The Julius-K9® IDC®Longwalk harness and its flexible system have won a prestigious innovation award following several other international awards. This time, the Hungarian Association for Innovation assessed the application “Biomechanical solution for the protection of joints” as of outstanding significance.
It is no coincidence that the company, which has been developing dog equipment for nearly 25 years, devotes much of its effort to further developing harnesses. The popularity of harnesses now rivals that of the collar, and more and more professionals believe that harnesses are also a better choice than collars in respect to health. Harnesses are also recommended for young, old and small dogs and those that have breathing problems but are generally preferred for everyday walks and hikes.
Julius-K9® finds it important that the chest and shoulder straps are located in the so-called Green Zone. With good design and size selection, the advantages of the dog harness over the collar are obvious. The dog harness spares the neckline and provides unhampered breathing during walks, while keeping the dog’s controllability at an optimal level. This guiding principle was applied while designing the Julius-K9® chest harnesses and Y-harnesses. However, to make the most of the benefits of each type of harness, the ideal adjustment by itself is insufficient.
Equipment adapted to an activity is not new in the case of animal harnesses. Just as it’s natural for us to wear hiking boots for trips, so it should be natural that dogs are given the right type of harness for certain activities. It was with this in mind that the IDC®Longwalk Y dog harness was made by Julius-K9® in addition to the now iconic IDC®Powerharness.
The IDC®Longwalk was designed for long hikes, and its special feature is the innovative Duo-Flex® system in addition to the design. Three points of the harness are active: the chest, the shoulder, and the leash attachment have rings secured with elastic rubber bands that respond to every movement of the dog and owner while walking on the leash. The use of the harness is thus suitable even for the longest walks. With the Duo-Flex® system, the neck straps follow the dog’s movements at every step, so she only detects the harness when the leash is taut. In addition, the Duo-Flex® system serves the owner too by dampening the slightest vibrations on a leash. When the dog is let off the leash, she doesn’t feel the harness, as the flexible system actively follows the shoulders’ movements.
The lining of the IDC®Longwalk harness is made of neoprene material, which provides maximum comfort for the dog. Thanks to the precise adjustment options, the harness is perfectly customizable. The handle on the harness has been given a rubberized surface for a firm grip. At the top of the harness is the old but gold innovation of Julius-K9®, the interchangeable custom patch. This way, messages to the outside world can be updated at any time. The hook & loop fastener is also suitable for attaching the IDC®Universal bag.
JK9® has recently involved independent experts in the study of the long-term effects of the Duo-Flex® system. To review the research results, they asked for the help of those who founded their business to preserve, restore and physically rehabilitate dogs, and gifted IDC®Longwalk dog harness test pieces to veterinarians and physiotherapists completely free of charge. Testing is still ongoing, but based on initial feedback, the Duo-Flex® system is performing really well.
