How a chest harness accidentally reduced my dog’s luxating-patella skip by 99%

I have two 15-pound dogs, Floyd and Otis, and we walk about a mile three times a day. Otis is responsible for this schedule: merely mentioning the word “walk” causes him to lose what little composure he possesses. It is, without question, his favorite thing in the world. Floyd enjoys the walks as well; however, he has made it clear that his attendance is not contractually required and will occasionally abstain.

I adopted Otis four years ago, and he has always walked with a pronounced skip in his right hind leg. A veterinarian diagnosed him with a fairly significant luxating patella. Fortunately, it has never appeared to cause him pain. He has never lagged behind, lost enthusiasm, or shown the slightest interest in ending a walk early.

Still, it was difficult to watch. We are conditioned to see a limp or skip as evidence of injury, or discomfort, and although I knew Otis wasn't in pain, some part of me never entirely accepted it as simply the way he walked. On a typical outing, I would estimate that roughly 40% of his steps involved a hop, skip, or hitch of some kind. It sometimes eased toward the end of the walk, but it was a constant part of our daily routine.

Otis also occasionally has the distinctive honking cough associated with tracheal collapse. It only occurred once or twice a month, and he isn’t a heavy puller, but I assumed that a collar against his throat couldn’t be helping. So I bought him a harness that sits low across the chest and avoids the neck entirely. Floyd received one too; as he has always considered being steered by the neck beneath him.

On the first walk in the new harness, in fact, within the first block, Otis’s skip nearly vanished.

This was not a gradual improvement. He went from skipping during close to half of every walk to what is at least a 99% reduction. This is even more surprising considering that, during the two years before we moved to the city, we lived in the suburbs and often walked off leash; his skip was just as present then.

We are now more than 20 walks into this, and the difference has remained consistent. He may still take an awkward step when attacking a plastic bag that has apparently disrespected him, but for all practical purposes, the skip has vanished.

My best guess is that the harness subtly changes the way he carries his body or distributes his weight, placing the affected leg in a better mechanical position. Whether that begins with his posture, center of gravity, spine, hips, or something else, I couldn’t say. I only know that he moves differently in the harness and that the result was immediate and complete.

To be clear, I am not a veterinarian, and I am fully aware the harness has not corrected the underlying anatomy of his knee. I’m also not suggesting that every dog with a luxating patella will have the same result. But although the condition remains, I’m certain that having his kneecap slip out of place thousands of times less on a weekly basis is better for the long-term health of that joint.

There is also a quieter benefit for me. After four years of feeling that small internal flinch with every hop, I can finally watch Otis enjoy his favorite thing without bracing, however slightly, for the next skip.

I bought the harness to address an occasional irritation to his throat. What I received was the best possible free gift with purchase: the unexpected benefit dwarfed the reason I bought it.

Maybe Otis is a one-off, but I doubt he is entirely unique. The change was so immediate, consistent, and pronounced that I felt compelled to share it. I know how much we all love our doggos, and if another dog with a similar skip benefits from the same simple change, this was worth writing.

Now, if someone could convince Otis that every unidentified substance lurking in a dark corner of a Chicago sidewalk is not a complimentary facial treatment, the other small part of me that winces during our walks might finally get some rest as well.