Harness

HARNESS TRAINING

PART 1 SET THE STAGE FOR SUCCESS

LET PIGGY SEE, FEEL AND TASTE THE HARNESS BEFORE YOU TRY ANYTHING

Use reassuring words like, "Nice harness, what a lovely harness, you're gonna look sooo cute, isn't this a beautiful...." and so on.

Rub the harness on piggy, so the first contact is non-threatening.

Let it drop on the ground a few times, so the sound of the metal (or plastic) hitting the floor isn't terrifying.

TAKE YOUR TIME

This should be a fun learning experience. If at any time the little sweetheart acts frightened, repeat the reassurances. Don't force it. End on a happy note.

Come back later and try again. After not very long your brilliant piggy will understand that the harness is no threat... this makes all future harness dealings MUCH easier.

BE CALM

Treat your training as an everyday occurrence.... it's important to be in a calm and confident frame of mind... piggy will pick up on your emotional state, and reflect it right back at you.

PART II PRE-SIZE THE HARNESS

(it will help you to follow along if you begin by reading through this part and refer to the illustration that came with your harness)

SIZING THE FRONT LOOP

Note: Make the harness as close to the correct size as you can *before* you attempt to put it on the pig, so that if your piggy gets scared during this measuring process, he won't associate this fear with the harness.

Use a tailor's cloth measuring tape (or use a piece of string which you will measure afterwards).

Talk to piggy while you're doing all this... it helps keep you focused and your matter-of-fact tone will be reassuring.

Lay the string or meas. tape on the floor under piggy's face. Distract her with a few pellets or small treats. Hold one end of the string near the top of the back and bring the other one up to meet it. Measure Around the neck, behind the jowls and then up to the back (as though you were measuring her for a necklace).

Praise Praise Praise

Make the front loop of the harness to match the size obtained in the step above. You can make the loop a little loose at first (so that it comes off easily for you) and make fine adjustments later.

SIZING THE BACK LOOP

Lay string or meas. tape on the floor under piggy's belly. Distract with pellets or treats again.

Measure piggy from the same point on the back, under the belly, and behind the front legs.

Praise Praise Praise

You're getting good at this, so it should only take a second.

Adjust the back loop of the harness to fit this measurement.

***This might already be enough for your first session. Remember... you want to succeed, so don't rush it.

Praise Praise Praise

If piggy has handled everything well, and isn't stressed in any way, then continue .

PART III GETTING THE HARNESS ON

PUT THE FRONT LOOP ON PIGGY FIRST.

Start off by fastening the front loop (not on the pig). (Mine have plastic clamps like they have on backpacks). What you are trying to do is to get set up as though you were going to slip the front loop over the pig's face, but you will do it in such a way that the pig is less likely to see it coming.

Hold your right hand palm UP. Lay the harness on your palm, with the front (closed) loop hanging off your fingertips and the "A" part of the harness on your palm.

Fold the loose (back) strap up into your right palm, so that when you are getting the front loop on piggy it won't drag on her back and scare her. Put some pellets or treats in your left hand.

Slide your left hand through the loop and offer the treats to piggy.

While she is nibbling on the treats (or snarfing, if it'smy pig), slide the loop along your arm and over the pig's head, saying "Harness" or "bye bye" or whatever command you want to use.

As soon as the "A" part of the harness is where you want it, and you know piggy can feel it, remove the harness, saying "Harness OFF".

Praise, praise, praise!!!

Do this on again/off again front loop exercise a few times until the pig begins to accept it. This lets the pig know that there is an "end" to the exercise.

AN ALTERNATE method of getting the front loop on piggy:

Make the loop and put it on the floor in front of piggy, with the pellets inside the circle of the loop. Then lift the harness and loop right up over piggy's head. (This sounds like an easy method, especially if you don't want piggy eating out of your hand.)

THE WHOLE SHOOTING MATCH

When you've done this a few times and piggy is no longer trying to leave the planet backwards, get the front loop on and let the "A" rest on piggy's shoulders, then reach under piggy's belly and bring the back strap around and fasten it. If piggy finishes the pellets before you get the second strap done up, just remove the whole thing, and try again in awhile.

There is no need to succeed the first time. Be cool. Be patient.

Once piggy has the harness on she may try to buck it off. Mine usually go galloping around the world and back a few times before they forget they have it on... kinda like me and my glasses. Keep a close eye on her, but do let her buck and run for awhile. Piggy needs to know the harness comes off at YOUR whim.

To take the harness off, use pellets again.... unsnap the back strap and let it drop, slip harness off and put the rest of the pellets on the floor for piggy to enjoy.

Don't leave the harness on for long periods of time, especially at first. You don't want piggy to get the harness hung up on anything because this is terrifying, and you will have more trouble getting her to wear the harness next time. (And your precious porker could be injured).

I **** NEVER **** leave my piggy alone with her harness on. It is a "going somewhere" device, just like my dog's harness... she knows when she gets her harness on it's time to GO! and she can't wait.

I put the harness on before the vet comes to visit. Take piggy out. Then after the vet leaves, piggy gets to go outside again. (or in the kitchen for a very rare dog cookie or other special treat.)

Be lavish with your praise...if she got this far, she DESERVES it! Oh, and treat yourself to something nice, too. You've just done your piggy a HUGE favour.

Don't go to the park on your first day.... training should happen
somewhere safe and in a fairly small area. If you're in the house,
don't go near the dining room or anywhere else a leash can get
tangled
around furniture legs. A large, open room would be better.

DON'T EXPECT TOO MUCH AT FIRST

If piggy will tolerate the harness that is a very good start.