[NAGDU] Roughware harness

Thu Mar 7 18:02:29 UTC 2019

Got that, but what does it look like?  I'm not a skier, and I can't picture the connection.  Can anyone describe it, or is it too complicated to describe?
Tracy

-----Original Message-----
From: NAGDU [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Lauren Bishop via NAGDU
Sent: Thursday, March 07, 2019 12:51 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List, the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Cc: Lauren Bishop; Buddy Brannan
Subject: Re: [NAGDU] Roughware harness

Hi All,
With regards to the connection between the handle and the harness, Rough Ware is using a binding clip.  This is used to connect someone’s ski boot to their snow ski.  This clip has to be able to withstand a fall to a certain degree, powder, moguls, and be sturdy enough that the ski does not fly off while the skier is on the chair lift.  Basically, that connection that rough ware is implementing is probably ten times more secure than the majority of the connections between our handles and harnesses.
I hope this helps.
Lauren 

> On Mar 7, 2019, at 12:27 PM, Aleeha Dudley via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> I feel like this response to owner-trainers is ridiculous, in my opinion. Not only are owner-trainers excluded, but so are those of us whose schools may not adopt the harness. We are barred from purchasing directly as well. I don’t feel like it is Ruffwear’s job to determine the legitimacy of a service dog. 
> Aleeha 
> 
>> On Mar 6, 2019, at 6:54 PM, Buddy Brannan via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>> 
>> Hi Cindy,
>> 
>> Apparently their “it’s in beta” responses only come if asked directly. Their articles indicate no such thing. Their response posted on their blog is, IMO, disingenuous at least. They say they “are listening”, but it’s pretty clear they are not:
>> 
>> https://blog.ruffwear.com/2019/02/04/working-service-dogs-we-are-listening/ <https://blog.ruffwear.com/2019/02/04/working-service-dogs-we-are-listening/>
>> 
>> Definitely, for my money, Julie J.’s stuff is top of the heap. As for dog shoes, I understand that Muttluks are good, and they may have a deal for SD users. Not sure. 
>> 
>> 
>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>> Email: buddy at brannan.name <mailto:buddy at brannan.name>
>> Mobile: (814) 431-0962
>> 
>> 
>> 
>>> On Mar 6, 2019, at 4:12 PM, Cindy Ray via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org <mailto:nagdu at nfbnet.org>> wrote:
>>> 
>>> 
>>> 
>>> Cindy Lou Ray
>>> Sent from my iPhone
>>> 
>>>> On Mar 6, 2019, at 11:49 AM, Buddy Brannan via NAGDU <nagdu at nfbnet.org> wrote:
>>>> 
>>>> 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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>>>>>> 
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>>>> 
>>>> 
>>>> _______________________________________________
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>>>> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/cindyray%40gmail.comIt doesn’t seem to be in Beta to mee. Nowhere did the article say it was. It said it was being made available in February. They didn’t say for testing. And how they treated Roxie makes me not even want to see the thing. How do they go to a consumer convention and treat someone like that. Even if he felt that way, seems to me he should have shown it to her and been polite. What if she actually decided to attend a school sometime. Would she even want to have one. I think I’d stick with Julie Johnson’s stuff.
>>> 
>>> Cindyray at gmail.com
>>> 
>>> 
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>> 
>> 
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