How old should staffies be before you get them a harness and do pretty much all good pet shops sell them.
Do you mean a leather studdy type harness? I wouldn't invest until a dog was adult certainly. They don't look at all comfortable to me .......... just have a "look" but never had a staff so no idea really! A pup can wear a walking harness at any age if thats the way you wish to walk it ... most pet shops sell nylon harnesses - I'd think you'd need a more specialist place for a jazzy Staff leathe rone ...
Depends on what kind of harness you want. Personally I really detest to see staffies in a leather studded type harnesses. These type of harness are, unfortuantely, associated with the 'macho' image of owning a stafford around here I have only ever seen the leather harnesses in adult size and only on a market stall. Not seen them in any of the local pet shops. You can get nylon puppy harnesses from any pet shop and they look great. Saw a 12 week old black staffy puppy in a luminous pink and green stripe one. It looked ever so cute
Georgie has worn a harness from day one, since he was 8wks old. I have a nylon kind of one for him, as I dont think they should wear the leather ones until they are much older. Even then, I still think they look really uncomfortable.
Wait till you`re pretty much certain that the dog about fully grown before buying a leather one, you dont want to spend £50/60 and find out you don`t have enough adjustment. Theres plenty of companies on the net who do harnesses just do a detailed and stringent search.With some of the best one`s you can even choose your own ornaments. Use an adjustable nylon harness to get your dog used to them first, that way you`ll know that the dog doesn`t mind wearing them & wont be spending to much money on something unsuitable. Don`t worry about other peoples pre-misconceived prejudices about leather harnesses, I`ve seen plenty of guenuinely nice peoples dogs wearing them ( without a Burberry baseball cap in sight), my Bull Terrier included. I`ll be investing in one for my Staff bitch when she`s big enough. It`s definately best to have selection of leashes and collars, taking a dog for a walk through woodland with an harness on isn`t ideal (to many things to get snagged on).
I have to say, i agree with bullterrier on this, i dont think its right to say everybody who puts a leather harness on their staffie is using their dog just to look "macho". I would certainly use one on Chance when he`s older, its an accessory yes, but so is a coat or a doggie jumper
I agree 100% A Stafford looks magnificent in a full leather and brass harness,i think it shows them off perfectly.There is a couple who walk their Staff where i walk Os and he always has his harness on,and he looks and is lovely.They are a middle aged couple who have always owned the breed and are as sad as the Stafford owners on here about the idiots that are destroying the breeds reputation.
One downside to leather harnesses & collars is they need to be cleaned if you want them to still look as good in a few years. Cleaning the brass is the worst part ( boring), but when done they look fantastic. In general my dog wears a nylon collar when we go anywere that could be muddy,but it always surprises me how much easier it is to walk him with a harness on ( must admit I trained him to walk at heal using an easy walk harness). It seems like if he feels any pressure on his chest he drops back into place. I`m even thinking of buying a nylon harness for muddy walks. There is always lots of harnesses on e-bay and your local pet shops should have them but not the larger multi national chain stores.
i think harness's look good my parents had 2 staffs Matilda (R.I.P) and clyde who is now 6. They both had harness's brought via that good auction site. Clyde had a black one and matilda had a red one both studded and with the staffy emblem on the chest. Kinda made clyde feel better in himself wearing it as soon as he got outside looked like he was showing it off
I totally disagree that ALL people put leather harnesses on there dogs [staffies] to look hard and macho, yes you do get them that will do it just to look hard etc but you cant judge everyone like that, personally i find as my older staffie pulls a strong harness is alot better for him, i do have a halti but feel they are not strong enough. my 8 week old staffie has got a nylon harness and if need be i will get her a stronger leather one [in pink lol]... as for my yorkie well she has got one [a nylon] and find that it is much better for her as the collar is not hurting her neck/throat when she pulls..[yes she thinks shes a staffie!]. I use the leather ones for my staffies for few reasons - they are the strongest and safest as my staffie is very strong, puts no pressure on his neck/throat, when he pulls hes pulling against his body n shoulders not his neck.. Also i really enjoy spending money on my dogs like my children and getting them nice things x
TO SHAUN LAURA- I so agree when my dogs wear their harnesses they do show off! when my yorkie wears her lil jumpers she knows she looks sooo cute n wants to show off. [before i get slated..yes i do let my yorkie wear coats n jumpers etc..as she gets reallly cold shes only a teent tiny yorkie plus she looks so adorable n like i said i enjoy spending money on my doggys]
maybe we could get some of the hubbies to model them for us for Charideee.....lol (ooh I think I'm sick)lol I saw that Ian has already volunteered himself in the studded... leather thread...
We`ve ordered my Staffordshire bitch an harness off ebay, it`s an antique brown leather one. Hopefully the parcel force chit put through my door today will be for that. Don`t know if she`ll like wearing it, she did`nt like her easy walk training harness that I used to teach her to walk at heal. But she`ll wear it regardless after how much it cost, then both my Bull Terrier & her can pose together regardless of other peoples prejudices & ill misconceived fears. Had a look for one at Crufts, they were all sized for male dogs which was rubbish. Most of them were poor quality leather with rubbish workmanship & they didn`t look very strong, but they still cost as much as the one which my Bully has & that is quality. Looking at the sizing of the ones at Crufts they were more likely to fit a Bully than a Staff even though they were obviously for a Staff (Staff ornaments all over them).
I had a stop pull harness for my Staff when she was a pup and it was the best thing I ever bought for her, changed to a soft padded nylon one that i'd ordered from an Australian site it was especially designed for Staffs when she got a bit older and stopped pulling I treated her to a pink leather collar which she cannot wear at the moment as the pink dye in the leather is coming off and making her fur pink and is taking ages to wash out so she's now gone back to her nylon collar. I've met some Staff owners who have had leather harnesses and say they cannot use them as the Leather straps rub under the dogs legs making them sore
I received Callas harness yesterday, lovely bit leather & very well made. It`s a little bit stiff at the moment, but will give in time. She didn`t like wearing it at first, but on her walk she was as good as gold.
Try using a bit of baby talc on the areas where the leather touches the skin that should help if there's any friction from the stiff leather
Having just rescued a 13 month old Staffy my Girlfriend and I went looking for a harness, we saw a couple of these leather/ studded contraptions and could not keep a straight face! I dunno where anyone gets the idea that these Items are 'macho' from. To to my mind they just scream out something quite different....think bondage or s & m
I much prefer leather harnesses because they are strong, hardwearing and they are also no choke.. you put a harness on a small child, why put a noose around your dogs neck, you wouldnt put a collar on a child.. dogs are like your children, and should be comfortable whilst out walking..harnesses give you more control, and apart from that the main reason for a harness I believe is that you dont get your dog doing that awful choking sound! As you can see Im all for harnesses...
