Brief Overview
We have determined that JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness doesn’t hinder the movement of the dog during running.
The Hungarian Greyhound Race Society (MAVE) and Alsónémedi Greyhound Park, which conforms to European standards, examined JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharnesses in a common study to determine whether they have an effect on dogs’ running time and freedom of movement. The results unequivocally confirm that using only JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness there is no restraint on the animal’s movement. We have determined that JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharnesses don’t have an effect on dogs’ running time and they don’t have a negative effect on the dogs’ freedom of movement.
Preamble
The Hungarian Greyhound Race Society (successor of Rába Greyhound Race Society, earlier Rába Greyhound Club, contractual partner of MEOE) have been organising races for dogs since 1992. Alsónémedi Greyhound Park has a race track which conforms to European standards (FCI) and which is suitable to measure the speed and running time of racing animals, according to international standards. In 2017 it was the location of the famous greyhound race event, the FCI European Championship.
Aim
To make an assessment based on independent measurements in order to find out the effect of JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness to the movement of dogs.
Test conditions
MAVE, as an independent association examined whether JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharnesses have an effect on dogs’ running time and freedom of movement or not. The principle of the test is that by measuring precisely the runtime of dogs, it can be determined whether there is an appreciable difference when animals compete in JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness or without any equipment.
For the test we used only new, flawless JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharnesses fitted to the right size for the dogs. These were put on and adjusted according to the manufacturer’s specifications.
Practical execution-test methodology
We randomly invited racers to the Greyhound Park which we arranged to compete in several timed races. All of the dogs competed twice and we randomly selected which dog would wear JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness in the first or in the second race. When dogs ran without a harness, they did not wear any other equipment.
Between the races we provided a minimum of 2 hours rest for the animals.
During the test, regarding all racing dogs we measured the running time down to milli-second accuracy, the distance and the condition of whether it wore a JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness in the first or in the second race.
Altogether 31 dogs competed in a scientifically significant way. We excluded dogs that were physically disabled from the test (for example more greyhounds), and those who had not completed the race for some reason.
Results
The runtime of each dog is summarized in the table. In order to increase the accuracy of the statistical analysis, the two extreme times per race are omitted from the evaluation.
| Dog’s name | Dog’s breed | Distance (m) | Race in HARNESS (s) | Race without harness (s) | Difference without harness – in HARNESS (s) |
| Buci | Bull-type | 80 | 5,724 | 5,884 | 0,16 |
| Zafír | Whippet | 80 | 5,817 | 5,881 | 0,064 |
| DióW | Whippet | 80 | 5,925 | 5,816 | -0,109 |
| Dhana | Border collie | 80 | 6,124 | 6,164 | 0,04 |
| Momo | Bull-type | 80 | 6,907 | 6,289 | -0,618 |
| Amper | Amstaff | 80 | 7,256 | 7,466 | 0,21 |
| Zora | Bull-type | 80 | 7,281 | 7,321 | 0,04 |
| Nixon | Bull-type | 80 | 7,322 | 7,418 | 0,096 |
| Quantum | Malinois puppy | 80 | 8,546 | 8,595 | 0,049 |
| Maya | Bull-type | 80 | 8,612 | 8,672 | 0,06 |
| Sunny | Golden Retriever | 280 | 22,601 | 22,678 | 0,077 |
| Loki | Labrador | 280 | 25,042 | 24,926 | -0,116 |
| Hekaté | Greyhound | 280 | 22,765 | 29,112 | – |
| Tyson | Bull-type | 280 | 24,212 | 23,286 | – |
| Average | 9,763 | 9,759 | -0,00392 | ||
| % of average deviation compared to races without harness | -0,0401% | ||||
| Spread | 0,20519 | ||||
| Dog’s name | Dog’s breed | Distance (m) | Race without harness (s) | Race in HARNESS (s) | Difference without harness – in HARNESS (s) |
| Dió | Whippet | 80 | 5,778 | 5,372 | 0,406 |
| Zerge | Whippet | 80 | 6,087 | 5,537 | 0,55 |
| Jinx | Whippet | 80 | 5,824 | 5,874 | -0,05 |
| Csiga | Whippet PUPPY | 80 | 7,032 | 6,994 | 0,038 |
| Peggy | Beagle | 80 | 7,63 | 7,225 | 0,405 |
| Müzli | Cross-breed | 80 | 9,521 | 9,714 | -0,193 |
| Káosz | Malinois cross-breed | 280 | 20,074 | 20,074 | 0 |
| Lumen | Malinois cross-breed | 280 | 20,827 | 21,154 | -0,327 |
| Letty | Cross-breed | 280 | 23,45 | 23,508 | -0,058 |
| Skala | Saluki | 280 | 23,296 | 23,576 | -0,28 |
| Orion | Cross-breed | 280 | 24,11 | 24,27 | -0,16 |
| Diesel | Parson Russel Terrier | 280 | 27,222 | 26,981 | 0,241 |
| Kawan | Cross-breed | 280 | 26,748 | 26,99 | -0,242 |
| Scotty | Parson Russel Terrier | 280 | 27,82 | 27,26 | 0,56 |
| Turbó | Cross-breed | 280 | 27,14 | 27,29 | -0,15 |
| Gece | Chihuahua | 80 | 7,939 | 8,277 | – |
| Panda | Pekingese | 80 | 9,598 | 8,951 | – |
| Average | 17,455 | 17,504 | 0,04933 | ||
| % of average deviation compared to races without harness | 0,2826% | ||||
| Spread | 0,29474 | ||||
In race 1, in the case of dogs wearing harnesses, the average deviation between races was –0,04% per dog, and the spread was 0,21 s. In race 2, in the case of dogs wearing harnesses, the average deviation between races was 0,28%, and the spread was 0,29 s.
Rating
The measured data were analysed statistically. We compared the results of races in a JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness and without a harness. Overall there was only 0.04% (in race 1) and 0.28% (in race 2) average deviation between the two values.
In JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness vs. without harness
run performance test
Alsónémedi, Greyhound Racing Track
07 July, 2018
This shows that there is no significant difference whether a dog runs in JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness or without it. We measured the time results on the 80m and 280m lengths of the racetrack. It is clear that JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness does not restrict the movement of a running dog.
Based on observations during the race, it can be stated that JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness does not constrain the animal, it allows comfortable, free movement as it constantly fits to the dog’s body position.
Summary
Measured results and personal experience clearly support that using only JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness on the dog there is no restriction on the animal’s movement. It is more interesting, to consider that the weight of the JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharness neither has a negative effect on dogs, since they have achieved at least as a good result on average as when they were running without any equipment.
Based on the above findings it can be concluded that JULIUS-K9® IDC® Powerharnesses do not affect the runtime of dogs and they do not have a negative effect on the dogs’ freedom of movement.
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Alsónémedi, 07 July, 2018