Freedom Harness

[@hereholdthiswillya]

Not only was this super helpful, but I like your style. Most dog trainers tell us too much about how wonderful they are. You are definitely wonderful. Thank you for knowing that and not needing to tell us about it.

[@TeachersPetK9]

Thank you! I hope you find it effective with your pup. The boxer I use for demonstration was incredibly reactive towards other dogs. She was a rescue at 2 years and I have no idea her history but I tried many other tools to "control" her. It was frustrating for her and me and there were a couple times she broke free from me, charging another dog. I tried the Freedom Harness and it was like "butter". She responded with the slightest tug. She just needed redirection and she responded quite nicely to the front loading harness... I would redirect and reward and go in the opposite direction. Because she was so reactive, we needed both lines to control her at first, but after some training and conditioning, she did fantastic with just the front clip. Good luck!

[@Eunostos]

funny that this is the american name for a design lots of people seem to jostle for 'ownership' of, but this is a fantastic explainer. Thanks.

[@islandlivin808]

Nice explanation of how to classically condition the dog to accept the harness!

[@stevenlader732]

Great way to introduce the harness. It worked well for our pup!

[@TeachersPetK9]

I'm happy it worked... if we can be patient and allow our puppy to become desensitized, the introduction is much more successful.

[@claudiaj3386]

I love this video . Excellent. My dogs go crazy happy when they see the harness lol. My boy sits and let’s me put his leash on. But the girl loses it in happiness lol. She starts to roll over and jump around so it makes it a little challenging to put on. I know she’s not scared Bcz she becomes super super excited the moment she sees the harness and leash. So im going to try this with her tonight. Thank you

[@TeachersPetK9]

Please keep me posted on your progress. The boxer that is in the video was highly reactive towards other dogs and the freedom harness was the ticket for me to redirect her with little tension and conflict. It worked like a charm. Seems like your pup loves it but just needs to learn to settle. Good luck!

[@Vehdrehl]

We've just started using these at work. Not this exact brand but the same double-lead style. They're such a good idea and make walking the dogs that much easier,

[@TeachersPetK9]

@Vehdrehl, I adopted a boxer that pulled like crazy when she saw another dog. She was hyper vigilant on walks and would lunge, leap, and bark when another dog approached her. The Freedom Harness made all the difference in the world and changed her the moment we placed her in the harness. I'm so happy that you are experiencing the same positive effect on your dog. Thanks for sharing!

[@gregschmid7684]

@TeachersPetK9, I have exactly this issue with our 15 month old boxer and have just ordered the Freedom Harness at the suggestion of another CPDT-KA and really hoping it works to correct the lunging challenge. Thanks for the video.

[@RobertFairhead]

I use this harness with my adopted, reactive Labrador (adopted him 2 years ago when he was 2 1/2 - we were his 4th family!). As the video demonstrates, the rear and front attach harness gives you much more control over your dog. I unclip the front attach on walks to and from our local park or around the block to let my dog have a good sniff at the end of the (double ended) lead, either in front or behind me. I use both front and back attaches when we're walking near busy streets and/or crowded footpaths, and when I want more control around other dogs. And it's also proved invaluable a few times when my dog's been set upon by off-leash dogs - it let me guide my dog backwards, around behind me and away from the other dog, while leaving my legs free to "guide" the aggressor off my dog (I'm not talking about kicking, as tempting as it was, but using my knee to push the dog away until its owner came to secure it). I run training classes at a local volunteer run dog training club and I always recommend balance harnesses over rear or front attach only harness, halti-collars and check chains! And this is one of the best! Thanks for your video.

[@TeachersPetK9]

+Robert Fairhead , I'm so happy that you posted your experience using the Freedom Harness. I've been training for a number of years as well and find this to be the most effective in working with pups that need some guidance and control.

