Chat Thread

[Alana McGee]

Hi guys,

This is where you can talk to your classmates about whatever you wish – so get to know each other better here!

[Alana McGee]

Welcome everyone! How is the summer going? It’s great here in the Pacific Northwest. Although we could actually use some rain!

[Curt]

Hello folks,

A couple of quick harness questions for my fellow students, or for our instructors:

I’m working with a youngish puppy (4.5 months old) who is growing fast. After researching different harness options, I think ultimately I’d like to invest one from Julius. However, when I started the intro course Mo was something like nine pounds and I wasn’t about to buy three different Julius harnesses as he grew. I opted for a pretty cheap webbing harness bought at a pet supply box store, and I hoped it would get me through to the point where I could buy a Julius that would fit him as an adult.

Well, Mo has outgrown the cheapo, but I’d prefer to wait longer before buying a Julius. He’s just barely big enough for a size zero Julius, and that size _might_ fit him forever, but I’m guessing that as an adult he will be comfortably in the middle of the suggested girth range for size 1.

Do you think it’s OK to continue for a period without a harness, waiting for further growth before buying a Julius? Or should I be sure he wears one–either another cheapo until he is ready for the big boy harness, or the size zero Julius?

Finally, anyone out there with experience working with a Julius harness can chime in on your sizing experiences relative to the company’s size/weight chart, and/or your opinions on how the harness works when a dog is at the very edge of the suggested size range.

Thanks!
Curt

[Alana McGee]

Hi Curt

I’ll weigh in on my personal experience with these harnesses. Mo likely will fit a size 0 for a long time. They are much more adjustable that people think.

For reference, how big weight/ girth, what were his parents, or is typical for GSP? Generally I think around 50- 65 lbs.

While not ideal You can always sell it on eBay if he outgrows it. There is a market for that! I have purchased a few that way for sizing/ fit. You can also look there to buy one for slightly cheaper especially for that reason!

All of our (Kristin’s and mine *thus far) dogs aside from Duff who is a large 90lbs black Lab/golden wear a size 0. That includes Lagotto from 30 lbs to 55lbs, an Australian Shepherd, a Belgian Terv, Border collie, & Sheltie.

All Lagotti we’ve worked with wear size 0 thus far.
I would think that Mo full grown would be around Kristin’s Da Vinci’s Girth, so she may be able to chime in on that, on how far extended the girth strap is.

Lolo is on the edge of the size range (smaller sizes). I am tempted to get a smaller one to try for fit to see, as well as ICD vs the regular power harness, but have yet to do it. She is blocky and small and dense, so I’m trying to judge where it hits for best fit. The nice thing is the adjustable straps (that are velcro) can be cut- which is likely what I will do with Lolo’s size 0 as it is across her chest were she is on the edge. That would solve my problem likely.

The harness run bigger, and fit larger sizes than I think is listed on the website, hence why I want to get Lolo size down.

For a variety of reasons we would suggest keeping a harness (or some kind). While you are working off lead a lot, there will be times you’ll be on lead, and practicing handler skills and we’d like to avoid leashes on collars when possible. When truffle hunting we want dogs to be able to lead and dog’s with strong oppositional reflexes in these scenarios can harm their tracheas on collar. We don’t want that!

[MARY]

Hi Curtis – Salu has a Julius harness and wears a “0” as well with a little room to spare. He’s 45 lbs but heavy boned and muscular. It’s a great hardness – he wears it for parkour.

We also have a Wonder Walker size Medium that is nice and light. Lola wears Wonder Walker size small – she’s 29-30 lbs and the straps are a small and it will go.

[MARY]

Can anyone recommend any good iphone/ipad apps for editing videos? Also, any tips on using a tripod to video our assignments? I’m not always so good at planning ahead so getting someone who’s available to video isn’t usually an option.

[Curt]

Alana, Mary–thanks for the feedback on the harnesses! Didn’t mean to seem to ignore your responses, it’s just that we’ve been canoe camping in the Boundary Waters again. Mo and I are back and ready to catch up on our coursework again.

Mary, I’m using iMovie to upload videos from my phone and create movies on my Mac. Never used it on my phone or an iPad, so I can’t speak to that user experience; on the desktop with a pretty big screen and a mouse, it’s been fine for me. I know I could directly upload things from my phone without even using iMovie but this has allowed me to add some titles and subtitles when I’ve thought they’ve been helpful. I’m sure I haven’t even imagined the potential functions of the app, and I probably never will. And I haven’t compared it to anything else I might use. Apple is famously proprietary with their apps, and I just started using this because it was already on the desktop. Wish I could be more helpful!

