# Do you leave your Chi's harness on all day?



## Finley (Aug 4, 2013)

Finley is still growing so we haven't gotten a collar for him yet - plus I read that collars are not good for Chihuahuas anyhow. Right now I leave him "naked" so to speak unless I'm taking him out. I'm wondering if I should leave his harness on him during the day and just remove it at night. It's a struggle to put it on him because at four months old, he thinks it's a toy. Once it's on him, he's fine. What do other people do with their Chi's harnesses?


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## miuccias (Aug 22, 2012)

Collars are "bad" when used to walk them, most people leave collars on their dogs for safety reasons and a very few leave them "naked"
I would never leave a harness on all day, why don't you use a collar for tags?


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## KrystalLeigh (Aug 17, 2011)

Odie is naked all day. The odd time she will have clothes or a collar on but only if she's supervised. 

I think putting the harness on will be good practice for him. Some people do leave harnesses on to get their dogs comfortable wearing them, but I would never do this unless you can watch him. He could get caught on something or get his legs out, etc.


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## RudeBoy'sMom (Oct 1, 2013)

I use the harness only for walking Rude Boy. Whenever I pull it out he knows its time for a walk, and gets very excited. But it took some time for him to get used to walking with the harness and leash. He just wouldn't walk and would just look at the leash like "what am I supposed to do with this?" LOL It was very annoying at first but then he snapped out of it and eventually figured it out the leash. 

As far as clothes, he's okay with wearing the little short sleeve muscle t-shirts but the knitted sweaters are a little annoying to him.


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## *Chloe* (Feb 6, 2006)

no i wouldn't leave a collar or harness on all day for saftey reasons...I would practice putting it on and taking it off a few times a day to get him used to it though


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## intent2smile (Dec 4, 2011)

The more you put it on and off the more he will figure out it is not a toy. The only time Jaxx wears his harness is to go outside.
We did use an over the head harness when Jaxx was young in order to get him used to clothes. We made sure he was supervised in the house when he was wearing it for that purpose.


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## Ellie's mom (Sep 6, 2013)

I have collars on both my dogs with their tags on all the time in case they get out. They both try to get out the door every now and then when my kids are going in and out with their friends and I got one of my dogs back from him having tags a couple years back. I would never not have their collar on because of this. They are both microchipped from the shelter but I still would rather someone called me if we lost them


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## Evelyn (Oct 14, 2012)

No I don't only because , Ike will chew them in half. I use to leave my pugs on her, but Ike will also chew hers.


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## elaina (Jul 1, 2008)

my girls don't wear collars and I only put the harness on when there going out. I thought it would be more comfy for them to not have one on. 

tootsie and latte wear comfy clothes all the time due to there allergies. ( it helps protect there skin )


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## MMS (Aug 2, 2012)

All my pups wear collars all the time, with their tags. Stella's tag has helped me get her back twice now (she has busted through the screen door and jumped the fence after I left for work, but before BF was up - we now have to keep the storm window on the screen door all year round). 

When she was real little, I use to keep Stella's harness on her all the time, so she would be use to it and for ease of taking her out in the middle of the night while house training. Now the dogs only get their harnesses on for "adventures" - eg. walks, car rides, etc.


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

I only put a harness on Lilo when we're going outside. Indoors I sometimes put a collar on, but most of the time she's 'naked'. She's microchipped so I'm not too worried about her not wearing her tag at all times. I don't like leaving a collar on if I'm gone just in case she gets it stuck somewhere... heard some bad stories.


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## T~N~T Chis (Jan 31, 2013)

My girls are only wear their harnesses when they go bye, bye. Currently they don't wear collars because I heard their little necks were so fradgile. Still, I've been thinking about getting them a couple of the safer *break away* style collars just so they could have their I.D. & rabbies tags if they ever got out the door on me.


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## Hollysmom (Nov 26, 2011)

My girl's "naked" when she's at home.


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

I am torn about my dogs wearing collars. I have 3 chi's and all are microchipped. They rarely go 'out' for walks. I have a double exercise pen in my backyard, and I sit with them when they're out. They are really housedogs. I have severe arthritis and wear an ankle brace, so walking is not comfortable. 

I have heard of bad things happening. Once a dog of mine, somehow got his tags caught in a floor register. Fortunately I was right there. Also I heard of 2 golden pups swimming together, who got themselves tangled in their collars, and both drowned. Sooo I have lots of reservations about collars and multiple dogs.


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## Ravioli's person (Sep 21, 2013)

We don't use a collar only a harness and then only when its time to leave the house. And he gets very excited when we take it it because he knows its adventure time! It took a bit of practice, but he is used to it now and no longer struggles when we have to get it on and get ready. But I'm practiced now too, so I don't hesitate like I did at first and maybe he feels that and we relaxed together into routine


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## loupey (Oct 1, 2013)

My chi runs 'naked' around the house and only wears her harness outside. I dont see why it would be worth her wearing it indoors and it looks uncomfortable! 

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## srdefoe (Feb 23, 2013)

We do leave a soft harness with an ID tag on it on one of our Chi's all the time because he cannot tolerate anything at all around his throat. Our other 2 Chi's have collars on all the time with ID tags. You would not believe the number of dogs we get at the shelter without collars. Many of them are Chi's who slipped out the door when they were "naked". I think the value of having ID on your dog outweighs the danger of having the collar/harness on them.
JMHO
Sue


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## Ellie's mom (Sep 6, 2013)

Srdefoe nicely said. My dogs don't get out often but it takes that one time for them to get out without tags for you to not get them back. I couldn't bear it if my dog ended up at a shelter because I didn't bother to put a collar on her


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## Kalisee (Jun 1, 2012)

When my girl was young and I had the same problem with the harness, I would leave it on her because I would take her out a lot. I took it off when I knew she was not going to go out again and would put it on her the next day so she woudl get accustomed to taking it on and off. I just would not have to do it 5 times a day every time I took her out. 

Now she is 18 months old and I put the harness only when it is time to go out because hs no longer makes a fuss.


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