Harness/Sound Dampening Recommendations

[Jess & Stewart]

Stew is actually, surprisingly back to somewhat of a routine in the new apartment. He hasn't tried to open the bathroom or closet doors. Just lays in the bedroom or hallway most of the day & is pretty quiet considering the noises he must hear.

He has been barking at a lot of noises outside the door when I'm home though (people, dogs walking by, creaking stairs). I've been trying either the "thank you" or place commands. He does OK with them but it's hard sometimes to get his attention, even when I'm armed with treats. I basically smell like dehydrated lamb lung/merrick soft treats etc all the time now since I keep a clip on treat bag on my belt loops. 

He's really become wary about the Easy Walk Harness though, even though I incorporate putting the harness on/off into training and mark/treat when my hands are near where the harness connects, even when we aren't working with the harness. He walks well on leash so we don't really need the EW to stop pulling. I just feel much more comfortable walking in the city with a harness on him. Any suggestions on other styles to start using? 

Here are two new pics of Stew. Dog walker found this mural and took the pic on a walk last week. And another of his new haircut from this weekend. Can you all spot why I think it's the greatest picture EVER? LOL!

[Rica + Margot]

Margot doesn't care for harnesses either. I worked on it for months, but I may try it again much more slowly.  We tried the Freedom harness and Ruffwear's Front Range. Anyways, for both there are two attachment points - chest and back. You can use both or just one.

As for white noise - you might want to try a white noise album before investing in a dedicated machine. There might be something on Amazon Prime Music. I found calming music for pets albums there and we play them when we're gone. 

[Rebecca, Kandy & Murphy]

Is the problem with the noise that you don't like it or does it disturb the neighbors?  I don't think anything like a white noise machine would keep my 2 from noticing (ie. barking) at a dog outside their door, nor would it lessen the impact of their barking on my nerves.  I know there are ways to train a dog not to bark, but I've never really investigated them because I got the dogs partly to bark -- I want to know when someone is near the house.  But I'm not in an apartment, so its a different situation I know.

For the harness, check his "armpits".  For one of our dogs, there is simply no adjustment that doesn't rub there.  I didn't really pay attention until she started to refuse it, then I realized she had open sores where it had rubbed!  I felt SO bad for not noticing, but under all that hair sometimes things get lost.  We use the easy walk face/nose harness for ours, but they pull.  If the harness is just for your own feeling of security, there are lots of "just cute" options out there that might be better for you.

[Gracie, Jade, & Barkley]

Is the harness chaffing him? I know we have the easy walk for Gracie and it was rubbing her raw and I didn't notice it. When I saw it, I felt so bad. She loves to go for walks, but gets too excited and doesn't want the harness on. But, it might be because she hasn't forgotten the chaffing. We actually switched to the sensation (recommended by the trainer). It's softer and it has not caused any chaffing. It still clicks underneath, but it's easier to adjust and put on.
One thing, I do is to make sure my hand is between the connection and her underside, so that when I snap it together, it doesn't accidentally pinch her. Also, you could coax him with a treat to put it on him. Gracie backs away from us when we go to put it on, so we use the treat to get her facing the right direction. Once it's in, she's as calm as a cucumber. Lol.
Stewie is adorable!