[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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