[NAGDU] Guide Dog Harnesses of the Past was Re: Pilot DogsHarness Question

Caitlyn Furness caitlyn.furness at gmail.com
Sat Apr 23 10:47:55 UTC 2016


Well, I used to have a pretty good collection, but have lost most of it in various moves, etc.

I am a dog equipment junkie, though, so who knows??  lol

Cait

> On Apr 22, 2016, at 6:34 PM, S L Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> Caitlyn:
> 
> Wouldn't it be interesting to have an exhibit of all kinds of old guide dog 
> equipment that we could feel and explore?
> 
> Sandra
> 
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Caitlyn Furness via NAGDU
> Sent: Friday, April 22, 2016 1:29 PM
> To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
> Cc: Caitlyn Furness
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Guide Dog Harnesses of the Past was Re: Pilot 
> DogsHarness Question
> 
> Lizzie,
> 
> The older harnesses had a rigid handle, but it wasnā?Tt metal, like today. 
> the older handles were made of stiff leather, and the dogs back then pulled 
> like mac trucks.
> 
> My own guide dog use only goes back 30 years, so I bet there are others here 
> who can add to thisā?¦  and the rigid leather handles are way before my own 
> time with guide dogs..
> 
> Caitlyn
> 
>> On Apr 22, 2016, at 1:03 PM, Lisie Foster via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>> Thank you all so much for answering my questions, including the one about 
>> the harnesses used by Pilot Dogs.
>> 
>> I think the difference I've been noticing is the way the "ears" on Pilot 
>> harnesses are kept closer to the harness body when compared to many other 
>> schools, the chest strap that is plain, without reflectors, as well as the 
>> white handle. Those make it look very distinct, to me, at least! I think 
>> it's a very nice looking harness, too.
>> 
>> I had a second question along similar lines which is not specific to any 
>> guide dog school. I'm wondering, for anyone who's worked with guide dogs 
>> for many years, or for anyone who might know about it, how have guide dog 
>> harnesses changed over the years?
>> 
>> I've read before that the original Seeing Eye harnesses were quite heavy. 
>> But, other than that, I don't know much about anything other than modern 
>> harnesses. I know about some recent changes, like the change to Swiss 
>> harnesses by GDB, and the inclusion of ergonomic and offset handle options 
>> at some schools.
>> 
>> What I'd love to know is whether modern harnesses are much different from 
>> the harnesses issued 20, 30, or even 40 years or more ago, and how they're 
>> different.
>> 
>> I don't know why, but I think this topic is interesting! I hope no one 
>> minds my questions about this. Thank you!
>> 
>> Sincerely,
>> 
>> Lisie and Finn ( the sleepy Golden boy )
>> 
>> lisiefoster at yahoo.com
>> 
>> Sent from my iPhone
>> 
>>> On Apr 20, 2016, at 12:17 PM, S L Johnson via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> 
>>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 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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>> 
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