[@TeachersPetK9]

@Anna Brown great question! The top loop now serves two functions. When I am working highly reactive dogs, I find that I have greater ability to maneuver the dog using both the top and front loops. I use two leashes but I don't use them to Conrol the dog but rather to send information or signals through the leash on what I want the dog to do. "Wait", "Easy" with the top and left/right with the front. It's important to understand opposition reflex and collar pressure to work the dog effectively and it takes practice. (I have a short video on collar pressure on my KZbin channel). It's simple,but not easy as they say. Using two leashes also requires getting use to but I like to think of it as working the reigns of a horse. With practice and the right conditioning, the dog only requires the lightest touch. The second use is to help build drive in a dog. When I train the recall with my dogs, I like to only use the top loop. View my KZbin video, Recall, and see how we use the top loop to tap into opposition reflex..the more we hold back, the more the dog wants to move forward...through this conditioning practice, we are actually training our dog to want to come to us, increasing the likelihood that they will come when called. I hope this helped and let me know if you have further questions.

[@Norunormii]

I love it. My dog was pulling like crazy. Ever since she wears the harness she walks next to me like a good girl.

[@TeachersPetK9]

I'm so happy you got such a quick response. I had the same experience with my pup.

[@TeachersPetK9]

@SusanPsalm51. You have the right attitude to begin your work with your lab. My girl Gracie, the one featured in this video, can be very reactive with other dogs. She was barely manageable and with 60 pounds to her muscular frame, she also had the potential to knock me off my feet. I used all kinds of tools with her but the Freedom Harness was so unbelievably effective in controlling her body movements. The front and top clip provides so much control that there was an IMMEDIATE improvement to the feel of our walk. It was like moving from manual to power steering in a car. It takes practice on the human part but the dog picks it up right away. So, YES, I highly recommend it. I also recommend you watch three other videos on my channel; Loose Leash with Reactivity, Engagement Training, and Engagement Training in Action. It sounds like you already do the work but with practice, you will find that your dog will remain more focused on you as well. Good Things Always!

[@diannemayberry4751]

TeachersPetK9 gcc

[@TeachersPetK9]

@katierosemaggiemay, I'm so sorry that you are having difficulty with the audio. I just checked it and I can hear it just fine. I'm not a techie and don't know what the problem can be. May I suggest using another device to view the video and let me know if you are still experiencing the same issue. I can contact a friend who may be able to diagnose the problem.

[@ankawilk196]

The background music is very loud and distracting. Some feedback to consider for future videos. But I found this helpful, thank you for posting!

[@margaretgaby4506]

I love how the little one is tied to a tree lol

[@sueluna4553]

I really like this harness and i think my dogs likes it too. However, it chaffed her underarms-front legs. We went for a ten miles run and after the run i noticed it rubbed under her front legs. She is a weimaraner and does not have much fur under her front legs. Do you think I need to fix the fitting?

[@TeachersPetK9]

+Panthers NC yes, I would adjust the front strap to allow a little more room for her. Do you find that she is pulling on your runs? I have a boxer and the coat is very similar and I have not had this issue with them. Let me know if this works

[@Gamedaughter1]

Hi love your videos. Do you still think this is the best no pull harness. I am visually impaired and have a puggle who is a big puller. I have tried working with her on heal but she is very scent driven. Also, because of my low vision I sometimes miss cues when she is getting ready to pull. I use a clicker and treats. Thanks so much.

[@maryhirt5658]

Gamedaughter1 , Yes, I do. The key is to clip from the front of the harness. If you attach your harness from the top, you are actually encouraging pulling since Oppositional Reflex is working against you. By clipping the leash on the front, the dog's forward motion is redirected towards you and you can feel your dog "give" to the pressure, rather than pulling against it. I use two leashes when I'm working with dogs who are highly reactive and I need more control over their moving; usually lunging. Since you have a puggle, my guess is clipping from the front will be enough for you. I would greatly discourage use of leashes that go around your dog's muzzle, a halite. Those types of leashes tend to not work so well with dogs with shorter snouts; boxers, pugs, etc.... Let me know how it goes, I'm interested in hearing.

[@Gamedaughter1]

That makes total sense because the harness I have now attaches from the back and she still pulls. She does not have a "smooshed" nose. Hers is more of the beagle nose, but we have tried the "Gentle Leader" and she hated it and still pulled. Also, thank you so much for your quick response. I will definitely let you know how we do once we get it and work with it some.

