Thursday, April 11, 2019

Dog Harness for Bon Bon

Bon Bon needed a secure harness that didn't get anywhere near his trachea. I was working on sewing one for him, but didn't have the right hardware in my stash and couldn't find it in the size that I wanted. Hubby has HUGE hands and can't manage small clips and buckles easily. I was also failing to create a harness that I liked using fabric. It would gap in funky ways and looked awful. I had a set of criteria I didn't think I could meet in a single harness.

  • Must actually have a clip to close, not close by having the lead clip on to it.
  • Clip must be large enough for husband to open and close with his large hands.
  • Must not get anywhere near the trachea.
  • Must be made of sturdy fabric, leather or webbing.
  • Minimal sagging or gapping.
  • Must be small enough to fit. 

I spotted a harness in Wally World that had the exact hardware set up I had been looking for. The webbing wasn't too wide, but it was too large for my 4.5 pound dog.

I got out a seam ripper and a pair of scissors. After a few trial fittings, I was able to sew a harness for Bon Bon that fit him, is adjustable, has the hardware that we need and doesn't get anywhere near his trachea! Total cost was about $7.00 and 30 minutes of cutting and stitching and trial fittings. 

Now that we have one that's good, I'm planning on getting another harness, taking it apart for the hardware and sewing one that's not adjustable, as the sliders are not in the best spot for comfort.

I make lots of Bon Bon's things. I had to cut down his raincoat, as it was too large for him. I can find shirts that are small enough for him, but not much else. Frankly, I think even his food and water bowls are too large, but they are the smallest I could find.