Basic Dog Training Skills - Using Equipment - 05 Sporn Harness

The Sporn harness is a type of back attach harness and all that means is that the lead clips onto the ring here at the back. The harness works by applying pressure under the dog's arms whenever they pull forward and that pressure causes slight discomfort, which obviously discourages them from pulling further. The harness doesn't do well to help turn dogs though so it isn't considered a good substitute for teaching good loose lead habits, but it does work, and it can help curb really ingrained pulling behaviour especially with larger dogs.
The harness has three main parts. There's a loop that works like a collar and goes around the dog's neck with a buckle at the back, and then two arm straps that go one under each arm and join up with the collar at the front. Each arm strap also has a padded sleeve that helps protect the dog from injury, and a toggle at the back that's used to adjust their length.
Before fitting a Sporn harness for the first time, it's a good idea to take the arm straps including the padding out completely, and you can do this by just passing the whole lot through the large D rings at the back.
This collar part then needs to be fitted to the dog, so that it's firm but not tight, and make sure to make equal adjustments on both sides so that the collar stays centred.
Before putting the arm straps back on, make sure that they're both equal length, and that this toggle is as far up towards the ring as it will go. Then pass one arm strap through each D ring at the back, on each side. And pass them under each arm, and join them up with the smaller D rings on the collar at the front. There we go. Now take up any slack, by adjusting this toggle at the back, but never make the arm straps tight. Lastly, it's critical for us to check that the position of the padding is directly under the dog's arms on both sides, because this is what protects them from injury in that very sensitive area, like chafing and cuts when the harness is in use.
The lead clips onto the ring at the back of the harness so that any tension in the lead becomes pressure under the arms. And with this harness, you'd want to use a double ended lead with the other end attached to a regular collar because these arm straps are not designed to be as strong as a regular harness.
Taking the harness off is just the reverse of putting it on, and you undo the arm straps at the front, unbuckle the collar at the back, and lift everything off over the dog's head. Sam Come. Good boy.
Well this fit looks pretty good for Sam, so with two ends of the lead connected, we're ready to go for a walk.

Category:

Pets & Animals

Tags:

• Basic
• Dog
• Training
• Skills
• Using
• Equipment
• Sporn
• Harness

[amazingmutts]

Your dog looks just like my dog! And that's the same harness that I use on her too! :)

[Punkiidoo]

Thanks. I'm going to be getting the harness in the mail soon, this was helpful