Under pressure: Harness for guide dogs must suit both dog, owner

Guide dogs require about four years of training and fully trained animals can cost over 30,000 Euro in Europe. It is thus important for financial reasons, as well as for animal welfare considerations, to ensure that guide dogs are comfortable in their work. A proper harness that enables good communication between the blind person and the dog is an important factor in the animal’s well-being, while a poorly fitting harness may result in health problems and impaired communication between dog and owner.