How to Make a Glider Harness & Leash

Every dog has different training needs. As puppies, some more energetic breeds can have a hard time walking on a leash attached to their collar and may develop the bad habit of pulling so hard as to choke themselves. This behavior can often be corrected at a young age. But if the problem is not addressed early enough, it may be beneficial to the dog and the owner to explore the use of a leash attached to a glider harness, a harness that attaches itself to the dog's center of gravity to make guiding the dog easier. Before purchasing a glider harness, try it out by making one yourself.

Things You'll Need

  • 8-14 foot rope
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Instructions

    • 1

      Choose the length of rope to be used based on the size of your dog and how long you would like the leash to be. An 8 foot rope will leave about 4 feet of leash on a medium sized dog weighing 40 to 60 pounds.

    • 2

      Make a loop on one end of the rope, big enough to fit the dog's head through. Tie a secure knot or sew the rope together to make the loop permanent.

    • 3

      Slide the loop over your dog's head, the loop fitting comfortably around its neck, with the rope hanging straight down.

    • 4

      Facing your dog, pull the rope to your left, behind its front right leg.

    • 5

      Wrap the rope up and over your dog's back from your left to right, just behind its shoulders.

    • 6

      Pull the end of the rope toward you from behind the dog's front left leg, on your right when facing the dog, so that the initial loop is around the neck of the dog and the rope wraps around its entire torso, behind its front legs.

    • 7

      Pull the end of the rope from right to left, between the rope at the base of the loop around the dog's neck and chest.

    • 8

      Wrap the rope around the base of the loop around the dog's neck, from left to right, by pulling the end of the rope toward you and then to your right.

    • 9

      Slide the end of the rope behind and through the loop around the dog's neck, from right to upper left, between the loop and your dog's chest and then towards you. This creates a loose knot at the front of your dog's center of gravity, preventing it from pulling or choking itself when walking.

    • 10

      Pull the end of the rope toward you until there is no longer any slack. This creates a two-in-one leash and harness. The harness should loop around the neck of the dog, wrap around its torso, behind its legs, and then meet in an "X" shape on the chest of the dog with an extension of rope attached to it to be used as a leash.