First post/harness ?
 

Ugh....bought this harness for my wee one....she is 10weeks old and 2.2 lbs. She loves to go out with her much larger sisters and we figured a harness would be better for her then a collar. She hates it and so do I...it has to be adjusted every time we put it on her. Its always a struggle and no matter how hard I try it seems to catch her fur! I want to try a different harness, those walk in kind, the one that everyone seems to like here, but my question is, should I wait til she is a bit older....I mean, I could end up getting one size now and end up needing another size because she has grown? It seems we both get stressed putting on this other harness, that doesnt really fit quite right and I worry that she may hurt herself when I am at work and she is home alone by trying to tugg it off. Thoughta? Suggestions? Advice? Thanks....i feel like such a bumbling idiot when it comes to this pup. She is the smallest dog I have ever had. i have raised five other dogs and feel like I terrible Mommy...she hates change..collar...harness...ugh.

Bobbi

Hi! Welcome to YorkieTalk!!! :wavey:

I would buy a step in that fits your little one now. You'll end up having to buy more than one, but in the end you'll both be much happier. I took the harness off when I wasn't around to keep an eye on mine (well, after he chewed through one :eek: - lol). Hope that helps!

The smallest harnesses that I have seen are for ferrets. I dont know if they make them in a step in style. You definately should use a harness,a collar could crush your baby's traecha.
Try GWlittle for a tiny no/choke harness,maybe a car harness to start with.

We managed to find a very small step in harness at a local pet store when we brought Lola home. She was tiny, only 1.6 lbs! And it was still big on her, so we would just put a shirt/dress on her to make it fit better, and she grew into it in a few weeks. We also take her harness off when we come inside, so every time the harness comes out she gets excited because she knows shes going outside or on a little adventure :)

I would suggest bringing her with you and trying out a few different harnesses (at different pet stores if need be) before you buy to find one that you both can enjoy...good luck!:thumbup:

Since she is only 10 weeks old, I wouldn't take her on walks just yet, she isn't old enough to have finished her shots and it's possible she could easily pick something up.
But, I would wait to buy the buddy belt based solely on how much it costs and since your puppy will most likely grow out of it. There are a ton of options out there, unfortunately because yorkies are so tiny it's really difficult to find a good harness small enough. About how big around is she right now?

This one looks just like the buddy belt, but it's not much cheaper than it and its smallest size appears to be 9inches, that may be a bit big for your pup but it's worth it to measure her chest so you can make sure you're getting the right fit for her.
Choke Free Step-In Harness for Small Dogs
Here is a puppia harness, but it may be too large for how small she is...Amazon.com: Puppia Soft Dog Harness, Red, Small:...
You could also look into cat/kitten harnesses for now, I believe the sell them at petsmart, but I could be wrong.

Welcome to YT! We had to purchase Katie Scarlett a step in cat harness at Petco when she first came home. It was the only one that fit. She was 2.8 pounds at the time. She has grown into a more proper step in one now though. We've only had her 2 months and have already purchased 2, so I figure as she grows and the others wear out, buying more is inevitable. So I would purchase one that fits her the best now and get her used to the harness. I've heard lots of good things about that Puppia harness here, but the one we have is a padded one from Petco. Katie Scarlett loves it. Even the XS was big on her at first though. Good luck! :)

I would try to find a better harness that is easier for you to use but I would not get an expensive one until she is fully grown. I also would not leave a harness on all day that seems so darn uncomfortable. I have a collar on Callie at all times with her name tag and rabies tag on it but never hook a leash to it and when she is going to have the leash hooked to her I put her buddybelt harness on her.

I got a great step in harness for $20, Harley is afraid of the ones that go over their heads, I bought the smallest size they make and it has plenty of room to let out. If you shop around you may be able to find one that fits your baby good on the smallest size, and have room to grow, then when your baby is full grown you can get a buddy belt or whichever one you're looking at.

Thanks to all of you! Yep...the collar went back on and we will step away from the harness for now. We always look where ever we go when we are out and about for puppy things..it gets frustrating because she is so darn tiny that nothing fits. So we will wait and just keep looking. Thanks again. This site is a wealth of information!!

