[NAGDU] Roughware harness

Wed Mar 6 17:49:44 UTC 2019

Disappointingly, Ruffwear is not making this harness available to anyone except for programs. Owner trainers and other individuals can’t have it unless they request from their schools. I find their reasoning disingenuous at best. Sure, they can do whatever they like as a business, but throwing out all sorts of publicity about it, then saying ‘Oh, you can’t have it…and it’s really in beta anyway”…not really a fan. And they only say it’s in beta/still under testing only comes out when directly asked, nowhere in their promotional feel good aren’t we wonderful and isn’t this inspirational advertising. 

Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
Email: buddy at brannan.name
Mobile: (814) 431-0962

> On Mar 6, 2019, at 11:43 AM, Newton, Cherie via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I'd love to try it. I wonder how someone could go about getting their chosen guide dog school to get it.
> 
> You can't control the wind, but you can adjust your sails
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> Cherie Newton & White Shepherd Guide Windy
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of David via NAGDU
> Sent: Wednesday, March 6, 2019 11:39 AM
> To: Tracy Carcione via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: David <david at bakerinet.com>
> Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Roughware harness
> 
> I tried at last year's convention and loved it.  I find the single point gives more directional info.
> 
> *David in Clearwater, FL*
> *david at bakerinet.com*
> On 3/6/2019 10:36 AM, Tracy Carcione via NAGDU wrote:
>> 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://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.rei.com_blog_
>> run_ruffwear-2Dunifly-2Dharness&d=DwIGaQ&c=bxPc2m0ObpqDZEXBKvMy_w&r=Hc
>> rwhdhMdAGUwsB5Y24ptJnRJIWAvwPlNQXimYyib7o&m=-0u9yT3cyVsZ1yvhCeHQskxRfS
>> jy_HNRKDvUD0yHPIs&s=2IBvQ4Jzu6ZHkO-UH0JNv7-jtV22Z3Bb_0fipJa7y0M&e=
>> 
>> 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
>> 
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