Aston acts different with harness on

a4cefed

Since we got Aston at 2 months old (turns 6 months this week) he's worn a collar around the house and a harness when we leave the yard. Well the past 3 days I've left the harness on him around the house and he is a completely different dog. He isn't half as hyper as he normally is. He lays around the house and doesn't act out. Now today I took the harness off and, BAM Hyper crazy Aston is back. Now I like the way he acted around the house with the harness but not sure what to think of this. any thoughts ?

Ryu

My male shiba is the exact same way. Super mellow with a harness on. I think he feels more restricted and doesn't want to move. We call it his "Kryptonite". Over time, I've realized that he is much better with softer harnesses (such as the Puppia) or a cotton-only harness. He will absolutely not budge if we put him in a nylon harness.

How does he act when you are trying to put the harness on?

JessicaRabbit

Also some dogs feel a sense of security with harnesses (especially ones like Puppia). They even make ones specifically for that purpose. They are called anxiety wraps. Like these
http://www.sitstay.com/dog/supplies/servlet/CategoryDisplay?catalogId=10001&storeId=10001&categoryId=13963&langId=-1&top=Y

a4cefed

Thanks for the input, He runs away when i go to put it on him.

Calia

Tetsu was the same way with the harness and anything that goes over his face. To me, Tetsu didn't look relaxed but depressed, or showing a quiet rebellion. The fact that he runs away may be a sign that he doesn't like it.

McYogi

That's so funny, because we use "the magic sweater" on Yogi when he gets worked up, usually at night. Lately they've all been getting into really intense play sessions after they come back in from their last potty break of the night, and sometimes Yogi goes too far it's not fun or funny for the other dogs, and surely not for me to listen to. He doesn't mind when I put it on, and he always gets treats during and a good snuggle after it's on. He seems to sleep like a rock at night with it, and it usually keeps the other 2 from rough-housing and they settle down when the magic sweater goes on. I used to think it upset him because he wanted to go straight and lay down, but I think it works on his little doggy brain as some sort of tranquilizer. If he's throwing a fit in his kennel, which he doesn't do very often but we can't figure out what sets him off, we just pop his little sweater on and he doesn't make a peep. Also seems to help with the way he greets company that stops by... much more politely and less excitable, with no jumping and sqealing... and it seems to trickle down to the other guys. Maaagic

Reading this FAQ (http://www.anxietywrap.com/FAQ.htm) about anxiety wraps, this seems to be the EXACT effect it has on Yogi. I had never really thought about it that deeply, I just appreciated the fact that it worked!

tobyshiba

I actually noticed that Toby does something similar when his pack is on. If you let him in the yard without his pack, he runs around nuts. If he is let out with his pack on, he is not running, but walking and much calmer. Inside, he walks slow if he is wearing his pack.

a4cefed

Yeah i feel Aston doesn't like it, he seems a little depressed with it on but not horribly. He just seems more well mannered and less hyper active. Should I take it off him ? I'm unsure because without it he runs around like a mad man and gets mouthy and defiant.

Oh and Tobyshiba- I have a friend with a Shiba name Toby too. Her dog is right around 1 now. I found that very interesting, how old is your Toby ?

lindsayt

Whenever we have really frightened/anxious animals at work that are recovering from some procedure, we often end up mummy wrapping them with a towel and carrying them around with us like a baby until they wake up totally. Or we tuck in the bigger guys with lots of blankets and towels. It's like night and day, the pressure around their body from the wrap and being craddled has some sort of magic effect of them and they just fall asleep, no crying or thrashing post-op. No need for a lot of sedatives. Beebe seems to settle down when I put her Ruffwear harness or pack on. I like the idea of the anxiety wrap.

ljowen123

Isn't is the same process as when you swaddle a child? The purpose is to make them feel secure. Jazz got swaddled back in December when we had so much gunfire (from hunting) around us. It made a massive difference in her reactions.