# New DogSportGear/All K-9 Agitation Harness



## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

It's time for a new harness. I like the quality and customer service of this company, so I'm looking here first. 

I already have this company's 2" leather collar, which is awesome for off-lead and full-on bites. (I highly recommend it.) But, I also like to work just on drive-building in some sessions, and I don't like a high-drive dog hitting the end of a lead when on a collar, if you know what I mean.

Does anyone have any experience with this harness, or its leather counterpart?

Padded All Weather Quick Release Dog Harness - $46.50 : Dog Equipment, Police Dog, Schutzhund, Service Dog, Dog Agility

According to the description, it's made exactly the same as their leather harness here:

http://www.allk-9.com/padded-leather-quick-release-dog-harness-p-68.html

I am considering the synthetic one because it should last longer, and I'm thinking I won't have to worry about maintenance or wear when working in water (lakes, streams, whatever).

Thanks in advance.


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## hunterisgreat (Jan 30, 2011)

MrLeadFoot said:


> It's time for a new harness. I like the quality and customer service of this company, so I'm looking here first.
> 
> I already have this company's 2" leather collar, which is awesome for off-lead and full-on bites. (I highly recommend it.) But, I also like to work just on drive-building in some sessions, and I don't like a high-drive dog hitting the end of a lead when on a collar, if you know what I mean.
> 
> ...


You do bitework in lakes?

I have a synthetic harness from elitek9. I like it.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Yes, I do bitework any- and every- where. My belief is that when a dog is under command, any command, it should do its "job" regardless of environment. Besides, swimmers make for easy decoys. 

The only one I see on their site that has a breastplate does not specify material, so I assumed it was leather. Is this the one you have?

3-Point Agitation Harness-Elite K-9



hunterisgreat said:


> You do bitework in lakes?
> 
> I have a synthetic harness from elitek9. I like it.


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## webzpinner (Mar 7, 2011)

Very interested in this, too. Not for real training purposes, but just the fact that Jakey LOVES to dart after cats, and this will give me more control over him than just grabbing his collar and/or travel vest.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

I just got off the phone with DogSportGear, and they said the Biothane has a 1000 psi breaking point, so it's plenty strong. They said it is indeed much lower maintenance than leather and will outlast leather considerably. I ordered one. If you like, I can let you know what I find when it arrives later this week.

As an aside, you might want to consider working on your dog's bad habit. You don't want it to get loose and dart into traffic chasing a cat. While a harness MAY give you more leverage, it will likely ENCOURAGE your dog to pull. What I would do is teach the dog to Heel, initially in an area of low distraction. Later, introduce low distractions from a distance and work your way up to higher distractions.

If your dog likes to chase balls, start using this to your advantage. With your dog on-leash in a Down position (easier to catch him/her rising up from a Down/Stay), roll a ball slowly away from you while telling the dog to Stay. Release the dog to chase the ball as a reward. This could help teach the dog a little self-control, because it still gets to go get the ball after doing its "job". Progress to throwing the ball as your dog becomes more and more solid. These videos may help:

http://www.dogtrainingforowners.com/dog_training_videos.htmlhttp://www.DogTrainingForOwners.com/videos.html




webzpinner said:


> Very interested in this, too. Not for real training purposes, but just the fact that Jakey LOVES to dart after cats, and this will give me more control over him than just grabbing his collar and/or travel vest.


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## webzpinner (Mar 7, 2011)

MrLeadFoot said:


> I just got off the phone with DogSportGear, and they said the Biothane has a 1000 psi breaking point, so it's plenty strong. They said it is indeed much lower maintenance than leather and will outlast leather considerably. I ordered one. If you like, I can let you know what I find when it arrives later this week.
> 
> As an aside, you might want to consider working on your dog's bad habit. You don't want it to get loose and dart into traffic chasing a cat. While a harness MAY give you more leverage, it will likely ENCOURAGE your dog to pull. What I would do is teach the dog to Heel, initially in an area of low distraction. Later, introduce low distractions from a distance and work your way up to higher distractions.
> 
> ...


