# Wearing a harness all the time.



## eaticecream (Jul 27, 2012)

Is it okay to have a dog in a harness all the time? My dog is a puller, so we use a harness instead of a collar. The person who walks him the most has a hard time putting the harness on him, so he ends up wearing it all the time. Right now, he's wearing one of those Puppia vest harnesses. Are there better harnesses for him to wear all the time?


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## hanksimon (Mar 18, 2009)

My dog wears his collar and tags all the time... I don't see a problem with a harness all the time...


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## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Yeah when I rehomed my 55 lb pitty mix her tags were on her harness which she wore 24/7 (dad walked her in it).. no problems...


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## hamandeggs (Aug 11, 2011)

I think it's fine, except a) it might wear the fur off from rubbing, depending on how delicate the fur is...this happened to my parents' Korthals Griffon, and b) your dog might chew the harness off himself...my dog did this several times. 

Our dog walker had the same problem putting the harness on the dog. She would get so excited and wiggly to see him that it took him a long time to get the dog into the harness. But we couldn't leave it on her because she would chew it off herself and that was getting to be expensive! We ended up getting a fabric Martingale collar for the dog walker to use. It just slips over the dog head. Make sure it's properly fitted so it can't slip off, but won't choke the dog if it tightens. Maybe you could try that, if the harness ends up not working out.


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## Poly (Sep 19, 2007)

eaticecream said:


> Is it okay to have a dog in a harness all the time? My dog is a puller, so we use a harness instead of a collar. The person who walks him the most has a hard time putting the harness on him, so he ends up wearing it all the time. Right now, he's wearing one of those Puppia vest harnesses. Are there better harnesses for him to wear all the time?


Teach your dog to walk with a loose leash and a collar. It CAN be done. See Silky Leash.







The no-pull harness is temporary gear used while you are training LLW.


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## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

its fine, Gypsy wears a harness 24/7. some harness' do rub fur off though, Gyps is an ezdog quick fit harness, it doesn't rub at all.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

It may be okay, overall, but I'm a female that wears a bra. I cannot imagine my life having this thing on 24/7. 

I don't quite understand why the dog has to wear it all the time. Can't you just put the harness on before he gets walked and take it off after he comes home?


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## Keechak (Aug 10, 2008)

HollowHeaven said:


> It may be okay, overall, but I'm a female that wears a bra. I cannot imagine my life having this thing on 24/7.
> 
> I don't quite understand why the dog has to wear it all the time. Can't you just put the harness on before he gets walked and take it off after he comes home?


I can't imagine not wearing my bras almost 24/7 XD, TMI?


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## megs2219 (Feb 23, 2013)

I'm not an expert but I fairly regularly have my dog in his harness for most of the day because we go out frequently or of someone is coming over I want to be able to put him on a leash quickly if I need to. He does fine with that. But I think there is a big difference between 24/7 and a large chunk of the day. I'm guessing from the OP's post that it's more like him in his harness from 8a-6pm or 8pm, that he is wearing it all day while they are at work. But that's only say 12 hours max which is half the day. I wear my bra for that much almost everyday! (sorry if that's TMI). So I think the pup will do fine.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Many service dogs wear a harness for the majority of the day as far as I have seen. At least basically the hours that the owner is awake. I think wearing a properly fitted and comfortable harness for 12-14 hours each day is fine, if the harness is removed each night and the skin checked. Remember that dirt and wetness can quickly create chafing. 

Even for dogs that are good at loose leash walking, I still prefer a dog on a harness rather than a collar. It is one extra safety and comfort factor that protects their neck and it more wiggle/slip proof than a flat collar (martingales are good for that part)


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## Jacksons Mom (Mar 12, 2010)

Puppia's are great for that. That's the one harness I don't mind keeping on him all day. It's never bothered his hair, or rubbed his armpits, and they're very durable and comfy. 

Of course, he does not wear it at night or when not needed, but I wouldn't mind leaving on all day if necessary. 

I prefer harnesses for a variety of reasons.


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## HollowHeaven (Feb 5, 2012)

I think, for me, the million dollar question is 'how long is 'all the time''? 
If All The Time means, literally, all day long, night and day, every day, it's my opinion that that seems excessive and I can imagine damage to the coat in the long term if nothing else. Discomfort as well.


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## JohnnyBandit (Sep 19, 2008)

I am not a fan of a dog wearling a collar all the time. I am less of a fan of a dog wearing a harness all the time. Just things for the dog to get caught and hung up on.


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## hueyeats (Apr 2, 2013)

JohnnyBandit said:


> I am not a fan of a dog wearling a collar all the time. I am less of a fan of a dog wearing a harness all the time. Just things for the dog to get caught and hung up on.


OMG!
So totally agree with you.

At home, Roman is off his collar... so it does not endanger his mane growth around his neck.
When and if I need to grab him... I just grab him by his mane neck fur (like his dam would).

He is microchiped anyways and really is just showing us he won't run away...
(Gate #2 incident, free roam "never ditch slow moving mommy" incident)...
So far so good... = why we love walking with him as family.


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## Abbylynn (Jul 7, 2011)

When I became very ill last September ... I could hardly get up to take the dogs out. Dad had to. Dad is no good at putting on dog harnesses! Lol! .... So I left Eddee's harness on him from 7am until 9pm. Took it off for overnight. I had no issues with him.


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## Kayla_Nicole (Dec 19, 2012)

If I left Alannah's harness on 24/7, her coat would be ruined. Her hair easily clumps where her harness and collar sit and rub/move around....so when she is in the house, she is "naked" e.g. no collar or harness. In our fenced in back yard she gets her collar. Every time she is on leash she gets her collar and harness. I don't see why it's necessary to leave the harness on all the time. Can't it go on before walks and come off after?


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

I had an outside dog who was on a harness 24/7... He started to smell but we didn't know why, and finally it transpired that the dog had a wound caused by chafing that was covered up by the harness and became very infected. Note that this wasn't my fault; I was a kid.


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## Vicky88 (Jan 29, 2012)

My dog wears her collar all of the time. I put her harness on for her first walk and it does not come off again until her outside play time is over. In the winter that is about 5, in the summer it is about half 8. She has a padded one though so it does not rub her.


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## packetsmom (Mar 21, 2013)

I don't mind my dogs wearing a collar or harness a big part of the day, but I always take them off before crating, so that means that at night or any time we are away from home, they're naked. Often, if I'm not taking a dog out on the town, I'll leave the harness off and use a slip lead for quick trips outside.

I like harnesses in general, but especially for a dog that could pull. Even dogs that have good loose leash manners can get excited or too wound up in an instant and I feel like a harness gives me better control without also worrying about their necks.


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## eaticecream (Jul 27, 2012)

Personally, I'd also prefer having him naked in the house, but since I'm in college away from home there really isn't much of a choice. The one that walks him is the only one home and she really cannot get the harness on at all. (Koby gets way to excited and I'm pretty much the only one who can wrestle the harness on) If Koby isn't wearing the harness and she can't get it on, he won't be walked.. What do you think about wearing those no pull harnesses? It seems to me that those harnesses are a lot looser on their own.


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## LoMD13 (Aug 4, 2010)

Mine wears her harness almost all the time. All day usually, most times all night. Her coat is fine, it doesn't seem at all uncomfortable...so *shrug*.


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