
used the off set handles which I also hated so much that my trainer finally 
gave me a straight one with Tara.  The Pilot handles are a bit shorter than 
some schools use.  For example, I am 5 feet 3 inches tall and my little 
golden is about 22 inches tall.  My Pilot handle is 15 inches long.  When 
the trainer gave it to me I thought it would be too short.  However, I 
quickly found that  I liked it because it lets you really feel what the dog 
is doing, especially with a dog like Eva who is very gentle with an 
extremely light pull.  The harness has a quick snap on the side so you don't 
have to fool with the buckle when putting the harness on and off.  I think a 
lot of the schools harness bodies have this type of clip.  The Pilot harness 
does have two snaps across the chest strap where you can snap in a strip of 
flat round prongs that discourage a dog that is pulling too hard.  For dogs 
like Eva who do not pull, our harness has just a plain leather strip that 
snaps into that place.  There is no reflective material on the Pilot harness 
body or handle.  I have heard of some graduates who have applied reflective 
tape over the vinyl sides of the handle.  The Pilot Dog leashes are also 
different from any others I have seen.  They are almost a foot longer with a 
snap and adjustable buckle that are used to form a muzzle if it is ever 
necessary.  I don't like the leash so I ordered a guide dog style leash from 
a pet supply company that sells service dog equipment.  I hope this gives 
you an idea of what the Pilot Dog harness looks like.  It is interesting to 
compare the equipment that the schools use.  I am also sure there are many 
opinions of what trainers and graduates like and dislike when it comes to 
the harnesses and handles.

Sandra and Eva

-----Original Message----- 
From: Lisie Foster via NAGDU
Sent: Tuesday, April 19, 2016 10:18 PM
To: the National Association of Guide Dog Users NAGDU Mailing List
Cc: Lisie Foster
Subject: [NAGDU] Pilot Dogs Harness Question

Hello, again! OK this is my last post for today, *smiles*!

If anyone on the list has or has had a dog from Pilot Dogs, I was wondering 
if you'd be willing to describe what their harnesses look like and what 
makes them different from other schools' harnesses?

I know that they are made to accommodate a clip-on chest piece, that they 
have a white handle with a leather grip, but other than that, I can't quite 
figure out why they seem so different.

Are the stabilizing bunny ears attached differently? They seem different, 
somehow, perhaps closer to the body of the harness. Also, is there any 
reflective material on their harnesses at all?

Despite Pilot harnesses being the ones I've seen most often, since we live 
not too far from the school, I've never been able to figure out what it is 
that makes them so distinct from the other schools' harnesses (like TSE, 
GDF, etc.).

Also, I love Pilot's leashes. I really wish I knew someone who sold them to 
the public, because I'd buy one in a second! I like the fact that they're 
adjustable and are quite a bit longer than most guide dog leashes. The leash 
I'm currently using is a typical guide dog style leash, but is *much* 
longer, being seven feet long from one end of the leather to the other. I 
believe Pilot's leashes are about six feet long.

If there are any Pilot graduates who might be willing to answer, I'd 
appreciate it so much. I love the look of Pilot's harnesses, yet can't 
exactly figure out what makes them so distinct.

You can email me off-list, too, at lisiefoster @ yahoo.com. Thank you all, 
again!

Sincerely,
Lisie and Finn, the Buckeyes

Lisie and Finn
lisiefoster at yahoo.com
Sent from my iPhone
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