Bobbi

Don't use the leash with the collar or your puppy could get collapsing trachea.

Brookie is super sensitive and I went through several harnesses with her - luckily I had some, but I also bought some. When I was ready to give up, I came across this harness, made the risk and sunk some $$ in, and it worked. I mean, she wasn't suddenly enthusiastic or anything, but it was a good and great thing, still is. I found one on eBay for $20ish.

Designer Dog Harness - Cute Fancy Trendy Harnesses For Pets, Puppy, Cats, Kitten, Small, Large, Teac

or try Designer Dog Harness - Cute Fancy Trendy Harnesses For Pets, Puppy, Cats, Kitten, Small, Large, Teac

Your mileage may vary of course ...

I made my own harness for my puppy when she was tiny as nothing fit her, there are lots of directions online but here's a link to my favorite instructions, took me about an hour to make the first time. Little Dog Harness Tutorial | Dog Under My Desk
Kizzie's only 3.2lbs now at 7mos, I have a tiny step in one made for cats but it's still a little too big, we have to put it on over a sweater to make it fit ok.. I think though the home made ones were a LOT easier to put on and take off since it was just velcro

Hi and Welcome to YT!

YT Member Chattiesmom makes adjustable stepin harnesses... at least one would last a bit longer through a few growth stages anyway. And I wouldn't leave it on her all day long, just for when you take her out.

Thank you....i will look her up!


Bobbi

and welcome from a 'terrible' daddy
 

at 6.6 lbs, it seems that everything I buy on line for Smokey is either too big or too small. The smallest harness I found seems to fit well; available in Petco but probably still too big for yours. I also got him alight weight break away cat collar and leash. The collar has a little bell, which is handy for locating him when he is off on an explore and for holding the itty-bitty ID tag I got him at PetSmart

Are you saying that you want to leave the harness on while you are not at home? That sounds really dangerous to me especially with a puppy. During the hours you are gone there is just no telling what could happen. If the harness you have is that hard to get on then find one that is easier but don't leave a harness on a puppy while you are not home.
I have used a mesh step in vest harness on Gracie since she was quite small. It only takes a few seconds to put on and seconds to take off. The buddy belts are great but a bit more expensive. I don't see putting a harness on a dog as much more of a chore than hooking the leash on. It's just a few more seconds. Even with the safety concern aside it isn't good for a Yorkie coat to leave a harness on for extended periods of time.

I am actually going with Chattiesmom harness. Looked at her site and her prices are great along with her choices!


Bobbi

Nope dont want to leave the harness on while I am not home. But I do know that she needs to wear it for extended periods at first to get used to it. Going with Chattiesmom harnessesseems to be the way to go....less hassle for me and my wee one.

Bobbi

Omg
 

I guess I really AM a bad daddy.. :confused: ...been leaving the soft harness on all day and for the few times I leave him barricaded in the kitchen when I cant take him with me. Thanks for the wake-up call..... :animal-pa

I only put Sapphire's harness on when we were going for a walk. She was 2 years old when I got her but acted like a puppy (still does, lol) when it is harness time. She loves her walks but does not care to be restrained so much! She does get very excited and happy getting her harness on, then once it's on, she makes a few attempts to chew on it. I try to divert her attention to something else (way too easy), and soon she forgets she's wearing it. Or I may walk a bit faster or turn about to distract her, or find something for her to sniff.

I guess what I'm trying to say is I get what your trying to do, but why spend all that time and effort on doing something that will eventually come naturally with time and use?

And, if she's in the house with it on, being the curious, energy filled Yorkie, I think she'll try to chew on it more than if you only put it on her when needed for walks. If she has it on and tries to chew on it, then you will be wanting to correct her, which could result in confusion (on her part) thereby making the harness experience an unhappy one instead of a pleasant one.

Yorkies seem to learn more quickly through positive reinforcement, which is catching them in the act when they are doing right and rewarding them for it with much praise and treats (optional), than trying to stop and correct any unwanted behaviors.

