Vince ordered several new harnesses for Rita, hoping one would fit. I ordered one from Dachshund Delights but it has not arrived yet. The ones Vince ordered from Amazon arrived on Tuesday. We tried them on her and one fits better than the other two but it’s kinda bulky and when she moves quickly, it sounds like a bunch of tin cans rattling when the two D-ring type things for hooking her leash hit together. She is not happy with it at all.
Rita
We were going to just put it on when we took her out but she will not move with it on so we’ve been leaving it on her during the day when we’re home to try to get her used to it. I would put it on her on Tuesday afternoon, take her out and she would stand in the same spot and not move an inch. Vince put the old harness back on her and she went out and did her business. I told him that taking the new one off and putting the old one back on confirms for her that standing there and not moving when we put the new one on her will get us to take it off. Leave it on and she’ll get used to it.
She did a bit better yesterday with the new one.
It reminded me when Speck was little. We lived way off the highway and didn’t have any close neighbors so I’d just go out with him but he didn’t wear a collar or leash. One day he took off running and ran right towards the highway. Thankfully he stopped to sniff something and I grabbed him. I got a harness and a leash and he did just like Rita does with her new one. The minute I put it on him, he stopped and most of the time, went down on his belly and would not move.
About the third day, Vince was watching out the window and observed my frustration and believe it or not, he went out and said “I’ll handle this”. He coaxed Speck into walking with the harness and leash and . . that’s the only way he ever went out from that day forward – with his harness and leash. In fact, he got to the point that if you opened the door before he had his leash on, he stood there and waited . . unless a cat walked by or the UPS guy was out there. Under normal circumstances, he would wait for the leash.
Rita will get used to this harness but she is one stubborn little dog.
vivoaks says
I heard a saying years ago that still hold true: Having a dog is like having a perpetual 2-year-old.” Rita sounds just like my 2-year-old grandson. He won’t eat 90% of what he’s given. They also say “no animal ever starved itself to death to prove a point.” With this grandson, I’m beginning to wonder….2 1/2 years old and still won’t touch meat of any kind….
Rebecca in SoCal says
LOL! Are you sure she doesn’t have some cat in her?
dezertsuz says
She may not like it yet, but it looks good on her. I hope the last one you ordered will make her happy.
Nelle Coursey says
This reminds me of my dogs when they first put on their harnesses. Now they know when they put them on they are going to get to go somewhere! They are so funny! You can always crochet one of the d-rings to make them stop clanging or you can put duct tape on one of them.
cassews says
Yep it took a while for my dog to get used to her harness for when we are out. She has a collar for around the house then the harness goes on and she knows its adventure time. We use the harness/leash as she is a puller and tries very hard to be the queen bee in front. That doesn’t work for now and maybe one day she will realize its a no go. But when she is off the leash she is right by my side and will walk down the mountains so I can use her to steady myself when walking like that. So its one for the other with her .. She loves to be my helping dog and is very good at it …