[NAGDU] Roughware harness

[Tracy Carcione]

Thanks Madison.  I pasted the article into this message.
It sounds like a nice harness, but I'm not at all sure about the
single-point connection.  It seems like it wouldn't give as good information
as the 2-point connection.
Tracy

Roughware rethinks guide dog harnesses

Aer Parris//February 1, 2019

Guide dog harnesses haven't changed in decades. Until now. 



This story begins in 2014 at the Boston Marathon. At the end of the race,
Thomas Panek, the CEO of Guiding Eyes for the Blind, a nonprofit that trains
and provides guide dogs to people with vision loss, and Richard Hunter, an
avid runner and former Marine who is visually impaired, asked themselves:
What if runners who were visually impaired could use guide dogs instead of
human guides to run marathons?

In a matter of months, their idea became reality: Guiding Eyes for the Blind
launched its Running Guides program to train guide dogs to run with visually
impaired runners. Hunter and his German shepherd, Klinger, were the first
graduating team of the program in 2015. Klinger was trained to do things
like clearing objects and stopping for changes in elevation like stairs and
curbs. He was also taught to guide Hunter on exercise routes at a faster
pace than usual using Ruffwear's Front Range Harness, a popular harness
frequently used for running and hiking, modified with a makeshift, two-point
handle.

Just that simple modification marked a major shift for the Guiding Eyes
program. Prior to 2015, guide dog harnesses had stayed the same: They were
made from hard leather, inspired by horse tack used by equestrians. "The
traditional leather guide dog harnesses that have been used since the early
1900s were designed for pulling," said Benjamin Cawley, director of
admissions and graduate relations at Guiding Eyes for the Blind. "[They
don't have] the best ergonomics for a dog moving out in a trot comfortably
for long distances."

Guiding Eyes for the Blind, which puts its service dogs through an intensive
12-month training program and then matches each dog with an owner, has been
around since 1956. But guide dog schools have been around much longer than
that. The first guide dog school opened in 1916, just after World War I,
when a German doctor discovered that his dog seemed to be helping a veteran
with vision loss find his way. That single observation sparked an idea that
would eventually lead to the development of the International Guide Dog
Federation, and accredited programs like Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

Since then, both training methods and breeds have changed, but guide dog
harnesses have stayed the same. Now, even that has changed.

Shortly after launching their running program, Guiding Eyes for the Blind
reached out to Ruffwear to ask if they'd be willing to collaborate on the
development of a highly-adjustable, ergonomic harness for the Running Guides
program. The result is the Unifly Harness, which Guiding Eyes and Ruffwear
began making available to guide dog schools on February 1, 2019.

"We jumped at the chance to help them," said Greg Freyberg, specialty
product line manager for Ruffwear. "We realized we could build a great
harness that also works great for a running harness. It was always more than
just a running harness." Ruffwear designers wanted this new harness to be
lightweight, adjustable and washable-all things that traditional leather
harnesses aren't.

For example, leather harnesses fit right over the dog's shoulder joints,
which can lead to discomfort for the guide dog while running or after
long-term use. And traditional harnesses aren't height-adjustable, which can
be  uncomfortable for the person being guided by the dog when wearing taller
shoes, like high heels or platform shoes, or when navigating hills. In fact,
one woman who completed a Rim-to-Rim of the Grand Canyon needed to buy two
separate harnesses-one for the way down and one for the way up.  Also,
leather harnesses place the runner's arm in a non-ergonomic position,
causing possible damage down the line.

"I was out on the trail thinking through these issues," said Timothy
Gorbold, product designer for Ruffwear. "[My dog and I] were running along,
out on this singletrack trail. [I was] looking down at the harness, looking
at the B-ring connection right in the center: a center point attachment that
can give you lateral control, but also flexibility."

Runner and dog jog along a paved path with greenery in the background.
Photo Courtesy of Ruffwear.

"Where have I seen that type of connection before?" he wondered. Then, it
hit him: Nordic ski bindings. When he got home, he attached a Nordic ski
binding to a harness, and the harness' current locking mechanism was born.

The single-point handle offers the same kind of information the two-point
handle does, just with an easy way to disconnect and reconnect. This allows
the team to convey the important information needed between guide dog and
human and easily transition in and out of guiding (most guide dogs are
trained to only use the bathroom when off-duty).

"To go from two points of contact to one is pretty revolutionary in the
industry," said Cawley, who extensively tested the Unifly through all phases
of its design and currently uses the harness for day-to-day use as well as
running. "Many individuals, including myself, who have tried out the harness
feel that they are able to feel the dog's movements better than ever before
through the Unifly connection. But I'm biased because I helped design it."

The handle doesn't stop there. It's super adjustable in the length, hand
position (now always in a comfortable, ergonomic position) and offset angle.
Gorbold, an avid mountain biker, crafted the adjustability like the
quick-release in a bike wheel-extend the lever, rotate, change position and
flip the lever back down. Even the grip design is crafted to be ergonomic
and (thanks to feedback from testers who realized their dog's legs could get
tangled in the loop) snag-free.

Then there's the harness. It's not only responsive, but also washable, so
trail runs don't need to stick with you for the rest of your harness' life.
It comes in three colors: an elegant gray, high-visibility yellow and
dressed-down blue. The harness and handle attach at the same point as the
leash portal of the rest of Ruffwear's garments, opening up a new world of
performance. Guide dogs can now utilize the same gear other dogs have had
access to this whole time, from rainwear to cooling vests.

Guiding Eyes for the Blind has been involved in the process every step of
the way. From the number of buckles to the size of the neck opening to the
feel and size of the handles, testers who are visually impaired have been
instrumental in ensuring the finished product was actually what was needed.

"The work that Ruffwear's done to help make this harness is really part of a
really important component of our mission as a guide dog school: helping
people achieve greater independence through a guide dog," Cawley said.
"Traditionally runners who are blind or visually impaired can run on a
treadmill or ask a friend or volunteer to take them running. This harness
opens up more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors."

The new harness from Ruffwear and Guiding Eyes for the Blind will be
available to guide dog schools beginning February 1. Visit Guiding Eyes for
the Blind to find out more.

Want to be involved? Become a sighted running guide or, if you live on the
East Coast between Maine and North Carolina, consider training to become a
puppy raiser with Guiding Eyes for the Blind.

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Madison Martin
via NAGDU
Sent: Wednesday, March 06, 2019 10:19 AM
To: chat at guidedogusersinc.org; 'NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association
of Guide Dog Users'
Cc: Madison Martin
Subject: [NAGDU] article

Hi all, I got this link from another guide dog list, and I thought that you
guys might find it interesting. It certainly sounds like a very nice
harness. What do you guys think? Here's the link:

https://www.rei.com/blog/run/ruffwear-unifly-harness

I wasn't able to click on the link; so if any of you guys can't then you'll
have to copy and paste it into the address bar of whatever browser you're
using. Enjoy! 

Madison

_______________________________________________
NAGDU mailing list
NAGDU at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NAGDU:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/carcione%40access.net