[@obnursesherri]

Do you have a recommendation for a harness for a dog with a small head and large neck and chest? My dog will back out of every halter I have bought when he wants to escape.

[@TeachersPetK9]

Without seeing your dog in action it would be difficult to give you the best response but I can share with my experience working with difficult cases. First of all, how old is your dog? Have you done leash pressure work with your dog? Here is a link regarding Leash Pressure Work that may be helpful. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXTReaKnnrN0j5I&spfreload=10 The key ingredient is to get your dog to walk with you rather than oppose you ... result is trying to escape the harness. The beauty of the freedom harness is the clip on the front! That's your magical ingredient. Harnesses by nature invite pulling or increases your dog's desire to pull or drive forward. The clip in the front redirects your dog by knocking them off balance. Once redirected, you reward them and there you go. However, if your pup is fighting you and escaping the harness, just put a collar on that fits a little better, you should be able to put at least two fingers between the neck and collar. Let me know if this adequately addressing your concerns. By knowing more, maybe I can provide a more appropriate response.

[@physioherts]

Hmmm not so sure about this harness as it appears that there are straps that are directly behind the shoulder blade which could intervene with the movement of the shoulder. The shoulder blade/scapular needs free movement. Correct me if i am wrong.

[@aprilv3217]

Not to worry! I have had two different rehab certified veterinarians (who also do chiro) review the Freedom Harness on my dogs and they both agreed that this harness sits high enough that it does NOT interfere with shoulder movement or any other sort of movement. Unlike a lot of other front clip harnesses. It may fit some dogs differently but when they examined my Sheltie and my Bernese they saw nothing to concern them. If this one sits too low on your dog, check out the xtra dog harness. It works very similar and also does not impede shoulder movement.

[@SusanPsalm51]

I have a 2 year old lab. He's great, but he is a big boy and quite strong. Last week he took off running after some children (loves them!) and I was distracted and I fell--hard! Broke my wrist! I know the biggest reason it Happened was due to my being distracted. I should've removed him from the temptation. But I'm looking for a way to have him out & about without being scared that'll happen again. I take him out with me a lot. I don't want that to change once my wrist heals. I know that no harness or product will solve every problem or situation, but do u feel this harness will benefit my circumstance?

[@EchoChick2009]

tnx 4 sharing,,, we (especially ME) can learn a lot from our dogs. they live in the moment (right now!) u weren't in-the-moment cuz u were distracted. iam gonna try this harness but he will probably tie me up in knots wit the two leads though :)

[@annacbrown1986]

what exactly is the point of the top strap now?

[@tbb740]

Great info!!

[@Maper8]

would this be good for a 120 pound rottweiler.... very very strong and he's not used to being on a leash or going for walks

[@RicardoGarcia-vj9hi]

Poroto Z yes

[@LindaLaurenPsychicMedium]

I wish that the person who is doing your camera work would please show us the whole dog rather than cut off the bottom of the screen so that we really can’t see what you’re doing when you’re fitting the harness on. Thank you very much.

[@TeachersPetK9]

So sorry this was hard for you to see, great suggestion and something I will keep in mind for the future. Thank you for your feedback.

[@moviemakerwannabe]

My dog lays down whenever a lead is put on her. She will not get up at all. which gives us the option of carrying her or dragging her if she must be moved. Would this harness help in that situation? Could you explain how to do it? She's a lab mix around 85-90 pounds. She has had this behavior since we got her. Thank you

[@TeachersPetK9]

