WO2005117572A1

WO2005117572A1 - Animal restraining harness

Info

Publication number: WO2005117572A1
Application number: PCT/CA2005/000875
Authority: WO
Inventors: Robert Curran
Original assignee: Robert Curran
Priority date: 2004-06-04
Filing date: 2005-06-06
Publication date: 2005-12-15

Abstract

A harness for controlling an animal. The harness comprising an anchor portion to extend about an animal's body and across itself on a forward facing portion of the animal's body. A restraining portion connected to the anchor portion and extending across a rearward facing portion of an animal's body and a tether connector secured to the restraining portion. The anchor portion and restraining portion being connected such that when the connector is pulled rearwardly relative to an animal, the restraining portion pushes against the rearward facing portion.

Description

ANIMAL RESTRAINING HARNESS

This apphcation claims priority from United States Provisional Patent Apphcation No. 60/576,615 filed on June 4, 2004.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of animal control devices, and specifically relates to a harness device for controlling an animal such as a dog.

BACKGROUND

[0002] Many restraining devices are known to handle dogs and other types of animals.

These devices are used to control, limit or direct the dog's behaviour, and can range from simple collars and leashes, to more coercive devices such as choke collars.

[0003] The traditional simple neck collar typically consists of a length of leather, rope or chain which buckles or ties in a continuous loop around the neck of the dog. Usually a leash or lead is attached to the collar at one end and a dog handler will grasp the other end of the lead. This method of restraint requires the handler to exert a pulling force equal to or greater than the opposite force exerted by the animal. This type of restraining device can be ineffective, as a handler weaker than the animal may not be able to control the animal or can be injured from sudden unexpected acceleration by the animal. Furthermore, the handler's grip can fail, thereby allowing the dog to escape.

[0004] This problem is acerbated by the natural proprioceptive reflex of the animal that will cause it lean into an applied force. The tension applied to the collar therefore causes the animal to pull harder and the required response has to be learnt rather than rely on a natural reflex.

[0005] A further disadvantage to the neck collar is that, in use, the collar exerts pressure on the front of the animal's neck under the chin thus exposing the animal to risk or injury to sensitive tissues in the throat, such as the cervical vertebrae, trachea and larynx. Moreover, some animals have a neck of greater circumference than the head, which makes the collar ineffective as it may slip over the head and allow the animal to escape. Various modifications have been proposed to overcome these difficulties.

[0006] A choke chain is frequently used on a dog and typically comprises a single length of chain having a metal guide or ring attached to one end. The dog handler forms a loop by

21414544.1 1 threading the opposite end of the chain through the metal ring. The loop is then enlarged o fit over the dog's head and is positioned to encircle the dog's neck. A leash is then attached to the opposite end of the chain. Accordingly, the loop contracts about the dog's throat when the leash is pulled. It will be apparent that a choke chain is more coercive than the simple collar, and that the choke chain can result in serious damage to the dog's neck. Indeed if the choke chain is used with an unattended dog left anchored to fixed object, the dog can strangulate itself.

[0007] The choke chain is based on a theory of dog training which states that an adverse stimulus on the dog can be used to dominate the dog and therefore train the dog. However, it is known that the use of pain to control a dog requires a cognitive response on the part of the dog, such that the dog must be aware of the pain and then make a decision as to how to respond. ^"While periodic "pain" conditioning can result in the dog making the decision to 'stop' based on receiving the pain reflex, it can also antagonize some dogs into extremely violent behaviour. Accordingly, many contemporary animal theorists believe that such training is unnecessarily brutal, ineffective and clumsy.

[0008] A variant of the choke chain is a prong-type collar which includes metal projections to press into the skin of the dog's neck when the dog handler jerks the leash. Similar to the choke chains, prong-type collars force prongs into the dog's neck to condition the dog to stop the undesired behaviour. It will be apparent that prong-type collars suffer from the same disadvantages as regular choke collars.

