Keeping harnesses on all day

One of my more distant neighbours, two blocks away, told me last evening her dogs two staffers never have their harnesses off all day and sometimes all night.

Apparently it's a real struggle to get them on so she just leaves them on.

I use harnesses for my three it's never occured to me not to take them off as we come into the flat, we made it a bit of fun for them as pups, if anyone says lets get suited and booted they are straight to their places for having them put on. So we've never had a struggle.


I'm thinking it's cruel to keep the harnesses on but knowing how soft I am with ours I didn't want to say so in case I'm just being too soft about them.

What do all you dog lovers think am I being too soft ?

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

It is quite dangerous to leave a harness on a dog all day. I don't even leave a collar on my dogs when they are in the house. I don't like harnesses anyway and have never used one. Simple collar and lead is best for us IMO. I hate the extending leads as well.

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

I've never used a harness either Aerolor.

Julie, I think your friend might be better off teaching her dogs to stand still and let their harness be fitted, rather than taking the lazy way out.

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

Well I'm a big fan of harnesses I won't walk any on mine on just a collar, I had a little one collapsed trachea due to a collar.

But it the keeping them on indoors bothers me, my dogs are naked in doors I just don't like idea they could get caught on anything.

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

I agree with everything you have said Aerolor.

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

As it looks like I'm not being soft, I'll have to have a word. I don't think she's deliberately cruel just been left in charge of dogs she obviously can't manage.

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

Can someone tell me why you would put a harness on a dog. Why is it necessary? what does it achieve ?

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

I would have thought that having a harness on 24 hours a day would have affected a dogs coat, and could be possibly a little dangerous if unsupervised. Please tell me if I am wrong.

I've never had to use a harness on a dog as all my dogs walked well on the lead. I can understand that some dogs can be controlled better and are more comfortable being walked in a harness.

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

I know many huskies and malamutes wear a harness and I can appreciate they need to pull into a harness when working. I think a harness encourages pulling, but maybe people believe it is kinder to use harness. There are certainly a lot of the smaller dogs who have them but I know they can easily cause matts and tangles on the longer coated dogs. If not carefully fitted a harness can easily chaff and cause soreness. Minimum use of a collar and lead is what I tend to favour - a cotton, braided gundog slip lead is ideal for my dogs - a golden retriever and a cockapoo. Both have been taught to walk properly on lead from being pups, which makes my life easy.

Re: Keeping harnesses on all day

My dog can pull for England when she wants to and many people advised me to use a harness. I tried but all it achieved was her being able to pull from her chest so she was stronger.

She wears a collar all the time, even indoors, as sometimes when she's in the way I need something to grab. Also I have a fear she will get out and without a collar and tag she would be taken to the vets for scanning and then handed over to the dog warden etc and getting her back would be a complicated matter.