There are several things that may be happening with your little girl. Because I haven't observed her and do not know your history, I can only speak in generalities. Here is a link that I think you might find interesting regarding collar pressure and oppositional reflex, kzbin.info/www/bejne/iXTReaKnnrN0j5I Dogs have a natural tendency to resist a pull or a push, opposition reflex. So, if your dog's past experience with the leash is to be pulled or tugged, she has practiced the opposite. The key in the initial phases of training is to develop an interaction with the dog where coming with you is very rewarding. I call this system of training, "Engagement Training"...here is a link that will help you get a better understanding of how that works. kzbin.info/www/bejne/qH-9mHWBl56tbNU I encourage you to visit my website; TeachersPet.biz and click on the getting started page. From there you can scroll down the left column and find a topic page called "Loose Leash Walking" I like the Freedom harness because it is, in my opinion the best tool for dogs that have a tendency to pull, however, I have all my clients in my puppy classes to use a harness because we do not want to apply pressure on the neck of the puppy which can be stressful and lead to issues when we want to introduce collar pressure. We need to teach our dog to "give" to the pressure on the leash. Meaning, with a very slight touch, they will respond by coming with you...But, before this can happen, we need to develop a communication system through engagement training that teaches our dog what we want AND, they have a high motivation to reply to our request. This takes time but in the long run it is so worth it, for you and most importantly, your dog. So to answer your question, I would use the freedom harness to create a new association with the tool. I believe your dog may have developed a negative association with the leash. Take your pup to a park and practice engagement training exercises using a long line, to avoid any tension on the leash. Please let me know how it goes. Best to you

[@kevinkryer9792]

What if u have a European working line Doberman that have a tendency to be overreactive towards other dogs would this harness be escape proof because my dobie have some type of Houdini/fish like movements that tends to help her escaping so yeah and her harness was pretty tight so tight that I could slightly put my fingers between and she still manage to get free the harness u have Seems delicate and escape proofing but is it ? Need some harness help are open for all kinds of advice ;)

[@TeachersPetK9]

Kevin, it is really difficult to give you advice for your particular situation without meeting your dog. Questions would be; 1) Does your dog lunge, growl, spin and if she has escaped, has she tried to bite the other dog? 2) Is she reactive towards all dogs, or just some? 3) How old is she? What I can share with you from my many years working with reactive dogs is that you need to do several things. In general, it really helps if you can develop a strong foundation in engagement training. Engagement training strengthens your dog's ability to focus on you which will in turn allow you to REDIRECT your dog's attention towards you rather than the distraction. The second piece is you need to have control of the dog's head and any harness will not allow you to effectively do that. A dominant dog collar can be afective but I would recommend finding a trainer who specializes in working with reactive dogs. There are several tools that will allow you to do that. I would NOT recommend a halti harness. Finally, you need to work on desensitizing your dog's reactivity. Again there are several methods and tools but you would need to work with a trainer to develop your skills using them. Last piece of advice, beware of someone who suggests using a shock collar to punish the behavior. Reactive dogs can be very tricky if they are not handled the right way with an experienced dog trainer. I really hope this helps.

[@kevinkryer9792]

TeachersPetK9 I do as well, I would say thank u for ur reply and for ur advice I will try seek some help in near feature and yeah not always does she barks but she goes kinda nuts have never tend to bite or anything so it’s kinda strange why she does get up to a lvl where she is very heated ( not angry) just extremely tense and have hard time communicating with the opposite dog

[@TeachersPetK9]

It could be that she is just very excited when she sees another dog. Either way, if you can really work on your ability to redirect your dogs attention.. but this work needs to be done without distractions first. You can work with food, or tug but whatever you do, it has to become a high value activity between you and her. Michael Ellis, Tyler Muto are two trainers I've learned a great deal from. Check out their videos as well. Good Luck! and keep me posted on how it is going.

[@TeachersPetK9]

***** I have found that the harness has an immediate, positive affect on our ability to communicate intention with our pup. But, regarding the other issues, I strongly recommend that you investigate three areas of intervention. One: Engagement Training. This is a system of training that works on increasing our dog's ability to "WILLINGLY" focus on us. By doing this, we have greater influence in redirecting our dog's attention from things, people, or dogs they may be reacting to. Remember, dog's can only focus on one thing at a time. Two: Desensitization and Counter Conditioning Techniques. I have some links on my web site regarding Reactivity, Dog Aggression. Grisha Stewart coined the phrase BAT which helps dogs develop "exit" strategies when confronted with things, people, or dogs that frighten them. Three: Exercise with little to no distractions. If you are placing her in situations where she is reacting, then you are coming too close to the item and intensifying the issues. So, find a place or time to exercise her when she will most likely not be exposed to the things that she reacts to. I invite you to visit my website, www.teacherspet.biz and view the videos under Aggression. You go to Getting Started tab and look at the bottom of the left column. You will find if you work on Engagement Training you will not use the harness to control your pup, rather, the harness is only there to lightly redirect your pup if required. The Freedom Harness is a great tool. Let me know how it goes.