[0009] Other devices, such as muzzles, have been used to encase the snout or muzzle of the dog. The devices typically comprise a cage which surrounds the dog's snout and teeth. However, these devices merely physically prevent the dog from biting people or other dogs and do not condition or train the dog to stop its undesired behavior.

[0010] Another group of dog training and behavior control devices has been developed to address some of the problems discussed above. One such device is known as a Haiti™ and is disclosed as a canine halter in Canadian Industrial Design No. 56,430 issued to Mugford. This canine halter includes a neck strap which is worn around the neck of the dog. The neck strap is connected to a short strap extending forwardly under the dog's lower jaw and connecting to a metal ring. A loop is positioned over the top of the dog's snout and extends downwardly through the metal ring. A second ring is provided for attaching a leash to the lower part of the nose band below the dog's lower jaw in front of the neck.

21414544.1 2 [0011] In operation, the dog handler walks with the dog on one side and holds the leash loosely. This permits the nose band to remain in a generally slack or loose condition about the dog's snout. If the dog exhibits undesirable behaviour, such as pulling or refusing to walk, the dog handler pulls on the leash, thereby tightening the nose band about the dog's snout.

[0012] Another similar device is described in U.S. Patent No. 4,941,313 to Anderson. This patent discloses a combination collar and muzzle training aid which includes a collar that encircles the neck of the dog immediately behind the ears. A separate muzzle loop encircles the upper and lower jaws and extends downwardly through a ring carried on the collar below the dog's lower jaw. A leash is attached to a part of the muzzle loop which extends through the ring below the jaw of the animal.

[0013] In operation, if the leash is pulled in a forward direction the muzzle loop of the Anderson device contracts and applies pressure to the dog's muzzle. It is prevented from slipping off the muzzle by transferring the pulling force to the collar through the ring. [0014] Unfortunately, the design of the Haiti™ and Anderson animal control devices have a number of disadvantages. These devices may cause a twisting force to be applied to the dog's head and neck when the leash is pulled from a location at the side or rear of the dog, which are the usual positions for the handler when walking the dog. This twisting force is caused by locating the leash attachment point on the nose band below the dog's lower jaw in front of the neck. As the leash is pulled to stop the undesired behaviour, the lower leash attachment point is drawn toward the dog handler, thereby forcing the dog's neck to twist. This twisting action may increase the chance of injury to the dog's neck if the leash is pulled too abruptly.

[0015] A further disadvantage of these devices also relates to the leash attachment location below and near the lower jaw. If the dog is nervous or agitated and prone to biting, the dog handler is forced to attach the leash near the dog's teeth, below the lower jaw. This is undesired because it increases the chance of a dog bite injury to the handler. [0016] In U.S. patent 6,595,156 there is described a halter in which use is made of the dog's proprioceptive response to control the dog. Tension applied to the leash causes a force on a rearwardly directed portion of the animal, causing it to release the tension. This halter has proved effective in controlling animals and the anchoring of the halter around the muzzle has provided a secondary submissive control. However some dogs resist the presence of a

21414544.1 3 halter on the muzzle causing the owner of the animal to cease using it and some dogs lack protuberance of the nostrum and cannot wear the halter

[0017] As an alternative to the collar, dog harnesses have also been used to distribute the leash pulling force more evenly over neck and chest of the dog. These devices are intended to "harness" a dog's pulling energy, and are not intended to provide a command useful for stopping the dog. They therefore rely on the physical strength of the owner to resist the pulling force of the animal.

