Bridge Handles?

stardogs

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#21
My client has limited vision - he can see directly in front but not off to the side.

He feels more comfortable being positioned just ahead of her hips, vs all the way behind them - partly I think because he needs the most help with things to the sides vs avoiding obstacles in front. He's basically about 6-8" closer to the shoulders of his dog than most guide handlers. Does that make sense?
 

Saeleofu

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#22
Ah, yes, I see now.

I still think a regular guide harness is the way to go. The current harness vest doesn't have attachment points far enough forward to give good feedback, especially if he's going to be farther forward when working the dog. To get the handle length, have him stand in the place he will be standing when working the dog, and with his arm in a neutral position with a straight wrist, measure from his fingers to the attachment point of the handle. Remember that the arm is NOT extended. It's relaxed with a slight bend in the elbow (no less than a 135 degree angle) and a straight wrist. Odds are the handle will need to be longer than you expect it to be prior to measuring.

I can't stress enough how important a harness with attachment points farther forward is, though. If you need something cheap and fast, something like this or this *might* work as a harness, but even then it's still a bit too far back to work properly. And you still have the problem of where to get an appropriate handle. I say for this circumstance the Hilason harness is a good bet. You can get different sized handles (they list the sizes on each harness's page), and the handle is included in the price of the harness. Otherwise, the only real option is something custom-made.
 

CharlieDog

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#23
The other thing you might want to consider is have the vest altered to put the D-rings or clips on the front part where the handler needs them the most vs just buying another vest.
 

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