Freedom No-Pull Harness

After thirty years of dogs and dog training I have become pretty stink-eyed when it comes to manufacturers' claims that a particular product will help fix your dog. I purchased this freedom harness because it was recommended for use on reactive dogs in Grisha Stewart's book on Behavior Adjustment Training, and I happen to have my dog enrolled in a BAT class. After using the harness on my shy, reactive dog I have come to believe that Stewart is wrong in her recommendation.

First, I will admit that the design of the harness is excellent, as are construction and materials (heavy-duty metal parts, but the plastic clasps are standard issue). The velvet lining on the belly strap is a thoughtful detail. There is one sharp edge on my harness, where the strap end was heat sealed. The sliding handle on the double-ended leash is a useful safety backup when handling a strong dog -I looped it over my wrist while I worked the rest of the lead. I found that I could use the chest attachment to keep my dog in a close heel, while the martingale loop on his back was good for giving gentle corrections. A tug on the chest leash turned my dog around efficiently, when quickness was needed. My dog did attempt to back out of the harness, but was unable to.

I was convinced this was a great product as long as I was handling my dog in a calm, controlled environment. When I took him into the real world and he reacted to a trigger, however, the tightening of the belly strap as I restrained him made him even more agitated, and it just spiraled up from there. I believe that action -the forced restriction of the chest -is inappropriate and harmful for the reactive dog. It causes panic in the shy dog, especially, ramping up the fight or flight response.

This harness may be appropriate for a dog who is of sound temperament, but is simply headstrong on the leash or too strong for the handler. It does provide control. I do not recommend it, however, because of the very negative effect it had on my dog. I did not like the noncommittal response I got from the company when I noticed them of the harness's detrimental effect, either.

If you decide to give it a try, be careful with sizing. My cattledog fell in between sizing brackets (a medium in girth and breed recommendation, but a medium 1" strap in weight). I ordered up, getting a 1" strap. The smaller strap would have been adequate for him. I recommend phoning the company for sizing guidance. There is very little room for adjustment, so be exact. The harness is somewhat confusing to put on your dog at first, but it goes on easily once you get the orientation figured out.

We tried several different harnesses which all were uncomfortable for our golden. I researched extensively what I wanted for my dog harness, and came up with the Freedom No Pull Harness. From the very first time I put it on my dog, it was a miracle! She walked with no discomfort, and she did not pull at all. I love the leash that comes with it. It is a must to have with the harness. I HIGHLY recommend this harness for every dog.

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I literally have 5-6 harnesses, but they bunched up or pulled in a weird way. This harness is so easy to fit on the dog. I love that you can attach the leash to the front and back. This has made a huge difference in walking our puppy. Great product no negatives.

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I purchased my new pup's first Freedom harness at the urging of kd's breeder. Upon receiving it, I realized I had purchased the harness in a larger size several years ago for my now-deceased larger dog and never used it -I found it too complicated to put on Roger. BUT WAIT!

Then the Freedom harness I purchased for my puppy a year after Roger's death is much smaller, as kd is a Cairn Terrier and will not get anywhere close to Roger's size.

At first, I was using a more attractive harness on kd which has a lot of padding on the shoulder area; sort of a webbed design. But I wasn't grooming kd properly, including my leaving her harness on when she was napping (pure laziness on my part).

When I took kd to be groomed, my groomer found out about my lack of brushing kd a min. of 2x/week AND the fur problem because of the harness I'd used.

I was so glad I kept the Freedom No-Pull Dog Harness brochure that came with kd's harness, as it had fair visuals on how to place the harness on one's canine. Though it looks complicated, the Freedom No-Pull harness is so simple after correctly assembling it on one's dog. And it offers great comfort and control for one's dog.

In the Freedom harness, there's extra care in providing velvet-like material padding where the harness gathers under the dog's front legs. Most harnesses don't have such protection, and the mesh material can irritate some dogs under their front legs due to this design flaw.

I also love how the colors I selected include more visible "neon-like" web material on the top of the harness (where the metal loop assembly is woven into the main harness). This helps drivers and other pedestrians and dog walkers see me and my dog's harness at night and in low-light conditions.

I heartily recommend this product after using it for two weeks on my pet. I'm ordering another, as the only issue I have is my pet's comfort when the harness gets soaked in our Seattle rain storms. I'll hopefully only need two Freedom harnesses for our worst weather (Dec.-Feb.). It'd be great if the manufacturer could design this harness with better water-wicking capabilities.

Oh, and I may be wrong, but I believe the purchase of the Freedom harness also benefits a non-profit organization which may have helped to develop the harness.NEW Adjustable Freedom Small Dog Harness No Pull Red Large

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Recently, I adopted a very skittish Shepherd mix dog from a local shelter. While she has good leash manners for the most part, when she sees a trigger (and trust me, there are lots of them), she freaks out and goes into the red zone where I cannot control her with praise, treats, voice commands, etc. There were several times where she panicked so thoroughly that she nearly escaped from me. Honestly, were this to happen, I don't know if I could catch her before she ended up getting hurt/killed. So I started doing my research. I knew I needed a quality harness, BUT her last owners had severely traumatized her to leashes/harnesses to the point where she would collapse/pee in fear when she saw them. I managed to get her over her leash fear, but she was still terrified of harnesses. Therefore, I was very skeptical about using one. During one of my many online searches, I found a forum where they were discussing no pull harnesses. The Freedom was the favorite and had high praises and recommendations, so I ordered it on a whim. Truly, I did not know what to expect when I opened the package.

I was blown away.

The quality of the craftsmanship is evident the material is heavy duty as are the metal clasps and D rings. The double ended leash is very unique and different from anything I have ever seen. The piece itself is like a work of art and is very attractive even as an accessory! Though I wouldn't say it's all beauty and no function. The harness is designed smartly, so that I don't have to wrangle my dog's legs through any loops and further exploit her fear. It slips over the head easily and then clips on either side. As soon as I started walking, I felt a difference. Merely wearing the harness changed my dog's behavior drastically. The gentle tightening around the chest is enough of a deterrent that she walks calmly next to me without much of a correction. The product also came with a lovely, glossy flyer explaining several ways to use the harness. It is not just a one trick pony! There are four different methods. If the dog is reactive or easily frightened, one end of the leash can be put on the dog's collar and one on the front, so there's no squeezing if that is a problem. On a side note, the velvet lining on the chest strap is wonderful for dogs with short hair such as my lab/pit mix. It prevents her skin from getting chafed which is much appreciated.

I am now going to order one of these harnesses in every color and for each of my dogs.

By the way, not only is this product beautifully made and wonderfully effective it's made in the USA. I love that I can support my own economy by purchasing a quality product that works. I see that the most "helpful" review on this product is currently a One Star and while I respect that person's opinion, I do have to disagree. No one training tool is going to "fix" your dog, and I am not claiming that this tool will work for every dog, but it does work for mine. The price is right, and the shipping is fast, so if you're on the market for a new dog harness, please give this a try.

IN SUMMARY, this product worked wonderfully for:

A 45 LB German Shepherd Mix who is very skittish and reactive.

A 40 LB Pit Bull/Lab Mix Pup who is just starting to learn.

And Two 80 LB Wolf Hybrid mixes with excellent leash manners.

IN SHORT: Wonderful product, worth the money, highly recommended.