So to prepare Winnie for walkies, we bought her a coat/harness off eBay. When it arrived she was absolutely baffled by it and started walking sideways like a crab all over the room
After a couple of minutes she then went into super depression mode and started sulking with everyone! She went over to her bed and lay there looking really disheartened. She looked so devastated we decided to take it off her and try again later.
The next day my boyfriend started off with putting the harness on the floor so she had a chance to sniff it and get comfortable with it. He lured her by scattering cheerios all over it (her favorite treat) and eventually she came over ate all the treats off it. Then he started stroking her with it and praising her so she knew not to be scared of it and although she seemed a bit uncertain, she wasn't freaking out as much as the day before. As usual, she sulked but we left it on for longer (about an hour) before taking it off her.
Trying a new approach, today we put the harness on her (she didn't struggle nearly as much as she has been, progress?) and immediately put her outside in the back garden with our other dog Beth who she absolutely adores playing with. She was a bit unsure at first but her tail started wagging and she was jumping all over Beth and exploring the garden but this only lasted a few minutes. When we thought she'd had enough, as soon as she was let back in we gave her dindins in the hopes that she'd associate her harness with positive things such as playtimes and mealtimes.
I'm just a bit worried because before we put the harness on her for 3 hours this morning and she sulked for the ENTIRE TIME! She looks so depressed it breaks your heart and I feel really cruel. Will she ever get used to it? Are we going about it the right way?
Here are some pictures of said harness and of her sulking:
http://i57.tinypic.com/nyb7ed.jpg http://i60.tinypic.com/24gvd01.jpg http://i61.tinypic.com/mcwx2s.jpg