My apologies to you...I don't mean to be telling you how to train your dog, but I wanted to present another option to try with her if you run into trouble (for you or anyone else that happens to read this thread).
Wishing you the Best of Luck!

I appreciate the advice!! The MAIN reason for the harness is because we have a large fenced in backyard. I dont want her to roam freely just yet. I go out with her everytime. but there are times that I would like for her to be able to just wander around a small area and kinda get "the lay of the land". (still supervised, of course) so we got a tie out for a toy breed and I didnt want to attach a collar to the tie out, I wanted to use a harness. i know they can protentially have tender throat issues and I didnt want her to yank that one time I wasnt looking and end up with a major medical issue...hence the harness. Actually one of the community members is sending me one of her harnesses to try, before I order one, which is super nice. Thanks Lila!!

Bobbi

That might work, but I would be worried about her legs getting tangled in the line and being injured. Maybe an exercise pen or two (connected together) would be a safer option (many folks here use them). It would keep her contained in a smaller area and still allow her some freedom to roam and investigate.

Lol, no, you can read, you seek information, and you care about your pup.... makes you a GOOD Daddy.... We all make mistakes...

Sunny actually does have a "playpen" that I got from a good friend that doesn't use it any more for her "human" baby!! LOL! Love it! its been a God sent! We do have a crate for her too....sometimes she perfers her crate, other times she perfers her playpen. When she gets too rammy or out of control and nippy, we put her in her playpen for a time out.

Bobbi

Gracie loves going out so she is always happy when I get the harness out. Sometimes dogs are not thrilled with the idea of a harness at first but when they realize it is connected with something they enjoy the bad attitude changes quickly. Once you find the harness that works best for both of you it will be a much easier procedure to go through.

Gracie loves her harness and does not play with it but when she was younger I left it on her for a little while after we came in from outside. She was playing with a cat and must have decided the harness was putting her at a disadvantage so she slid backwards on her stomach until she slipped the harness up over her head. Thankfully I saw what she was doing but I hate to imagine what could have happened if I had not been there. I guess experience is how we learn.

Tie outs in general are a bad idea, but supervised might be okay. I took Brooke out on a leash for a long time, then advanced her to a long leash (12') then eventually she got run of the yard. But she still decides once in a while she'll jump down to the lower level of the yard, which is not allowed. Then she's back on the long leash 'til I decide to trust her again.

The attraction down there is fence fighting (my other dog is a bad influence) so it's penned off - they can jump down there but can't get back up. She only gets in trouble when she's bored - so it's as much my error as hers.

Thanks for the site !!!!
 

I just adopted 1 pup and I have her brother which I will foster until 2/12 , than he will go IL to his forever home. I got for them last week when we went for our first set of shots the kitten harness, and they both stared to horse around with them , so I only put them on when I'm home just to get them use to have something on. So they don't give me a hard time later. But just for a little while and I take them off. They can't go out yet too small 1.6 and they haven't had all their shots.
I only put te harness on my when we go out. And it's so truth . when my furbabies see me with harness and cloths in hand , they get so excited they do the happy dance that means , we are going out for a walk or a drive to go to the park or a meetup with other pups. Or just a good drive around town LOl !!!!!!.
Enjoy your new furbaby !!!!!
Happy Holiday !!!!!!
bark@ulater!!!!!
manina,miley,max,reirei,rudy

:thumbup:-I agree. Sophie as a harness & matching leash from Chattiesmom and we both love it!

An exercise pen has no bottom and for outside she'd be in the grass... just a way to make a small playyard for her without putting up an actual fence...

I should clarify.....i called it a playpen but its more of a play yard for indoor or outdoor. It has sides that you can take apart. Right now it is four sided, but you can add extra panels to make it larger. No bottom. Best thing on earth! Molded plastic not metal...has a "mirror" and attached balls for a human child and brightly colored...funny thing, she will actually spin the balls that are attached to the walls...too funny....very portable.


Bobbi