How do you Adjust a harness on your furry little friend? Well, it’s very simple to do so. Usually, there are two types of harnesses, a Step-in harness, and an Overhead harness.
Chihuahua’s natures are relatively well-behaved when it comes to being able to put them in a harness.
Unlike bigger dogs or more hyperactive dog breeds, the Chihuahua family are a calmer-natured breed, and obviously the older the age of your Chihuahua, the better the ability you will have to ensure he or she stands still while you are putting the harness on them.
Another important factor is remembering the more the harness is placed on your Chihuahua, the more they too will become used to and comfortable with this practice.
Preferably, if you could introduce this practice to your puppy-aged Chihuahua, this would set you up for very time-saving practices when wishing to go places with your beloved Chihuahua.
The harness is a comfortable device invented to replace the standard dog collar. One strap is placed under your Chihuahua’s belly, leave it unstrapped so that it can be adjusted for the other side of your harness. Now tighten the top and lower straps until it fits snug around your dog’s waist.
This creation was devised with not only comfort in mind, but also offering the animal owner less fear of injuring your Chihuahua’s neck when restraining your pet.
The regular collar, when pulling up your Chihuahua can hurt their necks as all the pull is in that one area compared to the harness which uses the Chihuahua’s body to pull up the animal, therefore using the entire weight of the animal over the neck area.
You can also purchase many patterns, designs, sizes to suit you and your companion with some very glamorous, funky, cool, and stylish harnesses available worldwide.
If you are creative yourself, you could easily make your own harness for your beloved Chihuahua that is unique and sure to be noticed as the envy of all other Chihuahua when out on your next adventure.
Purchasing your harness for your fur-baby is available online or at your closest pet store outlet.
The price ranges for a suitable harness depend on the size you are looking for and the design, along with factoring in sturdiness as well.
These can cost anywhere between $15 to $150 factoring in if you purchase one online you can expect to pay slightly extra for shipping and or taxes.
A Step-in Harness Helps To Disperse Over The Back And Chest
For a Step-in harness, you will need the harness to be on the ground flat. Then you will need your Chihuahua to have their front legs on the open loop of the harness.
- Harness on ground
- Chihuahua front legs go through the open-loop
- Pull up harness around Chihuahua body
- Clip the buckle together
- Check harness is not too tight or too loose
When that is done all you will be needing to do is pull it up and then buckle the clips together.
You will want to check that the harness is not too tight nor too loose, to check if it’s just right, you will want to place two of your fingers in the neck of where the harness sits on the Chihuahua.
If your fingers sit just comfortably then it is just right, so your dog is not escaping in a hurry! As I learned that from my Chihuahua escaping and running through the entire school!
Over-head Dog Harness
To use the over-head harness all you need to do is slip the neckpiece of the harness over your chihuahua’s head.
Now you can pull down on the bottom straps that wrap around under your chihuahua’s body or belly area and you are left with only one strap that comes up and across the back.
- Slip the neckpiece of the harness over the chihuahua’s head
- Pull down the bottom straps that wrap around the chihuahua’s body
- Pull the strap that is left up and across the chihuahua’s body
Alternatively, if your chihuahua’s harness is connected on only one side you should encourage your chihuahua to step through the loop area and then fix the clasp straps together on the other side of the harness.
However, if your clasp is not connected to on one side, clasp both straps that are positioned on two sides.
How To Clean Your Dogs Harness
Keeping your Chihuahua’s harness clean is just as important as ensuring he or she wears one.
This is not only because it will get dirty looking over time, but also due to bacteria, ticks, parasites, fleas, and other little critters that can become lodged in the webbing of the harness and breed excessively.
However, you CAN’T just wash your furry friend’s harness like you would wash your own belongings!
You can’t wash your harness in a top loader washing machine because the agitator in the drum is where clips get caught pull the fibers apart and wreck your harness. Wash your harness in a front loader washing machine it doesn’t have an agitator so there’s nothing for the harness to get stuck on.
Choosing a sensitive wash powder or dog shampoo as some opt to use, is another important thing to remember before washing your dog’s harness.
This is because dogs of all breeds are sensitive to wash powders and other cleaning items that we humans use and if you use a washing powder that is too strong, your poor little Chihuahua will be itching for days!
You can alternatively opt not to use the front loader washing machine and hand clean your harness in a tub with mild soap or wash it out using your regular back garden hose as the pressures from this will remove any dirt, debris, and little fleas and insects that were thinking of making the harness their home!
Why Is A Harness Better Than A Collar?
