Elite K-9 Tactical Patrol Harness: Handling your Land Shark

When deploying your dog in a tactical situation, you want him to succeed and come back to you safely. There is a lot of equipment available to K-9 units to assist with this goal, including bullet-resistant vests, goggles, booties, leads, and harnesses.

At first glance, the Tactical Patrol Harness from Elite K-9 looks minimal, but that’s exactly what you want. If you deploy your dog on a harness regularly then you’ll know what I mean. You want just enough equipment to help you and your dog without it becoming a hindrance or distraction.

The dog’s job is out in front of them, and they shouldn’t be overwhelmed with a “sports bra” that’s strapped around them. To assist with this, be sure to train in the harness you’re utilizing before you deploy. You want to avoid those embarrassing moments when all the patrol guys are watching you take the eight second ride, trying to put a harness on your land shark that has never trained in it.

Elite K-9 Tactical Patrol Harness

[flickr id=”6284027802″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”false” size=”medium” group=”” align=”right”] The Tactical Patrol Harness construction is top notch. It has a handle bar tacked on the top for catching that Malinois that does a fly by when you call him back to the SWAT team in the narrow hallway. It also serves as a great handle to aim your dog just before a deployment. It helps me “handle” my 87 lbs. Malinois when he’s all fired up on a suspect or decoy.

Something to keep in mind is that this harness can work against you if you come up against a suspect that grabs the harness and uses it against your dog.

Details

[flickr id=”6284027698″ thumbnail=”small” overlay=”false” size=”medium” group=”” align=”right”] The Tactical Patrol Harness includes a heavy duty Mil-Spec v-ring for attaching tracking leads. It’s strategically placed to handle the load of a large Sheppard or crazy Dutch Sheppard. On each side of the harness are 4” x 2” Velcro ID panels for your unit patches or PC morale patches.

Elite K-9 does offer reflective or glow-in-the-dark ID panels as well. A newer feature that our harness is lacking, but is now available on all new versions of the harness from Elite K-9, is a spot for an IR beacon which is now located at the top of the harness. The whole harness is locked together with a strong cop-lock buckle with a Cobra buckle available as an optional upgrade. The harness will fit girths of 27” to 34” and color choices include black, orange, coyote and MultiCam.

All in all, Elite K-9’s Tactical Patrol Harness is a great piece of equipment. It fits the bill for a harness that is small enough to work your dog with, while not inconveniencing you or your dog with the bulk of “cool dog gear.” The harness will set you or your department back about $40.

Editor-in-Chief’s Note: Please Join us in welcoming Todd Thompson as a contributor on ITS Tactical. Todd has been a Police Officer, SWAT Operator and K-9 Handler at the Castle Rock Police Department for over 9 years. He’s also a Utah POST certified SWAT Dog Instructor.