[Alana McGee]

Curt,
I agree with everyone. Size “0” works for most dogs. I have MacGyvr in a Mini right now but he is almost out if it (Alana, you are welcome to try it on Lolo but I think it will be way too small).

Mary,
Tripods are a piece of cake. If you have a video camera, there will be a place to attach it to the tripod. If you are filming with your smartphone, you can easily find a case that doubles as a tripod mount. The Gorilla tripods are nice. I use iMovie as well. I use it on my iPhone and iPad. It is very user friendly. If you work on a PC, Cyberlink PowerDirector is a pretty good program. Not as user friendly as iMovie when I used it a few years ago.

[MARY]

Kristin – I’d like to use the tripod outside so you and Alana can see my body language etc. but I’m afraid you won’t able to see everything you need to see and hear me. – especially when we work in the large area. I’ll play around and see what I can do.

[MARY]

Oh, I’m using my 35mm camera with the tripod – using the video option.

[MARY]

What are the differences between the Julius Talking Power Pro, IDC and Original Power Harness? Salu has the original and it seems a bit bulky….

[Curt]

Folks, I don’t mean to brag, but I’m so excited about how today’s mushroom hunt went that I’m itching to share it with somebody who might care . . .

Huge flush of black trumpets in northwest Wisconsin right now after some big rains. I’m hunting glacial till with oak/maple forests; typically, we’re finding them associated with red oak, near the many bogs and swamps that dot the hummocky landscape. I went out hoping to find some mushrooms, and hoping to set up a very simple training session in the field to see if Mo could alert on the wild shrooms. Had a teaball in my pocket ready to go if needed, and I had essentially zero expectation that at this point Mo would be able to perform in this environment.

At the first clump he stepped right over them several times, and I dropped the teaball amongst the wild mushrooms. He alerted on the teaball, I removed it, and I pointed right to the wild trumpets. He alerted and I loved him up, then let him romp in the woods and swamp while we started to pick.

The next time I set up a little trainer for Mo, he alerted right on the trumpets. He got pretty excited to see how pleased my mushrooming partner and I were with his behavior, and he subsequently started alerting spontaneously on the mushrooms as we gathered! Good boy!

He did eat a few, so that might be something to watch out for–he seems to like them. But if that behavior amplifies I’m sure there will be ways to deal with it.

In about two hours–much of which was spent watching and handling Mo, or simply chatting idly in the woods–two of us collected about eight pounds! We were never more than a quarter mile from the car.

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by Curt. Reason: added photos

[Alana McGee]

Holy Cow Curt! Those are some AWESOME shrooms!!! HOW fun.

You pointed out something very important which is when Mo realized how excited YOU & your buddy were about it so was he. Being genuinely excited by finding quarry can do wonders for confidence and learning. That is so wonderful!

Looking at those pictures makes my mouth water. Black trumpets are some of my favorites!

Also- good training move and well done on your part to improvise and drop the teaball right in the mushrooms. Power of association!

The eating is likely from him being excited by his environment. But something good to know, as you want to make sure he doesn’t get sick because they are uncooked. I’m not sure honestly cooking protocols for Black trumpets.
That sounds like a fabulous fun day. I can’t wait to go mushroom hunting!

Thanks for sharing the photos, they look yummy.

[MARY]

How fantastic is that!!! WOW! Nice job you two… (Great pics!) thanks for sharing Curt – what a great day for everyone!

• This reply was modified 7 years, 7 months ago by MARY.

[Curt]

Mary, Kristin, Alana–thanks for all your feedback on sizing the harnesses. I’m sure a size 0 would fit for a long time to come, but the breeder told me that Mo’s mom is 55 pounds, his dad 60 pounds. He said that wirehairs from his stock almost never fall outside the typical weight range for the breed, 55-70 pounds. He told me that he’s 100% confident Mo will be over 50 pounds, and he’s pretty sure Mo will grow to between 55 and 60 pounds. Thus, I did decide to get another cheap harness and then order a size 1 Julius.

Mo’s current girth is 24 inches at the chest and he’s 35 pounds–perfect for a size 0, but also just an inch shy of the low end of the girth range for a size 1.

Thanks again for your help!

[Author]

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