[0018] U.S. patent 5,676,093 discloses a leash and harness in which control is provided by passing the harness through a crotch formed at the junction of the foreleg and chest. Tension applied to the harness causes a force to be apphed to the sensitive area in the crotch and thereby produce a "pain conditioning" response. As noted above, such a response may in some cases provide a deterrent to the animal that may have other less desirable side effects. Moreover, there is no conditioning of the animal response to stop the pulling, except for the incidence of pain in the sensitive areas and since many dogs habituate to the pain they continue to pull despite even after chronic injury and lesions to the skin. [0019] It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a novel animal harness device which obviates or mitigates at least one of the disadvantages of the prior art.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0020] In general terms, the invention provides a harness for controlling an animal comprising an anchor portion to extend about an animal's body and across a forward facing portion of an animal's body, a restraining portion connected to the anchor portion and extending across a rearward facing portion of an animal's body and a tether connector connected to said restraining portion, said anchor portion and said restraining portion being connected such that when said connector is pulled rearwardly relative to the animal, said restraining portion pushes against the rearward facing portion.

[0021] The harness of the foregoing embodiments is particularly suited to an animal such as a dog or a horse, but can be suitable for other animals.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS [0022] Embodiments of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings in which: [0023] Figure 1 is a front perspective view of a dog and harness.

21414544.1 4 [0024] Figure 2 is a front perspective view of the harness shown in figure 1.

[0025] Figure 3 is a side view of the harness shown in figure 2.

[0026] Figure 4 is an exploded view of the components of the harness shown in figures 2 and 3.

[0027] Figure 5 is a view similar to Figure 1 showing an alternative embodiment of harness.

[0028] Figure 6 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the harness of Figure 5.

[0029] Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6 of a further embodiment of harness.

[0030] Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7 of a still further embodiment of harness.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0031] Referring therefore to the drawings, a harness generally indicated 10 is fitted to a dog D and secured to a leash L. The harness comprises an anchorband 12 which extends continuously between a pair of rings 14 located at opposite ends of the band 12. The band 12 is secured to the rings 14 by passing through the rings and being sewn or otherwise secured to itself. A pair of stabilizing arms 16 extend from the ring 14 to spaced locations on the band

12. The stabilizing arms 16 are formed with a free running loop 18 about the band 12 to permit relative sliding movement between the band 12 and the arm 16 for adjustment on the dog D.

[0032] A restraining band 20 also passes through each of the rings 20 and is secured to a clip 22 to which a tether 24 is secured to make a continuous loop. The tether 24 is attached to a ring 26 that is provided to be connected to a spring clip on the leash L.

[0033] The anchorband 12 is formed from a flexible fabric or leather so it may conform to the contours of the dog D. The anchorband 12 is located on the dog D by passing around the girth behind the forelegs and then being passed between the forelegs and crossed over the chest cavity. The arms 16 are adjusted to be generally horizontal or aligned with the spine of the dog to support the rings 14 at the midpoints of the lateral neck generally adjacent the upper end of the legs of the dog D.

[0034] The restraining band 20 is positioned on a rearwardly facing portion of the dog's body generally at the base of the neck of the dog D. Again, the band 20 is formed from a flexible woven material or leather that can conform to the contours of the neck or back of the dog. The restraining band 20 can run freely through the rings 14 so that the band 20 is a snug fit against the curvature of the back of the dog.

21414544.1 5 [0035] The tether 24 may be secured to the leash L or may be held by the handler of the dog depending on the circumstances.

[0036] In order to restrain the dog, a tension is applied through the leash L to the tether

24 in a generally rearward direction. This tension is transmitted through the restraining band

20 and is reacted by the anchor portion 12. The restraining band 20 thus moves through the rings 14 and applies a forwardly directed force to the back of the dog D. The force on the back of the dog D causes a proprioceptive response causing the dog to effectively move back towards the force being applied thereby tending to reduce the tension in the leash L. If the dog advances against the tension, a continued force is applied to its back again inducing the proprioceptive response.

[0037] Continued forward pressure by the dog in extreme circumstances is resisted by the anchorband 12 holding against the chest cavity thereby permitting a restraining force in a manner similar to a conventional harness. The overlapping of the anchorband across the chest cavity permits relative sliding movement between the overlapping portions of the anchorstep so that a tightening of the anchorband may occur with continued forward pressure.

This produces a tightening around the girth of the dog to further enforce the constraint applied.

