Learning To Wiggleless

If you have a dog with a long back, odds are you know the importance of eliminating triggers for back injuries. If you have a fur kid who has had a back injury, then you REALLY know what I’m talking about.

My doxie mix, Sage, is coming up on 8 years old and we do as much as we can to prevent injuries. She has tiny little sets of stairs all over the house, and we carry her up and down the full-sized set of stairs. We discourage jumping and give her regular back rubs.

That’s why when the people at Wiggleless.com offered to send Sage a back brace to prevent injury, I knew she had to try it. You may recognize the Wiggleless name from the info they’ve shared with us about IVDD. They have made it their mission to spread the word about back issues in dogs and provide them with more back support and stability to both prevent injuries and help dogs heal from them.

According to the Wiggleless.com website, there are actually a lot of dogs that are prone to back problems. They say, “Dogs prone to back problems are often classified as chondrodystrophic breeds, which include, but are not limited to: Dachshund, Beagle, Shih Tzu, Bulldog, Pug, Basset Hound, Miniature Poodle, Miniature Schnauzer, Pekingese, American Cocker Spaniel, Lhasa Apso, Corgi and Scottish Terrier.” That means back health is an important issue to more dogs than most of us realize.

So, knowing Sage was especially at risk, we set out to try this brace.

Fitting

I would have to say right off the bat, the most important thing to get right has got to be the sizing. I took Sage’s measurements and we received an extra small brace.

The brace arrived and it fit like a glove! They are clearly sized well so make sure you take your dog’s measurements carefully if you are thinking about getting one. It makes sense too, it has to fit well enough to be able to provide the proper support. There’s no point in having a baggy brace!

The brace came with directions to fit it properly and tips for getting your dog used to wearing it. It also included instructions on how to tailor the brace for broad chested or narrow waisted dogs. All of this made the process easier and it helped to know how to adjust and angle the brace to get the right amount of support without restricting movement.

About The Tester

Sage is not a fan of wearing clothes so I wasn’t surprised that she wasn’t excited to wear this at first, but with a little positive reinforcement and consistency, I was really impressed.

She took to it well. Before I knew it, she was wandering around, being her normal self as if she wasn’t wearing anything at all. This, for her, is a big deal and I was so glad to see her take to it, especially because this is a matter of health – not just looking cute.

The brace, itself has boning in several places (all the red you see is boning) to provide support. Other than the boning, it’s made of mesh and velcro so I could see her wearing it even when it’s hot out. I can see how it helps support her back. I could actually feel the difference in how her back was supported when I picked her up. It definitely felt more supported, but didn’t restrict her normal movements either. Thankfully, we’ve never experienced a back injury (knock on wood) but especially as she gets older, I can see how this could help keep her supported and prevent issues from arising.

The Verdict

Sage and I are both happy with the Wiggleless back brace. I was surprised to see how well she did with it after fairly minimal positive reinforcement. For a dog that hates wearing clothes, she got around really well in it and actually didn’t even seem to mind wearing it. When I picked her up, I could feel the difference in how it supported her back. I have to say I’m impressed in the balance Wiggleless has been able to strike between providing support without losing movement. Sage sat in it, walked in it, and laid down in it and never seemed bothered one bit – and again, I still can’t believe this is a dog who hates wearing clothes! I’m glad to have this for added support, especially as she gets older.

If you want to find out more about Wiggleless and their back braces, check out their website.

Any questions? Comment below! I’ll give you my honest opinion!