[NAGDU] New equipment! YEEEEEHAAAAAAA!!!!!

[Tami Jarvis]

Dar,

I don't think a sports harness would help with that. It's a light nylon 
harness with a V neck, a martingale and no ears. So it's really great 
for hiking and running and stuff like that, since it gives great 
communication with more freedom of movement for the dog. But it doesn't 
provide more control or anything like that.

I get better results with my sniffy boy when I use a high-value lure or 
when I turn him around and backtrack a bit, then approach the 
distraction again. When I use a harness bump or pull him away from 
distractions, especially when I get impatient, I lose ground, at least 
for that trip. That seems to be a feature of the poodle temperament, so 
I should know better by now. Poodles are real easy to get along with, so 
long as you get along with them. They also don't like to do the 
backtrack thing, not at all. Loki is improving a lot just from maturity, 
too, but he's got a ways to go. He's also a people magnent, and he sees 
humans as poodle magnets, so that makes life interesting. Mitzi was a 
people magnet, but she was much more reserved. Loki is better at holding 
himself back when people reach their hands out. Sometimes.

I think you've mentioned some mobility and balance issues before, so the 
whole turn around game wouldn't be your best bet. It can be a bit 
disorienting at times. It's just something that works with my kiddo to 
get him back on track when he's being a total sniff monster.

