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Harness question I just got my first yorkie and fell immediately in love. I am a teacher, so I decided to get my baby at the beginning of summer break so I may have a firm hold on house training by fall. I was lucky to find just the right baby at the right time. We got her last week at 12 weeks and so far she is doing well, only accidents are ones which we could have prevented! So, my question is about collars and harnesses. I did my research and heard about issues with trachea collapse. Currently, she has a collar because I have been unable to find a properly fitting harness. I will shop this weekend again for one and wondered if there is one that would be safe to leave on for extended times for when we are in and out to go potty so often, especially at night, I want to be able to go out quickly without too much fuss. I hate when she gets excited and runs to the end of her leash, I know the collar is applying pressure to her throat because she makes a noise. Any thoughts or suggestions? |
Welcome to Yorkie Talk and congratulations on your new pup. You definitely want a harness on your little girl right away. What is her weight? If she is under 2 pounds, you can use a ferret or cat harness from one of the pet stores. If she is 2 - 4 pounds, there are harnesses at the pet stores and Walmart that should fit her. |
If . she is small you could use a ferret harness. If you want a dog harness your probably going to have to order online to get one that small. The yorkie products and reviews has a thread on it with alot of vendors you will find one by many of those vendors. Alot of people on here like the buddy belt but they are expensive and I would wait untill she is adult and done growing to get one. All you need right now is a simple step in harness |
Thanks for the quick reply! Would it be okay to leave a harness on all day? My daughter found one for her, though it is too big that it like a "jacket" for lack of better description and I don't think that will be too comfy for a full time solution. |
By the way, she's about 4 pounds now. I was thinking about one that is collar like in material but harness form. What do you guys think? |
Just make sure that she can't escape from the vest harness. I would leave it on only when you can supervise closely, just to prevent it getting hooked up on something and possibly causing her harm. I know this is difficult if your are outdoor potty training to put a harness on each time when you are going out frequently. |
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We had to get Blake a cat harness. My husband said to never tell Blake this 'cause he didn't want him to have identity issues;) |
Congrats on your new baby and welcome to YT! You are correct in being concerned about trachea collapse. With that said, I would recommend you look for a harness in the cat department of your local or area pet store. That is where I found a harness for our new baby. I was worrying about the same thing before we brought our baby home and I believe everyone on YT would recommend a harness over a collar. We keep a collar on Princess Sophie but only for her tags and ID. If she wears a dress, it's a harness dress otherwise she wears her harness. It is really small and just what we needed for a 2 lb. puppy. I'm sure you will find what you need and I would recommend not using a leash on your baby's collar at all until you have a harness to use. Good luck and enjoy your new pup, oh yes, again, welcome to YT!!! |
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Get a harness for sure. You may want to search silk harnesses and get one from http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...-foxypups.html Fair price support small vendor http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f9.../Dog/039-1.jpg When your pups gets bigger get another silk Or get a Buddy belt then. It will be pretty strong for your dog. If your pup is 4lbs now I bet you will want a strong harness. I like Buddy Belts. JMO http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f9.../Dog/032-2.jpg http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f9.../Dog/030-2.jpg I don't leave the harness or any collar clothes ect if not supervised. What you think could happen probably will. IMO they are better to run naked in the house :) |
I have a mesh harness for Blazer and very often we keep it on him at all times. It is super lightweight and fits him well so it doesn't bother him at all. I wish that I could tell you more about it but it has no tags or markings and I bought it for just $3.00 on clearance at PetCo back when he was only a few weeks old (he's definately grown into it by now) and he'll be 1 year tomorrow. Blazer does where his collar at all times, but it is just for his tags. |
I appreciate all the great advice. I like the Buddy Belt, but agree that it may be best to hold off until she stops growing. The silk harnesses look nice and more affordable for now while she is still growing. I am glad I posted, did not consider her getting the harness caught on something. In the mean time I will look at cat harnesses. I will keep it a secret too, we don't need an identity crisis! |
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I brought my puppy home when he was just over 2lbs and we take him outside on a leash to go potty. The XS Puppia harness was a little big on him--he could wiggle one leg out of it--but we made do. Now that he is just about 5lbs, I have ordered him the size S Puppia harness since his XS one barely fits around him. I ordered my harnesses (and the matching leash) from Amazon and get them in two days with prime shipping. Maybe that would be an option for you? They are great harnesses and very affordable. I like them a lot better than what I see in the big box pet stores. We take Toby out with his harness to go potty but take the harness off again as soon as we come inside. Even though it is a great harness, I just wouldn't feel comfortable with him wearing it all the time. When he was smaller and the harness was a bit big on him he could definitely get his mouth down to chew on it. |
I would also wait until 2 weeks after she has her shots before she goes out. |
I would not continue to use a collar and go get a harness ASAP. I used a collar on my Yorkie for a month or two when she was a puppy and she now has collapsing trachea and there is no cure for it. My moms rescue had a collar used on him until she rescued him at 5 years old and he just got diagnosed with collapsing trachea and its bad enough whenever he would get excited he would cough and he had to go on medicine. It's not worth the risk in my opinion not even for a day. I have a collar on my Yorkie just for tags now. Leaving a harness on all the time can be uncomfortable and cause rashes or hair loss. |
Yup collar should only be for tags. Harness for leash |
I really like the Puppia's as far as comfort and ease goes. I don't mind leaving them on him all day if needed but I prefer not to. But yeah if I have to, it doesn't bother him. You can find similar styles at Petsmart and Petco. |
I am now torn between the silk free and choke free shoulder collar. I'm ordering one of them today. Any thoughts? I am kicking myself that she has had this collar for even one and half weeks! Hope no damage has been done! |
The choke free is a nice harness but theres limited adjustment I've read. So for a growing puppy I would think you want to get a harness that has adjustment so you can keep it longer. When they are full grown spend the$$ |
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I sell the choke*Free shoulder harness and of course I love them. There is some adjustability ... maybe a little less then the buddy belt. What fits now would not fit in a few months... you would have to purchase more then one. Are you looking at the silk step in harness that chattiesmom makes and sells? They have more adjustability.. which may work for now. what are the measurments of your little guy? Maybe Kristen, I or someone on yt have gently used bb or choke*free from our "puppy days"... just a thought |
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My husband went to petco the other day and just bought a cheap nylon harness that seems to be working well for the time. I do take it on and off each time, making it not exactly what I was wanting but after reading the dangers of leaving them on full time, I don't mind the extra minute it takes us to get out the door! I appreciate the offers of the gently used items and would consider that if someone hasnstuff to get rid of. I have not measure yet though. I think if I do buy something else new if or now, the silk harness appears to have the most adjustability for the time. I am so glad to have found the site, so much help and support! |
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