What kind of Harness?

[tkbunnies]

What kind of harness, should I get? I've heard that a figure H harness is good, but as there aren't really any places to get one around here what should I do? They have harnesses for kittens, would one of those work? Or do I need to get one online specifically for rabbits?

Thanks!

[MIKOLI. =)]

You don't need to get one that was made for rabbits, though it does help. If you can go online shopping for harnesses, I would, since there are many excellent harnesses on E-bay. Since you live in the USA, and there are quite a few rabbit hopping clubs around there, you might even be able to find a harness specially made for rabbit hopping.

If you can't, though, some cat harnesses do work, but no bells. Go to your local pet shop, and usually you can find a few types of harnesses that are made for rabbits. Try a few pet shops, to make sure you get the best quality harness. It isn't really something that you can afford to go cheap on, since if it slips your rabbit can break a leg or if he panics and it gets caught he could have all sorts of other medical problems. Besides, they can be pretty cheap. I think my harness was something like $15 AU (around $13 US).

If you are going to compete, definately go for a Figure H Harness, but if you are just going to casually train or maybe do a few fun shows, you could get away with a vest type harness, as long as it's fitted correctly. I would steer clear of Figure 8 Rope Harnesses, such as the one pictured below, unless you were very skilled with training, since I find them very harsh on the rabbit. Unless you can use them softly and carefully enough not to hurt the rabbit, you might have some trouble.

I used one when I was first training Ollie, and because of that he has become very "hard" in the harness, and it takes a lot more pull to get him to turn than it should. This is partly a good thing, since it means if I accidentally slip or if I have to pull him sharply back, it doesn't affect him too much, but it also means that I need to use a firmer hand than I would like to. If I put the figure 8 harness back on him, he will turn with barely a touch, but that's because it pulls on him more.

Good luck harness shopping! If you want any opinions on potential harnesses, feel free to post them.