In general, the harness is not completely absent from the dog trainer, but in some training scenarios, the dog trainer may use it cautiously or prefer to choose other tools for the following reasons:
May affect the training effect
- Distraction: The harness usually covers multiple parts of the dog's body, and the large contact area with the dog's body may make the dog feel more restrained and pressure during the training process, so as to pay more attention to the harness on the body, rather than the training instructions and tasks, affecting the dog's concentration on the training content and learning effect.
- Interference signal transmission: In training, the dog trainer needs to pass subtle signals and instructions to the dog through the lead rope and other tools, such as tightening and pulling the lead rope to guide the dog's behavior. Due to the relatively complex connection points and force modes of the harness, these signals may be weakened or distorted in the transmission process, resulting in the dog can not accurately receive the intention of the dog trainer, so that the accuracy and efficiency of training are affected.
May cause behavioral problems
- Over-dependence: If the harness is used excessively, the dog may become accustomed to relying on the harness's power to control its own actions, rather than reacting correctly through understanding of the trainer's instructions and its own code of conduct. In this way, once the harness is not used, the dog may be difficult to adapt, and there are problems such as out-of-control behavior, which is not conducive to training the dog's ability to independently and autonomously follow instructions.
- Trigger resistance: Some dogs may become resistant to harnesses, especially if they are not worn properly or if they have an unpleasant experience during training. This resistance may be extended to the training process, so that the dog has an aversion to training, is not willing to cooperate with the dog trainer, and even appears to resist, attack and other bad behaviors, increasing the difficulty of training.
Security risks exist
- Restriction of activity: An inappropriate harness may limit your dog's normal range of motion and range of motion, affecting your dog's natural state of movement during training. For example, some harnesses may bind the dog's leg or shoulder joints, making them uncomfortable during training movements such as running and jumping, and may even cause injuries to the dog and affect the training.
- Accidental risk: In some training scenarios, such as agility training or training projects that require the dog to move quickly and make complex movements, the harness may loosen, slip, or intertwine with surrounding obstacles due to the dog's intense exercise, which will not only interfere with the normal progress of training, but also may pose a threat to the dog's safety.
- However, in some specific training scenarios, such as strength control training for large dogs, guiding dogs to adapt to specific work tasks, the harness may also be used reasonably, and the dog trainer will choose whether to use and how to use the harness according to the specific training objectives, dog characteristics and actual conditions.