hth,

Tami

On 11/19/2016 02:31 PM, d m gina via NAGDU wrote:
> Why is it called a sports harness, do you like it better than the
> regular one.
> My dog gets to a place and nose goes on the ground or carpet in a building.
> I try to stop her but that is out of the question until she thinks she
> is done to see if there is anything for her to pick up first.
> I had a person walk away because they didn't like the way I was training
> the dog.
> Using anything over the nose just doesn't work, I am not strong enough
> to fight her.
> She knows this.
> She also doesn't listen to the the prong collar, she feels when she is
> good and ready to listen she does.
> We do everything that is sugested.
> My husband feels this lady here in town is to expensive.
> The other day I twisted my ankle falling off a curb because we wanted to
> visit with the uber driver.
> I screamed was worried my face would hit the car, glad it didn't.
> She got truly corrected.
> When wwalking and someone comes by on the left side sniffing is what you
> do.
> I even take my knee and bump her on the side to get her back to working
> mode again.
> I was told to get a smaller collar as I did, but all that does is when
> correcting she gets it that she needs to stop doing what she was told to
> stop.
> Where I will stop when I am ready.
> She gets lots of loving playing when we can play outside, quite cold now.
> We also play in the house to get rid of energy.
> I am told give her to three she will grow up really?
> What happens when she turns four loll.
> on a one to one she is good, she wants to do what ever I request.
> So I love reading this stuff to see if there is just one more thing that
> I could buy that would help me out.
> Now I know one shouldn't call the dog a bad name, trust me, when I
> landed on the ankel I echoed all the way down the block.
> A couple came by thinking that the driver pushed me down, where he didn't.
> I am afraid of curbs and steps for this reason.
> Ok my rant is over, I am sure I will be blamed for all of it and that is
> fine.
> Until the shoes I wear are walked in, the blame can't be all of me, and
> I don't give up I will keep trying.
>
> Original message:
>> Buddy:
>> thanks for sharing  this, and i need to check out that harness:)
>> hoping your well, and keep the wonderful work up!
>
>>> On Nov 19, 2016, at 6:37 AM, Buddy Brannan via NAGDU
>>> <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>
>>> Posted to Hilde's blog yesterday. Feel free to share. I'm happy to
>>> too Julie's horn for her :-) (since she sort of can't on this
>>> list...) No financial interest and all that jazz.
>
>>> New Equipment! YEEEEEEEHAAAAAAA!!!!
>
>>> November 18, 2016
>>> We interrupt this streak of not posting anything with a post.
>
>>> Ooh…a post? Really? Maybe I’ll post about our trip to the NFBP
>>> convention next, but this isn’t that post.
>
>>> Over the past few weeks, I’ve gotten some gear from Julie Johnson,
>>> whose site can be found at http://guide-and-service-dogs.com/.
>>> Besides useful information, Julie manufactures a line of some dead
>>> useful things at really good prices. You can also buy from Amazon if
>>> you like, as she sells there. I’ve gotten a few of them that I’d like
>>> to talk about.
>
>>> I’ll briefly mention the first aid kit, which doesn’t appear to be on
>>> her site. It’s a handy zippered bag full of, surprisingly, first aid
>>> supplies. There are bandages, ointment, vet wrap, and an emergency
>>> blanket. It’s a handy size to stash either in your home or in your
>>> luggage for travel.
>
>>> Next, the collar bells are a pretty good idea for keeping track of
>>> your dog around the house, so that s/he will (theoretically) stay out
>>> of trouble. Julie sent me a set in trade for an honest review, and
>>> then Amazon changed their review rules. Still, I’ll happily give an
>>> honest review for them anyway. These are just your standard jingle
>>> bells on a nylon strap with side release buckle. The set comes with
>>> three sizes: one set with two very small bells, a medium sized bell,
>>> and a larger bell, each on its own strap. These would be great for a
>>> fairly quiet indoor environment. The bells aren’t very loud, so they
>>> wouldn’t be appropriate for outdoor use. The strap is only a couple
>>> inches long, with the plastic side release buckle closure, sort of
>>> like the buckles that snap your backpack together. Be aware, however,
>>> that these buckles are very small, so if you have dexterity issues,
>>> you may have trouble with them. The set I have is not adjustable, but
>>> Julie is thinking about making some that can be shortened if
>>> necessary. These would be most appropriate on a flat collar; just put
>>> the strap around the width of the collar and close, letting them hang
>>> down. I don’t think these would work very well with a slip collar,
>>> though they might with a martingale collar. I can usually hear these,
>>> when Fiona isn’t barking loudly, or if Hilde is not in stealth mode,
>>> so they’re pretty handy. I’d probably get louder bells, just because
>>> we have some loud household members, but it wouldn’t matter a lot,
>>> because this dog can move unbelievably quietly.
>
>>> There are two things that a guide dog user must have. OK, three. One
>>> is a collar of some kind. Hilde wears both a flat collar, for tags,
>>> and a training collar, either a toggle collar or a prong collar,
>>> depending. Julie has flat collars and martingale collars, but I don’t
>>> have either one of those. I do have a collar with Hilde’s name and my
>>> phone number on it, in case she gets lost. This collar also has
>>> reflective stuff on it. I have a link somewhere if anyone’s interested.
>
>>> But the other two things that a guide dog handler really has to have
>>> are a leash and a harness. Julie makes both out of quality nylon
>>> webbing. We’re most of us used to leather, and leather is really
>>> nice. I have a leather harness as well, and it’s great. Durable,
>>> classy, practical, fairly easy to maintain. Nylon, however, also has
>>> advantages. It’s light weight and even easier to clean, and don’t
>>> forget, it’s also inexpensive. I’ve used a nylon harness over the
>>> past six or seven years on and off. I like them especially for these