Let me know how it works out, definitely.
Sadly, I've tried almost everything on him to stop darting after cats, but NOTHING has worked. He's pretty good on a leash/tether with that being his only major vice. He doesn't care a whiff about balls, and he becomes blind and deaf to the world around him once he's targets a feline on the street. He doesn't care about cats in windows or at Petstores, just on the street.


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## DolphinGirl (Nov 5, 2010)

webzpinner said:


> Let me know how it works out, definitely.
> Sadly, I've tried almost everything on him to stop darting after cats, but NOTHING has worked. He's pretty good on a leash/tether with that being his only major vice. He doesn't care a whiff about balls, and he becomes blind and deaf to the world around him once he's targets a feline on the street. He doesn't care about cats in windows or at Petstores, just on the street.


What about an e collar?


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## Hunther's Dad (Mar 13, 2010)

MrLeadFoot said:


> It's time for a new harness. I like the quality and customer service of this company, so I'm looking here first.
> 
> I already have this company's 2" leather collar, which is awesome for off-lead and full-on bites. (I highly recommend it.) But, I also like to work just on drive-building in some sessions, and I don't like a high-drive dog hitting the end of a lead when on a collar, if you know what I mean.
> 
> ...


I noticed that the harness is made by Redline K-9. I have one of their sleeves, and really like it. It is a quality piece of gear. Let us know how the harness works out, as I gave my favorite harness to a client and could use a new one.


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

We've bought 2-3 of the harnesses you linked to. All the handle rivets snapped off fairly quickly. One while I was holding a Rottweiler during bitework. 
We have one of the Yurkiw harnesses from that site and it is pretty sturdy thus far.
We also have 2-3 of these and they are sturdy(leather). Schutzhund dog Harness -Agitation/Protection Leather Dog Harness [Training dog harness- H1] : Schutzhund training equipment,Schutzhund Bite Sleeves,Schutzhund leashes,harnesses,muzzles, Intermediate sleeve,Hidden sleeve,Protection Sleeves for dog tra
A friend just brought one of these back from Europe and it's really nice. We've just ordered a couple to try out, but we used the friends a few times and really liked it. 
New Julius-K9 IDC Blue Dog Harness Small Medium Large - eBay (item 120679947928 end time Apr-03-11 15:27:40 PDT)


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## Tim Connell (Nov 19, 2010)

Sometimes it's tough to find good gear unless you are able to examine it in person.

Not familiar with those ones, but I have a decent leather harness, and a muzzle as well from Bridgeport Equipment.

They have decent quality gear for a fair price, and I have ordered from them several times, with quick results.

I also have a nylon patrol/tracking/agitation harness that is of superior materials and craftsmanship. Not bulky, very secure. (I think it's in some of my album pics) They are made by hand, one at a time, by a retired K9 officer down in North Carolina, custom measured for your dog. I think I have his contact info somewhere...if anyone needs it, send me a PM.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Biothane (if it's the beta and not the plastic-coated stuff) is a great leather alternative, very soft and supple and won't weaken or get ruined if it gets wet.
Please post photos/review when you get the harness!


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

bocron said:


> We've bought 2-3 of the harnesses you linked to.


Thanks for the feedback. Wish I had seen this prior to ordering. No worries though, this company has great customer service. Which harnesses did you get, leather or Biothane? Handles are not something I use in my style of training, as I can always call the dog back if I decide to use the handle and it breaks.  But what about the rest of the construction? It would suck if the harness itself broke and the dog was able to get a bite because my intended use for the harness is for drive-building.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

webzpinner said:


> He's pretty good on a leash/tether...


I will definitely let you know.

In regards to the statement above, therein lies the problem. "Pretty" needs to removed from your statement. Once you get your dog solid on leash, you'll be able to better teach him to control is prey drive.


