Escape proof harness

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Muddy unicorn

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I’m looking for an as escape proof as possible harness for my younger Toller. The dogs will be coming to more events with me this summer as since my husband died I can’t leave them at home alone all day while my daughter is eventing. So they’re going to have to learn all about being lorry dogs!

I desperately don’t want to be one of those owners who loses control of their dog on the course walk causing potential carnage and while my older dog is rock solid, the younger one can get a bit flighty at times of high excitement and I want to give him as little chance as possible of misbehaving.

He’s currently in a perfect fit adjustable harness but it’s possible for him to wriggle out of it if he shimmies in the right way. Has anyone tried the ruff wear flagline harness? It’s got an extra belly strap which is supposed to be helpful for potential Houdinis:
ruffwear.co.uk

Flagline™ Dog Harness with Handle | Strong Lightweight Lift & Assist | Ruffwear

The Flagline Harness is a fast, light, and comfortable body harness with a nimble design that keeps dogs in their flow, from scrambling in the backcountry to conquering everyday obstacles. A handle and load-dispersing chest/belly panel make for easy lift-and-assist in a minimal design good for...
ruffwear.co.uk ruffwear.co.uk
 
I used the Ruffwear harness on a young mad as a hatter lurcher. Totally escape proof and the handle on the top can be very useful in times of crisis. I also use leads which fasten with a carabiner nowadays as I no longer trust ordinary clips not to become undone.
 
Thanks - the ruffwear sounds like a good option. I’m not comfortable with half check collars and putting pressure on his neck especially after his severe meningitis. And we already use a double ended lead clipped on collar and harness.
 
We haven't tried that RuffWear one but were looking at it for our Greyhound, for the extra strap which is particularly essential for the noodly dogs. The other one we were looking at was Haqihana, again a three-strap version, but haven't tried either out yet.

At the moment we make do with a harness that isn't escape proof, and a martingale collar (I think similar action to a half-check but perhaps wider/softer?)
 
SaddlePsych'D said:
We haven't tried that RuffWear one but were looking at it for our Greyhound, for the extra strap which is particularly essential for the noodly dogs. The other one we were looking at was Haqihana, again a three-strap version, but haven't tried either out yet.
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Have you seen these?

snootifulhound.co.uk

Greyhound / Whippet Harness, Sighthound Escape Proof Harness

Greyhound harness / whippet harness. Designed JUST for sighthounds & lurchers. Padded & escape proof. Shop now with Free & Fast UK Shipping.
snootifulhound.co.uk snootifulhound.co.uk
 
I'd also work on engagement and a rock solid emergency down and look at if/why he wants to get out of the equipment/evade pressure/get away. I say that as a person who owns a very fast dog with high nerve who's not a big fan of coming back 😉 I/you/whoever should be the 'safe space'.
 
CorvusCorax said:
I'd also work on engagement and a rock solid emergency down and look at if/why he wants to get out of the equipment/evade pressure/get away. I say that as a person who owns a very fast dog with high nerve who's not a big fan of coming back 😉 I/you/whoever should be the 'safe space'.
Click to expand...
Well yes that goes without saying .. we are working on his recall which is mostly spot on ie as soon as he hears the whistle he turns on a sixpence and comes haring back - however he has the concentration span of a gnat and is very easily distracted. I don’t want a combination of me looking somewhere else and him suddenly seeing something really exciting to end in disaster - while we’re continuing to work on getting him to engage his brain first I’d like to have a backup contingency.
 
We put a collar to harness safety link on our dogs, it's basically a short peice of webbing with clips at both ends, one on the collar and the other on the harness so if they wriggle out of the harness it is still attached to the collar and therefore the dog. Google brings up lots of options for them.
 
planete said:
I used the Ruffwear harness on a young mad as a hatter lurcher. Totally escape proof and the handle on the top can be very useful in times of crisis. I also use leads which fasten with a carabiner nowadays as I no longer trust ordinary clips not to become undone.
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I also do not trust trigger clips to not come undone. We made our own leads with soft lead web, with a loop for the collar to fit through, and a lunge line swivel about 10-12 inches from the collar loop to prevent the lead twisting round. You do need good strong thread and a sewing machine that can cope with the thickness of the web doubled.
 
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I love our rough wear harnesses but find them very bulky so I tend to go for either the 3 peaks version which is less bulky or and Indidog houdini harness.
 
Andie02 said:
I also do not trust trigger clips to not come undone. We made our own leads with soft lead web, with a loop for the collar to fit through, and a lunge line swivel about 10-12 inches from the collar loop to prevent the lead twisting round. You do need good strong thread and a sewing machine that can cope with the thickness of the web doubled.
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This is why the greyhounds from the greyhound trust come with leather buckle billets on their leads.
 
Contact perfect fit as they maintain their harnesses are escape proof. It could be you have the wrong size. They are usually very helpful on the phone
 
Definitely the right size - and they were extremely helpful over the phone when I first got it but it’s definitely not escape proof - he can do a quick backwards shimmy and he’s out!
 
Haqihana double H harness, my nutso lurcher cannot back out of it and it is also much safer than those with the extra strap set further back, where there is no rib cage protection.

i also found Perfect fit useless for escaping lurchers, he was out of it in a flash :eek:
 
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