>>> Erie winters with all the dirt and grit and road salt and heavens
>>> only know what. So really, don’t discount the nylon.
>
>>> First, the leash. You can get any length you like. I prefer shorter
>>> leashes, such as the Seeing Eye uses, about four feet long when in
>>> its extended long leash length. However, you can get one that’s 5 or
>>> 6 feet if you prefer.
>
>>> Julie does something kind of neat, for which I will take at least
>>> partial credit. I say partial because I think there’s a school that
>>> does the same thing, but I can’t remember which one.
>
>>> I’m lazy. So last year, when Hilde was a pup, I called Handcraft
>>> Collars to ask if they could make me some guide dog leashes out of
>>> tubular nylon. I had to describe what I wanted. So, instead of the
>>> usual arrangement where you can hook to one ring for a short leash,
>>> towards the bottom snap, and another ring near the top, for a long
>>> leash, I just had Debbie put in one ring at the bottom, to make a
>>> short leash, while leaving a standard handle with the bolt snap
>>> strung on the end of the handle. That way, all you have to do to get
>>> a long leash is disconnect from the bottom ring. Several months
>>> later, I told Julie about that, she said, “Hey, why didn’t I think of
>>> that?”, and thus, the Quick Convert Service Dog Leash was born.
>
>>> I now have one of those, too. It’s a little heavier than the ones
>>> from Handcraft. Still, the stitching is quality, as is the hardware.
>>> Rather than a standard ring, Julie uses a D-ring. The bolt snaps are
>>> heavy duty ones, thicker than the ones on my Handcraft leashes. She
>>> uses nylon webbing, which is a bit grippier than the very slippery
>>> tubular nylon is, as well as a bit wider. Actually, the 3/4 inch
>>> width is as close to perfect as it gets. It’s good stuff, and I
>>> highly recommend these, and not just because it was sort of my lazy
>>> idea. Sort of. I stole it from somewhere else. Southeastern maybe?
>
>>> Finally, the harness. I’m a budding guide dog equipment nerd. I love
>>> guide dog equipment. I’d love to see all sorts of different harness
>>> designs. Even so, I have very definite opinions on what makes a good
>>> harness. Of course, it has to be as comfortable as possible for the
>>> dog. Ease of putting on and taking off is desirable. A removable
>>> handle is a definite plus, and, while I wouldn’t say I’d never have a
>>> harness without a removable handle, I’ll always take a removable
>>> handle over a fixed handle. One thing that’s an absolute deal
>>> breaker, however, is the martingale strap. Ever since I got my first
>>> Seeing Eye dog, I have gotten very spoiled by this seemingly simple
>>> extra strap that runs between the dog’s front legs, from the belly
>>> strap to the chest strap in whatever configuration. Besides giving
>>> the dog more to pull into, the extra strap stabilizes the harness’s
>>> movement from side to side (so it doesn’t move so much), and makes it
>>> harder for your dog to accidentally back out of the harness.
>
>>> The Sports Style Guide Harness meets all of these requirements. This
>>> is the second harness of this design that I’ve owned, and Julie has
>>> made some improvements. It’s made with wide 2-inch nylon straps and
>>> comes in several different colors. For Hilde, I got it in blue. The
>>> harness straps are padded to make it more comfortable for the dog to
>>> wear. You’ll notice right away that the design of the harness is
>>> different from most guide dog schools. Instead of one strap that goes
>>> around the chest from one side of the dog to the other, the harness
>>> is made with two straps that run from the back strap, over the dog’s
>>> shoulders, and meeting in the center of the dog’s chest at the
>>> breastbone. The martingale strap then runs back from this juncture,
>>> such that the three straps form something like a print letter Y.
>>> You’ll also notice the absence of handle stabilizing loops, or “bunny
>>> ears” that are present on most American harnesses. This isn’t nearly
>>> as scary as you might suppose. While it does afford the opportunity
>>> for more freedom of movement for the dog, the new handle has a much
>>> more rigid connection with the harness, so the handle really isn’t in
>>> a lot of danger of flipping up too high as it could with the previous
>>> PVC handle. Anyway, since there are no loops, there’s less bulk, and
>>> less bulk for your dog to have to lie on, which sounds a lot more
>>> comfortable. The belly strap is adjustable with a sliding buckle, and
>>> closes at the right side with a plastic side release buckle of the
>>> sort that you’d use to close a backpack. This buckle is quite large
>>> and sturdy.
>
>>> The handle, as I said, is an improvement over the previous
>>> generation. The new handles are made of a flat metal stock wrapped in
>>> nylon. It is removable, attaching to the harness with plastic side
>>> release buckles. Don’t let that put you off, however; I’ve used a
>>> harness with similar handle attachments for a while with no problems.
>>> The buckles are sturdy and I’ve never had one disconnect during
>>> travel. Julie has also put a comfortable rubber handgrip on the
>>> handle, with finger grooves in the front. It’s a very comfortable
>>> grip, even for a dog with quite a bit of pull. I'd maybe prefer a bit
>>> more of a rounded grip, maybe a little padding under the grip, but
>>> even with that, I like it. You’ll have absolutely no trouble
>>> following your dog due to “sloppy” handle connections, because the
>>> connections are definitely not sloppy and don’t have excessive play
>>> in them at all. Highly recommended, especially for the price.
>
>>> Anyway, if you’re owner training, or if you just need or want
>>> alternative equipment, give these a look. You won’t be sorry.
>
>>> --
>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>> Phone: 814-860-3194
>>> Mobile: 814-431-0962
>>> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>>> --
>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>> Phone: 814-860-3194
>>> Mobile: 814-431-0962
>>> Email: buddy at brannan.name
>
>
>
>
>
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>
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