A Harness for Large Breed Dogs?
Dec 30, 2024
Harnessing the Power of Large Breed Dogs: How We Meets Their Unique Needs
When it comes to handling large breed dogs, the conventional wisdom might point towards using heavy-duty flat collars or prong collars. However, at Duo Technical Gear, we believe in challenging that narrative, particularly when it comes to understanding and catering to the unique needs of our large pups.
Why Choose a Harness for Large Breed Dogs?
The common myth is that harnesses encourage pulling, but that's not necessarily the case. Each dog is an individual, responding differently to various stimuli and training methods. Here's why a harness can be a superior choice:
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Training Aid: A harness serves as an excellent training tool, particularly for managing large dogs in reactive or stimulating environments. It provides better control without the risk of choking or neck injury that collars might pose. Positive training methods encourage the use of non punitive restraints and positive reinforcement of behaviors.
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Safety and Comfort: Large dogs have distinct physiological needs. For instance, consider Brute, our friend's Cane Corso, who suffered a dog bite near his eye. The injury required avoiding any pressure on his neck, making a harness not just preferable but necessary. Similarly, conditions like Wobbler's Syndrome, which affects the cervical spinal cord in large breeds, necessitate avoiding collars to prevent exacerbating spinal compression.
Understanding the Needs of Large Breed Dogs
Large breed dogs aren't just bigger versions of smaller pups; they have unique dietary requirements, exercise needs, and health concerns:
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Diet and Exercise: The food they eat and the type of physical activity they needs are tailored to support their massive frames and prevent conditions like joint issues.
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Health Challenges: Conditions like Wobbler's Syndrome are more prevalent in large breeds, where cervical spondylomyelopathy (CSM) can lead to neurological deficits if not managed correctly.
Duo Technical Gear's Approach
Most pet gear focuses on smaller breeds, often neglecting the needs of larger dogs. Here at Duo Technical Gear, we've made it our mission to fill this gap:
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Durability: We over-engineer our products with military-grade ballistic nylon and steel buckles and rings, capable of withstanding up to 1000 pounds of force. This ensures our gear can handle the strength and energy of large breeds. The thread used to sew the products as well as the specific types of stitches ( BarTacks) are all designed to withstand the pressure put on them by large breed pups.
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Sizing: Our products are designed to fit dogs up to 200+ pounds, ensuring that even the largest dogs have gear that fits them perfectly.
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Craftsmanship Guarantee: Understanding the stress large dogs put on their equipment, we offer a lifetime guarantee on our craftsmanship. We pledge to repair or replace any item that breaks under normal use.
- We regularly consult with large breed owners to research their pups' specific needs - our Direct and Adapt harness evolved out of the need to create effective restraints - better than what is on the market - while reducing or eliminating unwanted pressure on the neck. Many pups with Wobblers find out harnesses to be the ideal solution for their diagnosis.
