The knot came undone from the rope loop on the dog's pulling harness where the line is attached. What to do?
Dog pulling harnesses usually have a loop tied from a thin rope where the tug line is attached. This knot, like the condition of the pulling gear and the dog's equipment in general, should be checked regularly. For example, frayed and worn straps should be replaced in time to minimize the risk of gear breaking during use. Also, elastic rubber stretches tend to slacken over time and use, so it's worthwhile to replace them occasionally.
In multi-dog sledding sports, the length of the attachment loop on the pulling harnesses can be adjusted so that dogs of different sizes can run side by side with their heads next to each other, even if the harnesses are attached to the tug line/main line at the same point. The smaller/shorter dog has a longer attachment loop than the bigger/longer dog running beside it.
There may be an occasional need to open the attachment loop. The knot can also come undone accidentally if there isn't enough extra left at the ends of the knot. It's a good idea to check this every time you start using new harnesses!
In the video below, we show how to retie the attachment loop with the so-called fisherman's knot (other names for this knot include angler's knot, lover's knot, rower's knot, Englishman's knot). This is the knot usually used in pull harnesses. The model in the video is Non-stop dogwear Freemotion harness.
The fisherman's knot is basically two normal knots tied side by side. Simple! If you want, you can of course tie a different knot to the attachment loop, as long as it holds!
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