CareLift Harness Small

I have a110 lb Great Pyrenees/ Shepard mix. He has a torn hind led CCL and will have TPOL surgery soon. Unfortunately this surgery isn't something you just quickly schedule right after diagnosis. So 4-6 weeks of a weighty dog not being able to use his hind legs. I bought both a sling and a harness, I think you really should consider both because your dog will go through phases of being able to walk assisted (Use the harness) and not being able to walk at all (Use the sling). The Vet will ask you to keep your dog mostly immobile for the 4-6 weeks before surgery to not further injure the knee. You will see your dog walking but doing so in a manner we call the toe tap or they will be sitting on the good leg and dragging themselves self short distances. It's a sad sight. The risk is not only to the hurt leg, but hurting the remaining good leg as well. Keep you vet informed and they will prescribe in our case anti-inflammatory and pain medication. We also use some tryptophan treats for anxiety. Trust me your dog will be very stressed from pain and immobility.In his first week after his tear he couldn't walk at all. At 110 pounds, you can pick him up with this, it has a shoulder strap but based on the contact weight distribution points (Straps under each leg) doesn't appear as comfortable to my dog as the sling did. The sling I have has a sturdier dual shoulder strap and the sling covers him from his chest to his backside. It also has handles on the sides and not the top like this harness. The weight is distributed across his entire under body and with the straps and handles on the side you pick him up across his ribs and midsection. (That's the major difference, a sling has a greater area of weight distribution vs the harness which only has the 4 leg points) For a dog that can't walk in my opinion it's the easiest way to pick up and carry a dog. In addition, the sling has dual side straps two people can share the load, a strap for each persons shoulder.But lets get back to the mobility harness. I keep my dog with me in my small office on a blanket which he happily stays on most of the day to keep his mobility to a minimum. When my dog was relaxed I introduced the harness and sling. This harness is great and I started with the top part only and just let him wear it for 20 minutes several time throughout the day. He thinks of it like a collar. You can assemble the entire back section and treat it like a single unit. With the top part on it's a quick and easy clasp to the 2 parts together so it hands off your dogs back. Slip the abdominal strap in place and then slide the 2 back legs straps under and connect. The hardest part is the 2 leg straps, but that's only because your dog may not be able to stand up so you have to kind of slide them under to attach. The whole thing takes me less than a minute. Because I can get it on and off quickly, I don't have my dog wear it for any extended period of time. I do however still put the top part on him for random 20 minute periods just to keep him used to it. My goal is to have him used to this because after the TPLO surgery it's going to be weeks of rehab and need for assisted walkingThe first 2 days he didn't like bottom part. But once he realized with my help he could get out of the office, he's adjusted to it. You still need to watch your dog to make sure he doesn't over do it, I don't even with the harness let him go more than 20 feet before I make him rest again. Though I admit he snuck off a few times when I left him resting in the harness. So I know he's capable of toe tap walking right now, but you don't want to risk further injury.Once your dog is on this, you lift slowly from his back, while holding the front. The front hand guides, the back had lifts and provides support. At first my dog would not use his back legs and did a funny wheelbarrow race walk. Then after day 1 realized he could put weight on his back legs with the support. Don't over do it, 20 feet at a time or less seems to work well for us. My wife is 5'1 and weighs about the same as the dog, and she can lift and guide him with this harness and walk him short distances. The configuration stays in place, it's well designed for mobility assist, and has enough flexibility to be taut when you're assisting the dog and relaxed when your dog may be lounging for a few minutes in the harness. I see no issues with chaffing of discomfort while assisting in walking. Acclimate the Dog to the harness and he'll treat it just like a collar or putting on a leash for a walk.Regarding the harness strap. Yes it works. It's a one person strap as opposed to the sling which can be used with 2 people. I don't like the weight distribution of this harness when used as a sling because of the points of contact are all joints versus the entire dog under frame. It will work, and if you have to carry the dog a short distance it's a good solution. But for a BIG dog, it can't be comfortable for a dog for any longer periods used this way.All the best to you and your dogs! hope this helps a little.

My 13 year old female German Shepherd wears it almost full time - I take it off to brush her coat. It does not appear to impede her in any way.She has all the symptoms of cauda equina, so her condition is not temporary - she often has trouble getting her back end off the ground and her rear legs fatigue in hundreds of feet - they even fatigue from just standing while out for a car ride. She will be using this harness for the rest of her life. At this point she is still very engaged and seems happy - this harness has made it a lot easier to keep her active.I use the rear handle most often to steady her when she has trouble walking and lift her back end if she falls down. I no longer need a ramp to get her into my SUV - I use the front handle to get her front legs on the sill - she climbs from there to the top of the folded seat while I lift her back end with the rear handle. The rear handle helps when she has trouble climbing / descending steps. There are no signs of chafing so far - after over a month of steady use. The back straps are sleeved - the fronts are not, but they are wide and there is no need for them to be adjusted tight. I use the belly attachment on the rear section - even though she is female - I feel it spreads the lifting force more evenly over her stomach.There are lots of adjustments and well worth the time taken to make them so the fit is comfortable. Initial set up took about twenty minutes and over the course of the first day of use, I did some readjusting to improve fit. Once done, no need to do again if you remove the harness for any reason. The front secrion has a strap ahead of and behind the front legs. Both go through a chest pad. I marked the front strap so there was no guessing about the way it went back on. Once adjusted, it is easy to remove and to re-install.I am very happy with this product - it has really helped by making it easier for me to keep her mobile.If I could change anything, I would add some sort of clip for the excess rear strap ends - to shorten how much they dangle (there is a generous range of adjustment at both ends). They some times wind up in her urine stream. I solved the problem with rubber bands.I would also add some way to adjust the distance between each handle and it's pad. She fatigues easily and sometimes needs assistance in back while walking. The rear handle works well for that, but it is akward to have to stoop to one side to grip it. Generally by the time a dog needs one of these, walks are short outings for bathroom breaks and a change of scene - so having to stoop to one side for a short time is not a big issue, but not having to stoop would be nice.The set comes with a long adjustable length strap with a shoulder pad - that can be attached to the front and rear sections of the harness - a picture on their WEB site shows a good size dog - looks like a Golden Retriever being lifted almost off the ground using a person's shoulder. It is hard to imagine walking very far this way.My dog still has two good front legs and only needs occasional help walking in back. We don't go far - under a thousand feet over the course of ten to fifteen minutes - but the rear handle really helps to lift her back up when she falls and help her near the end of our walk when she fatigues. I considered just getting the back section - I am glad I got the whole set. The front helps her get into my vehicle - plus it is needed to keep the rear in place when worn full time. I also considered just a rear sling for less money, but this full harness is a much better solution for my dog. When she has a problem getting her back up off the ground - the rear handle is right there to lift and steady her.