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Hunther's Dad said:


> I noticed that the harness is made by Redline K-9. I have one of their sleeves, and really like it. It is a quality piece of gear. Let us know how the harness works out, as I gave my favorite harness to a client and could use a new one.


I have two of their sleeves myself, as well as a sleeve cover and a couple of tugs they custom made for me, all of which are indeed of good quality, which is why they were my first choice. I hope the harness is made well, too. I just ordered a hidden sleeve, and a custom sleeve cover, too. Why couldn't I order just the one thing I initially planned on buying?


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Chicagocanine said:


> Biothane (if it's the beta and not the plastic-coated stuff) is a great leather alternative, very soft and supple and won't weaken or get ruined if it gets wet.
> Please post photos/review when you get the harness!


Oh, great. I didn't know there were different flavors of Biothane. I'm just going to have to have faith in Ralph over at DogSportGear. Knowing how well he does in International SCH comps, I gotta have faith that he makes only quality gear. In any event, I will review the harness, as it seems several people are interested in them, as well.


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## phgsd (Jun 6, 2004)

I don't have that exact harness, but I do have one that's very similar. It's held up well. I originally had a leather one, but my husband left it on Kessy when he put her in the crate one night when she was young. Iin the morning it was in pieces! Of course a biothane one won't stand up to chewing but I went with the biothane for the replacement...it should last forever assuming it doesn't get left on again 

I also ordered one of these a few years ago...
*All Weather Extra Strong Nylon Harness - H6 [H6 - Nylon multi-purpose dog harness for tracking] - $29.90 : Dog harness , Dog collar , Dog leash , Dog muzzle - Dog training equipment from Trusted Direct Source - Home, Dog Supplies
I liked how simple and lightweight it was. Well...the first time I backtied Kessy with it, she hit the end of the line and the D-ring flew right off. I know this isn't the harness being discussed but that annoyed me! LOL


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## bocron (Mar 15, 2009)

MrLeadFoot said:


> Which harnesses did you get, leather or Biothane?


We have the biothane.

Annette


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Well, I got the harness. It is VERY well made. I don't think it's the same one that Annette has because this one has no rivets whatsoever. The handle is double-stitched, and I see no way the handle can come off. Note that the breastplate has a thicker seemingly more heavy-duty felt thn the back pad, which is understandable. This is one sexy-looking harness; the brass hardware is beautiful; makes me feel like I shouldn't actually use it on a dog.  Love the quick-release feature, and it appears the back pad is designed specifically to accommodate those snaps.


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## gagsd (Apr 24, 2003)

Nice!
This is the one from your first post?


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

webzpinner said:


> Very interested in this, too. Not for real training purposes, but just the fact that Jakey LOVES to dart after cats, and this will give me more control over him than just grabbing his collar and/or travel vest.


I don't know much about these because I've never used them, but wouldn't this, by definition, be the opposite of what you're going for? 
I've seen them used on older dogs in our schH club to teach them to bark and I can't really see this being the tool to get your guy to not chase cats


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Yes, this it is, except I bought from the sister company outside of my state, so I wouldn't have to pay sales tax:

All Weather Dog Harness with Quick Release, Schutzhund, Police K9, Tracking dog , Protection




gagsd said:


> Nice!
> This is the one from your first post?


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## MrLeadFoot (Jan 4, 2009)

Annette, I asked Ralph at DogSportGear whether they have harnesses with rivets, and just got word back from him that they indeed used to use rivets, but phased them out 5 years ago. Apparently, a good move, based on your previous experience and my recent purchase. Just thought you might want to know, in case you want to revisit their harnesses in the future. 


bocron said:


> We have the biothane.
> 
> Annette


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## HecklingGopher (Mar 16, 2011)

I just got 2 of the Redline k-9 Biothane harnesses for both my boys. They fit very well and the Biothane is a light material, possibly more so than leather. Not to mention, being in florida the dogs do get wet, so its important that the harness doesnt rot. The fit is excellent as well with the build quality. Also for less than 50 bucks, its a lot of bang for your buck.


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