Undoubtedly, walking on a harness for an animal is more comfortable than on a leash with a collar. Because it does not press on the neck and allows you to breathe freely, and it’s easier for the owner to control his pet.
For fighting dogs use the same harnesses, but more durable and complex design. But despite the fact that in our time a large selection of ammunition for dogs is presented, if you wish, you can put a little effort and time to get an exclusive handmade harness for dogs.
Materials for the production of dog ammunition
Today, such accessories can be bought for absolutely any dog: whether it is a Pomeranian or Doberman. Sew dog harness mainly:
- from braid or orthalon;
- nylon;
- tarps;
- velor;
- leatherette and from other materials, including natural cotton fabrics.
Each pet store seller will tell you how to choose a harness for a dog, but there will not always be funds to buy it, or there is no suitable one among the assortment. Fortunately, ordinary walking harnesses can also be sewn on their own. This is not at all difficult, and the model in this case will certainly suit the owner of the dog.
The main thing is that the product should sit correctly on the pet: it should not press, but only fit tightly to the body.
For dogs of medium and large breeds, harnesses are necessary in the process of training or in sports: for towing a skier, various dog competitions (running in a harness) or just for muscle development, etc. Do-it-yourself harness for dogs is sewn from fairly durable materials with a strong buckle and carbine: leather, a thick belt or braid. However, the accessory should not be too heavy to make the dog comfortable.
Also, you should not put on the harness constantly, since the pet has a different center of gravity during movement than the movement in the collar, and after training with the harness, it becomes more difficult for the dog to get used to something else, and if necessary temporarily walk without harness a four-legged friend will not be able to feel comfortable.
Nylon harnesses
They are much lighter than leather or leatherette. Moreover, they are the most durable and durable, not inferior to products from other materials. To sew a comfortable enough thing for your pet, first of all, you need to decide what you need it for:
- for towing;
- for a harness (a nylon model without buckles and rings, as well as with buckles and a fastening cable, is appropriate here).
Leather harnesses
To practice with a service dog, it is better to sew a leather product with strong and wide buckles and belts. It is only necessary to make sure that the rings are well soldered, and the belts are stitched properly, so that a durable harness for the dog is obtained. Any pattern that suits you will do.
And you can make a combined model: from leather and nylon, so it will turn out to be easier and cheaper. Buckles and rings upon purchase also feel free to check for quality.
For the smallest dogs
For decorative dogs, the harness has already become a mandatory accessory. For example, a four-legged with thick necks, such as pugs, French bulldogs and others, it is much more convenient to walk on a harness. And miniature fragile representatives of dogs with a delicate neck and a thin neck (Yorkshire terriers, chihuahua, etc.) are also better to offer soft velor harnesses than collars.
And you can decorate the finished product with whatever you like: crystals, rhinestones or spikes, if only the scenery would not harm the animal.
Rules for self-tailoring
How to make a harness for a dog yourself? The most important point is that it should fit perfectly. In addition, the product must be designed for physical strength and temperament of the four-legged friend, and the breed also matters. You should choose a kind of harness and, depending on why you need it: for ordinary walks or sports, for a guide dog or helping in official search activities.
What should you focus on before sewing:
- You can choose any material you like, but it must be soft, wear-resistant, durable, and easy to wash.
- It is better to equip the harness not with one fastener, but with several. This is necessary so that during the procedure of putting on the accessory the dog does not have a feeling of discomfort. Therefore, it is better to immediately abandon the model into which it will have to be “squeezed”.
- Recall that a harness with a snug fit to the dog’s body is the best, but in no case should it squeeze or constrain movement. And to check whether the size of the product is correctly selected is not difficult: you just need to put your palm between the body and the animal, and if it calmly enters, then everything is in order with the size. Also, if the harness is too loose and sagging, you need to adjust it in order to avoid injuries.
- It should be ensured that the belts in the upper part of the product converge with the width of the dog’s back, would not be narrowed, otherwise they may crash into the body, and such a harness for the dog will cause pain. The pattern must match the parameters.
- At home, you need to remove the harness, and on the street there is no point in constantly wearing it.
- It is important to combine a harness with a collar, especially to dogs that regularly attend exhibitions. Otherwise, in the ring, your friend will feel discomfort in the collar, because the harness will have to be removed there.
How to take measurements from a dog
To perfectly measure the dog, you will need a tailor's meter. Observe the measurement rules.
- The determining measure is the length of the back from the place where the withers begins to the place where the base of the tail is located.
- Wrap around the neck where the collar is located.
- The girth of the chest should be measured in the widest place, behind the front paws, with the addition of 2 cm to the resulting figure for free fitting.
Sewing instructions
A self-made dog harness for dogs does not require a lot of expenses, you only need:
- The material you selected.
- Lining material.
- Soft braid.
- Rings for fasteners.
We decide on the material for sewing the harness (for harness for large dogs you need to use more durable material), whether it be leather, nylon, leather substitute or something else.
1. By measuring your dog as previously indicated (under the paws in the chest area) we build a pattern with allowance for seams. If it is nylon - add 2 cm to the seams, if leather or leather - about 5 mm to the seams.
2. According to this pattern, we make a lining of soft material and sew along the inside of the future harness.
3. We cut the whole product and sew soft braid around the entire perimeter. Outside we sew the straps, and in the back zone we attach the fastening rings. You can also make straps with rings to adjust the length if the dog continues to grow.
4. We think over the decoration at our discretion. The harnesses intended for decorative miniature dogs are often trimmed with multi-colored rhinestones, stones, fabric stickers, bows, etc.
If sewing the harness did not take place, do not be discouraged, the first time few people get everything perfectly. You can remake the product or sew it again, and if the lesson seems too difficult, you can order it in the workshop.
Harnesses for harnesses
Harness with cargo for dogs is necessary only for large and strong animals, such as fighting or service animals. The accessory is recommended in case of acute shortage of loads placed by the breed to restore the lack of muscle mass. This thing perfectly trains endurance in medium and large animals.
However, the harness for dogs with weighting materials for animals under the age of one year is not sewn, because the backbone of them is still in the process of formation. Otherwise, you can seriously harm the dog, and not get the benefit.
In general, reinforced power loads are very useful for some breeds: these are pit bulls and staffords, pit bull terriers and rottweilers, shepherd dogs, etc. For such powerful animals, they came up with different methods of strength training. It was proved by veterinarians and researchers that harnessing with weighting is simply necessary for dogs who are deprived of physical activity for some reason. And this kind of accessory with a load dragged by dogs behind them should be used by owners who want to see their dog healthy and strong. Walking and training with a harness can help you gain weight quickly, correct your back deflection and strengthen your hock.
When ammunition with weighting agents can be used
The time period when wearing harness with weighting depends primarily on the breed of the pet and the nature of the training. Cargo is advised to one from a year, another - from one and a half, and the third - not earlier than two years. Therefore, before buying this harness and starting to use it, it is imperative that the owner consult with an experienced trainer or at least a veterinarian, and then strictly follow all the recommendations received.
And most importantly, do-it-yourself harness for dogs with a load should be sewn by knowledgeable people, because you should take into account a huge number of nuances, and if you miss something, do not take into account, then your pet’s health will suffer from one wrong step. It is necessary to be very careful and competently able to distribute the weight of the cargo. Cargo harness for dogs requires exclusively individual tailoring, just for your dog, to avoid big problems in the future. It is better to refuse from independent sewing of such a thing with little experience.