Ask the PETS+ Facebook Community: Do You Offer Dog Harness Fitting at Your Store?

How are you handling fitting harnesses? We’ve had an influx of customers with very unruly dogs, and they are wanting us to fit harnesses. I’m afraid one of my employees is going to get bit. — Paula Gorman, Pet Supplies N More, Muskego, WI

• We only fit dogs who are participating in our training programs. Everyone else touches their own dogs — they can put it on, we assess it, they take it off and hand it to us, we make adjustments, pass it back, they put it back on … Many people want a harness for a dog they just acquired. Do they have an up-to-date rabies vaccination? Maybe not. If an employee is bitten, and the owner disappears or doesn’t have a rabies certificate, your employee may have to get treated. That’s really unpleasant and a substantial worker’s compensation claim. Best to avoid! — Katherine Ostiguy, Crossbones, Providence, RI
• I have been bit, and I don’t want that to happen to my employees. We advise customers how to correctly measure and test for correct fitting. I will adjust the harness off of the dog, but I learned my lesson the hard way. — Lisa Degloria, Good Dog Gallery, Portsmouth, NH
• We always do fittings. Yes, it can be difficult. More independents offering full customer service may encourage customers to shop in store vs. online. I have many people come in and say, “I bought it online, and it doesn’t fit.” And I tell them that’s the advantage of shopping in store! — Denise Strong, Pawz on Main, Cottonwood, AZ

Editor’s note: All answers printed with permission, edited for clarity and length. Join the private PETS+ Facebook Community for retailers and service providers at facebook.com/groups/petsplusmagcommunity.