[0038] It will be appreciated that the harness 10 may be modified to provide convenience of installation and also adjustment for the particular animal. Thus the anchorband 12 may be made adjustable in length through the provision of a suitable clip or buckle 28 positioned about the girth. Similarly, the anchorband may be secured to itself as it crosses the sternal region between the forelegs to provide a more manageable structure for fitting to the individual dog.

[0039] The arms 16 may also be adjustable in length and if preferred, the restraining band

20 may be secured to one of the rings 14 and free running through the other ring 14 so that a single band extends up to the tether 24.

[0040] The provision of the anchorband 12 about the girth of the dog avoids the need to attach an anchor to the dog's muzzle to reduce the aggravation to the dog but the provision of the restraining band and its ability to apply a forwardly directed force on a rearward facing portion of the dog enables the proprioceptive response to be obtained.

[0041] As noted above, it may be convenient to organize the anchorband 12 as it crosses the sternal region. As shown in Figures 5 and 6 where like reference numerals will be used to denote like components with a suffix 'a' added for clarity, a sleeve 30 is provided on the

21414544.1 6 halter 10a to accommodate the anchorband 12a. The sleeve 30 is made from a flexible or elastic material, such as a cloth, and is longer than it is wide. The anchorbands 12a pass diagonally through the sleeve 30 so as to cross within the sleeve, and are secured to the edges 32 of the sleeve 30 by stitching or the like as indicated at 34. The sleeve 30 accommodates limited relative movement between adjacent corners as tension is apphed due to the flexibility of the material which allows relative movement between overlapping runs of the anchorband 12a. At the same time. The sleeve 30 organizes the runs and facilitates the placement of the anchorstrap 12a.

[0042] A further embodiment is shown in Figure 7 where a sleeve 30b is formed in a triangular shape with openings 36 to receive the runs of the anchorband 12b. The sleeve 30b is again secured to the anchorband at each edge 32b and relative movement between the runs as tension is applied and is accommodated by flexure of the sleeve 30b. [0043] Control and organization of the anchorband may also be obtained by doubling the anchorband over the chest cavity as shown in Figure 8. The anchorband 12c is folded back on itself after passing through the rings 14 and extends back along the band to beyond the chest. The elongate loops are interlaced so that they may slide relative to one another to a limited extent. Again, therefore, the overlapping runs of the anchorband 12c are organized with the capability for relative sliding movement as needed.

[0044] In each of the embodiments of Figures 5 to 8, it will be noted that the arms 16 are omitted. This simplifies the fitting of the harness 12 without adversely affecting its operation.

[0045] It will be noted that in each embodiment, the spacing of the anchorband 12 from the restraining band 20 along the body provides a secure base for the action of the restraining band. The incorporation of the adjustment buckles 28 allows a snug fit on the dog D to ensure proper operation of the restraining band 20.

21414544.1

Claims

What is claimed is:

1. A harness for controlling an animal, said harness comprising an anchor portion to extend about an animal's body and across itself on a forward facing portion of said animal's body, a restraining portion connected to said anchor portion and extending across a rearward facing portion of an animal's body and a tether connector secured to said restraining portion, said anchor portion and restraining portion being connected such that when said connector is pulled rearwardly relative to an animal, said restraining portion pushes against said rearward facing portion.

2. A harness according to claim 1 wherein said anchor portion is adjustable in length.

3. A harness according to claim 1 wherein said restraining portion is slidably connected to opposite ends of said anchor portion.

4. A harness according to claim 1 wherein overlapping runs of said anchor portion are connected to one another for limited relative movement.

5. A harness according to claim 4 wherein said overlapping runs pass through a sleeve.

6. A harness according to claim 5 wherein said runs are each secured to said sleeve at spaced locations.

7. A harness according to claim 1 wherein an intermediate portion of said anchor portion is connected to a respective end thereof by arms to locate said anchor portion on said animal.

21414544.1