One of the greatest joys of owning a dog is taking it out for a walk. It is a wonderful way to enjoy nature with man’s best friend. However, knowing the proper way to contain your pup while out of the house is important. The most common way that people control their dogs while out of the house is by using a leash and collar.
But is a leash and collar the best way to achieve this?
Even though a leash and collar system is a popular choice for walking a dog, it isn’t the only choice. Harnesses have been an increasingly popular choice throughout the years. But why are they better than a collar? Well, there are few reasons why harnesses are better than collars.
Below are the key reasons that they are the better choice.
Reasons Why Harnesses Are Better Than Collars
They Are More Comfortable For The Dog
Collars can be quite uncomfortable for a dog. Collars are known for putting pressure on a dog’s neck, especially if the dog decides to pull away suddenly. Moreover, if you need to pull the dog in a different direction, the collar can put stress on their necks as well.
Harnesses prevent this as they wrap around the dog’s upper midsection. They fit snugly and evenly distribute the pressure from a leash being pulled. The leash gets clipped to the middle top of the harness which is what causes even distribution.
They Make Leash Training Easier
Because harnesses provide more comfort to a dog by applying pressure to their upper bodies, it can be easier to leash train a dog! When a dog feels the harness around its upper body instead of their neck, they are more likely to be responsive to the direction you want them to go.
You will have much more control with a harness than you would with a collar. It is also important to note that harnesses help your dog stay balanced. When they pull on a collar, they can become unbalanced since it is only pulling on their necks. Harnesses retain a dog’s balance due to where it sits on their bodies!
They Prevent Dogs From Escaping
Harnesses are designed to fit snugly but aren’t too tight as to be uncomfortable. The harness fits in this manner so that your pup can’t get loose during a walk. It also is designed to fit this way so you have better control of them as well.
Collars can get stretched out or become loose which can lead to a dog slipping away. Because harnesses fit around your dog’s upper body, they aren’t going easily escape!
They Help Owners Control Larger Dogs With Ease
Larger dogs have much more strength than smaller breeds. Dog owners who have larger pups can find walking them to be a hassle. Harnesses are a great way to help manage the strength of larger dogs. Once again, it all goes back to the evenly distributed pressure on the upper body.
While you should always aim to practice proper dog training, larger dogs can still pull you around due to their sheer strength. This is why using a harness is a great option for larger dogs.
Overall, harnesses are a cozier choice for pups. Additionally, harnesses are an essential training tool no matter what size pup you have!
Should My Dog Wear A Collar And A Harness?
Collars aren’t just used for walking a dog. They are an excellent way to display your dog’s ID tags. ID tags help identify your pup in the event that they do get lost or stolen. It is okay for a dog to wear both a collar and a harness. They are both serving different purposes.
The collar is holding the dog’s important ID tags while the harness aids in leash walking. It is possible to find harnesses that can hold ID tags, however, are they being supportive in the others where it is needed? The fact is, they might not be. This is why having both a collar and harness can be effective.
Can I Leave My Dog’s Harness On All Day?
Even though harnesses are a more cozy choice for your pup, they can become uncomfortable after long periods of time. There isn’t a real danger to leaving a harness on your dog all day but you should remove it after walks simply because it will make your dog feel better.
The second biggest issue with leaving a harness on all of the time is that the harness can chafe your dog’s upper body.
Chafing is when something rubs up against something for long periods of time and causes open sores or red spots from the continued pressure. In order to reduce the risk of this happening, always remove the harness after every walk. It will allow your dog to walk around the house normally.
You aren’t walking them around the house so there really isn’t a need for it to be on them.
In addition to chafing, dogs can experience matted fur where a harness has been sitting for a while. Matted fur can result in skin irritation as well as ruin the quality of your dog’s coat. A well-maintained dog coat ensures that your pup stays healthy. Unhealthy dog coats can pose a health issue.
If a harness becomes loosened, it can become tangled in something around the house. This can lead to a dog becoming stuck and unable to move freely. While they may not choke, that could still be an issue. Moreover, they have easier access to a loose harness and could chew it to pieces.
Harnesses do not pose an immediate danger or threat to a dog and are considered one of the safest things to use with a dog. Even still, you should remove the harness if you aren’t taking your dog for a walk.
This simply eliminates any risk of a freak accident occurring or making the dog uncomfortable. With the proper use of a harness, you will see just how much better they are compared to using a collar!
I hope that this will help you and your Chihuahua to find a suitable harness, know how to adjust it, keep it clean and encourage you to use it every day!
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