The Origin of Gooby's Escape Free® Harness
In June 2016, Gooby released its first Escape Free® harness to the public. It quickly became a best seller and customer favorite. Among the world of small dogs, Gooby's Escape Free® harness is well known and has helped many owners protect their furry friends.
So, how did this popular design come to fruition?
The Origin
The Escape Free® story begins many years ago with the development of our step-in harnesses that were created out of our head-in harnesses. Adding the step-in design to our harnesses made it easier to be taken on and off, particularly for dogs who didn’t like anything over their heads. However, we soon noticed a problem.
One day, Miles - our company dog - escaped out of one of our step-in harnesses. We realized that the natural resistance around the neck that is provided with head-in harnesses was no longer there in our step-in design. We were also hearing similar feedback from our customers that although they loved the step-in feature, it increased the risk of escape for some dogs. This was especially true of dogs who were easily excitable, who had trouble taking to a harness, and/or who might not have had enough training. It was then in 2015 that Gooby set on a journey to developing a harness for all those escape artists.
The Challenge
There were two elements that made the journey particularly challenging. The first is the escape-free element itself. Designing a harness that was escape-free was no easy task.
The second element is the comfort and safety of the dog. At the time, there were already harnesses on the market that were labeled as a “no escape” harness. In his research, Gooby's founder, Tim Yun, saw that the existing products "were too focused on the escape free function and not enough thought was given to the comfort of the dog.”
Gooby didn’t just want to create a “no escape” harness; we wanted one that was also comfortable and secure for the dog. This dog-centered focus has been a guiding spirit of Gooby from the beginning, and it would be no different as we set upon the challenge of creating Gooby’s first “no escape” harness.
The Result
What Gooby developed - and later patented in 2017 and again in 2018 - was a harness that contracts around the dog's chest when the dog tries to back out and the attached leash is activated.
The critical design element that separated Gooby’s Escape Free® from other “no escape” harnesses was the ability to limit how much the harness contracts when it is activated, and how far it opens when it is not. This prevented the harness from crushing the dog from excessive pulling and from simply falling off when not activated.
Since the first release, our Escape Free® harnesses have kept thousands of "Houdini" dogs safe and secure all over the world. Even with its success, we continue to explore the best ways to bring more great style, superb comfort, and high functions to this premiere Gooby product.
From Our Ambassador Human & Dogs
Escape Free Harnesses In Action
Emily & Nuggie
Bridget & Winston
Jacqueline & Rocket
The Escape Free line now boasts 6 versions:
Learn about each in more detail below
Easy Fit
Sport
