This is a dog harness made from tough webbing, lined with velvet.
It has two leash attachment points: One over the shoulders and the other in front of the brisket.
You have the option to attach a lead at either one of these D-rings or even both at the same time for maximum control.
Each of those lead attachment points works in a slightly different manner.
The brisket attachment works by using the dog’s own weight, when they pull forward, to swing the dog around.
Quite simply, the dog pulls and turns themselves around to face you, hence rendering pulling as pointless.
The attachment over the shoulders is slightly different.
Here there is a sliding loop of fabric passing between two D-rings.
When the dog pulls, the loop tightens, which has the effect of making the girth of the harness smaller and tightening around the dog’s chest.
This has a twofold action.
- First, the tightening around the chest sends the dog a message to stop pulling.
- Second, the harness tightens over the shoulders at the base of the neck. This is the dog’s center of gravity and gives you maximum control of the dog. This is in contrast to some harnesses which spread the dog’s weight evenly and make it more difficult for you to control the animal.
The Freedom No Pull Harness is made in the USA and is a patented design.
Why Has No One Thought of this Before?
If the idea is that simple, how come no-one thought of it before?
Who knows!
The idea was actually the brainchild of Jessica MacDonald.
One day she was tasked with walking her friend’s Rottweiler, who proceeded to tow her down the street.
This set Jessica thinking about the mechanics of weight distribution and how dogs pull, along with the best way to prevent this.
She went home and made the first prototype no-pull harness, especially for that Rottweiler.
Their second walk together was a very different affair with the dog quickly learning to walk attentively to heel.
The harnesses use as a training tool quickly became obvious, and Jessica applied to the US Patent Office for protection of her unique design.
What is the Freedom Harness Made From?
Can you be sure the materials are tough (yet gentle) enough to stand up to a determined puller but without breaking or hurting the dog?
The answer is yes.
The webbing is high-grade industrial strength webbing, the sort used to secure cargo in transit for air flights.
But crucially, the chest strap is also lined with soft velvet, so that the part in contact with the dog’s skin and coat, is reassuringly soft.
The hardware is also high-quality stainless steel so that the whole construction is fit for purpose.
But even better than that, you can buy into a no-chew guarantee.
What this means is if a determined chewer gets hold of the harness and chews their way through it, the manufacturer will replace a maximum of two pieces of the harness.
This novel idea certainly makes the product value for money.