[@tamethewolvesllc8569]

what if you have 2 dogs that pull?

[@TeachersPetK9]

Jesus, it is difficult to adequately address your question without knowing specifically how your dogs are responding. In short, with some training, the dogs respond quickly with just the clip on the front which would allow you to handle two dog leads. The successful transition to a Freedom Harness was immediate with my dog Gracie, the one featured in the video. She only needed the clip on the front to maintain control. However, the concern I have, again, not knowing your dogs, is that you give up some head control. If you are dealing with dogs who are reactive; meaning, they redirect their frustration on each other or you as their handler, then you will need to establish some ground rules on the walk before moving directly to the freedom harness. I am sending a link to a video showing me working with two dogs. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5PHooivZ7qYjq8 I recommend that you work with each dog individually first. Make sure it is clear to the dog what you expect from them on the walk and you will need to be very consistent in enforcing those expectations. The Freedom Harness works very well in doing just that because you have control on their movement forward by redirecting them with that front clip. Remember opposition reflex is also at play here. The more you pull back, the more they will drive forward so you want to avoid having the clip on the top used exclusively. I hope this helps.

[@RH-gl6vs]

Seemed more the dog was responding to your voice than the leash with the front attached leash. 🤔

[@schatzip]

I have used the harness for both of my dogs. Harnesses should be used as a training tool, never a way to walk a dog indefinitely. The goal is to have a dog walk next to you in pace and this harness does a great job training a dog to do just that.

[@katierosemaggiemay]

Music, but no voice over.

[@billelston677]

Great information but you need to show owners how to adjust the harness correctly. That to me is always the hardest part. Thanks

[@TeachersPetK9]

Great point... You are right.. the harness is ineffective if it is not fitted properly..

[@jakelogan7542]

The two leashes look like horse reigns. Except horse reigns are easier to use.

[@TeachersPetK9]

Yes, I find that most people have a very difficult time managing both leashes. But, with some dogs who are reactive, it can be a good tool IF, the handler is well trained on how to apply appropriate pressure to redirect the dog. For most, having the leash on the front is sufficient.

[@skykoh7250]

by 2020 people will attach 6 leash by walking their dogs. 1 infront 1 at the back 1 on the left and right the last 1 at the bottom....

[@halag]

why would they?

[@FrankieHunnie]

It's 2021 and nope that hasn't happened lol

[@skiphorni]

I gave it a thumbs down because there is no audio but music.

[@TeachersPetK9]

Skip, I'm sorry you are unable to hear the video. My guess is that the audio player between computers is not compatible in some fashion since on my end I'm hearing it just fine. I have received this complaint before and unfortunately, I don't know how to get around this problem.

[@skiphorni]

No worries. Seems to work today. One would figure audio works or it doesn't. Just having one channel (was my guess) and not the other seemed odd. Who knows? But it is working and gave it a thumbs up. Thanks I will try the harness on my dogs.

[@joelrog7]

Get rid of the annoying music.

[@chimpinaintez]

Really!?! Every single dog training video. Uses a well trained dog to deminastrate everything! I wouldnt be watching these vids if my dogs sits completely still like this dog does!

[@TeachersPetK9]

here is a link to another video where I'm working with dogs who are reactive. kzbin.info/www/bejne/hnvCqKWapNaUiJo Gracie, the boxer shown in the video was highly reactive, charging a sleeping small dog who was under a cafe table at a community event. There needs to be work invested in getting the dog into a calm state of mind before you can reach the point where your dog will accept a harness, a muzzle, or for some, just the clip of a leash. Tell me more what you are struggling with and I may have a few resources for you. Best to you.