# Dog getting aggressive when we take harness off!



## chissy 15 (Mar 13, 2013)

Our springer is starting to growl and bare his teeth when we try to take his harness off after a walk. He is fine to have it put on and during a walk. He has 2 sometimes 3 walks a day anything from 3/4 of an hour to an hour a time. Sometimes he goes off lead or he is on a long line and short lead nears roads ect. It is mostly with my husband and son he does it to and this has only started recently. He was checked over at the vet on Monday when he went for his vaccination and vet couldn't understand why he's doing this. We use the TTouch harness and it isn't tight or too loose, have been using this for several months. Anyone got any suggestions? We have tried using treats to distract him but this doesn't work. Can any one suggest a different harness that doesn't involve putting front legs through or head through, does one exist? He pulls too much just on a collar


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## Dingle (Aug 29, 2008)

I'd be sorting out the agression first and or stick a muzzle on him


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

chissy 15 said:


> Our springer is starting to growl and bare his teeth when we try to take his harness off after a walk. He is fine to have it put on and during a walk. He has 2 sometimes 3 walks a day anything from 3/4 of an hour to an hour a time. Sometimes he goes off lead or he is on a long line and short lead nears roads ect. It is mostly with my husband and son he does it to and this has only started recently. He was checked over at the vet on Monday when he went for his vaccination and vet couldn't understand why he's doing this. We use the TTouch harness and it isn't tight or too loose, have been using this for several months. Anyone got any suggestions? We have tried using treats to distract him but this doesn't work. Can any one suggest a different harness that doesn't involve putting front legs through or head through, does one exist? He pulls too much just on a collar


Do you try to take the harness off as soon as you come home? If you do that may be the problem. They can often get hyped up on a walk and over aroused and still be hyped when they get back. If that's what your doing, maybe just let him calm down for awhile once he gets back and then try it when he seems a lot calmer.


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

Random thought but could any hair be getting trapped in the buckles (or has it at any point and has been remembered) and pulling the harness off has pulled this hair out, causing pain so this is anticipated every time?


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## chissy 15 (Mar 13, 2013)

Dingle said:


> I'd be sorting out the agression first and or stick a muzzle on him


He's not aggressive at any other time, in fact he has never shown aggression in any other situation other than taking harness off, so wouldn't like to go the muzzle route as yet.


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## chissy 15 (Mar 13, 2013)

Dogless said:


> Random thought but could any hair be getting trapped in the buckles (or has it at any point and has been remembered) and pulling the harness off has pulled this hair out, causing pain so this is anticipated every time?


I hadn't thought of this, could well have happened. I might go back to using half check collar on him and see what happens.


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## chissy 15 (Mar 13, 2013)

Sled dog hotel said:


> Do you try to take the harness off as soon as you come home? If you do that may be the problem. They can often get hyped up on a walk and over aroused and still be hyped when they get back. If that's what your doing, maybe just let him calm down for awhile once he gets back and then try it when he seems a lot calmer.


Might try this and see, thanks  Just seems strange he's only started doing this. He's been fine for months using a harness.


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## Dogless (Feb 26, 2010)

chissy 15 said:


> I hadn't thought of this, could well have happened. I might go back to using half check collar on him and see what happens.


I thought it was possible because a couple of winters ago Kilo growled when I tried to put his Equafleece on him (which he had always been fine with). Long story short I felt inside and there was a big thorn stuck in the chest part. I removed the thorn but it took a couple more times of putting it on for Kilo to be confident it wouldn't hurt again.


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## smokeybear (Oct 19, 2011)

Make a note of what he does and when and see if it occurs re anything else. ESS are prone to resource guarding and he could be guarding his harness.


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## Malmum (Aug 1, 2010)

I have the Halti non pull harness for the Mals simply because its so easy to get on/off. It slips over the head and clips at the side, I just couldn't get on with the step in type, one leg in and while putting the other in the previous one was stepped out. So frustrating but the Halti is simple, I don't think it would stop pulling tbh but its been great for the Mals.


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## lisajs (Aug 22, 2015)

Hi, just read your thread about taking your dogs harness off. My dog is doing the same thing, growling and snarling when i take his harness off. Have you got any update with your dog? Thanks Lisa


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## Guest (Aug 22, 2015)

lisajs said:


> Hi, just read your thread about taking your dogs harness off. My dog is doing the same thing, growling and snarling when i take his harness off. Have you got any update with your dog? Thanks Lisa


You may want to start a new thread, you'll get more replies that way.
I'd check that it's not discomfort driven. Is hair getting tangled? Are his legs sore after a walk and lifting them out of the harness is uncomfortable? Is he making any negative associations around other things at the end of the walk and superstitiously attaching them to the harness?

In addition work on desensitization and counter conditioning to all sorts of handling. Dogs should be comfortable with all sorts of handling, both for their own stress levels and our safety


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## chissy 15 (Mar 13, 2013)

lisajs said:


> Hi, just read your thread about taking your dogs harness off. My dog is doing the same thing, growling and snarling when i take his harness off. Have you got any update with your dog? Thanks Lisa


No he doesn't do this any more, what we found worked with him was to take his harness off before he goes in doors, I.e. out side back door before we go in.
We do now take his harness off indoors if we come through front door after being out in the car and he's fine with this. Think it was just a phase he went through for a while.


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