I have three GSPs that I scooter regularly and this is my go to harness for everything task where I expect them to pull. For example I also use them for canicross and for helping me to move heavy wagon loads of dirt, stone and wood in the yard.
They are excited to see the harnesses because they know what we do when we wear our harnesses but don’t completely enjoy the process of putting them on. I think this is inevitable. My dogs are a bit picky and any harness that is a process to put on will be a process to get out of.
I really appreciate the range of fit though because it allows me to adjust through the smaller second year growth spurt.
If the dogs are pulling straight I haven’t noticed any problems. When the dogs are teamed and have different ideas (one pulls forward and to the right while the other pulls forward slightly to the left) I notice that the bands at the back loosen slowly over time. This occurs noticeably over the span of maybe 10-30 miles so it’s definitely something I can do before I go out every time but it seems like it might be an issue if we ever get to really long distances (I’d need more dogs anyways) and it could be fixed maybe with stronger clips.This may be something that goes away when they get out of their rebellious phase and start working together better (which tends to happen at 2 years, and seems to depend a lot on training).
One improvement that could be made is if there was a D ring on the front that could be used for neck lines but tucked into a pocket when not in use. The distribution of force on these harnesses is excellent and using collars for necklines looks like it would be less comfortable (I use bungee necklines to reduce the jerk) and adds an extra component. However, I recognize that like with bicycles any added weight may not be best for racing so it makes sense if these features are not included.
I have never noticed any discomfort in my dogs when they wear these harnesses for any strenuous pulling activity so I think these things are great!
