I’m usually willing to try something new if I think it might make things easier. There are two lesser-known products I bought for Winter on a whim and I’m very glad I did.


Ridgeback in a sporn harness courtesy of In the Company of Dogs.

Can’t count how many times I’ve thanked my lucky stars for trying out the buddy system belt hands free leash or that I opted for that extra ‘lunge buster’ attachment. The belt and leash are made of a tough nylon weave and clips very easily onto my personal favorite sporn harness. There are even plus sized belts which are totally adjustable. The leash is adjustable as well and there’s an extra clip for an additional leash so you can walk with more than one pet. These are great for taking walks and shopping at Petsmart, PetCo, or the Home Depot. You could also clip the belt around a tree or post outside the Starbucks but I haven’t been able to bring myself to leaving Winter outside alone. One thing to note- the leash is attatched by a proprietary clip so to use other leashes I guess you could use the hand loop and just thread it onto the belt. It’s not sold in a lot of places but I got mine from SitStay.com.

Buddy System
pros- great hands-free shopping with your pet! Plus sizes available. Expandable for more than one pet. Durable materials. Can use for temporary tethering at the local coffeeshop. Love that shock absorber attachment!
cons- kind of expensive for a leash, proprietary clip attachments, not a lot of places carry them.

Sporn Harness
pros- comfortable harness with very little wear on pet’s coat compared to most collars and harnesses. Added safety of a harness rather than just a collar. Unusual design. Easily adjustable. Goes really well with the buddy system.
cons- winter has managed to dig in her heels and have this harness slide right over her head while I keep going forward but as long as you keep them in front of you it works fine. some people have taken it for a ’special needs’ harness. a little rub in the back area. I added an extra fleece sleeve on each arm to add padding but Winter has very thin fur. there was hair loss on her shoulders from a combination of the harness and a drop flea treatment like frontline. We no longer use spot flea treatments like that. Kind of confusing to put on at first but it gets easier eventually and you can even train your dog to give you “this paw” then “that paw”.