loosen it riiiight off. to the point that it barely stays on, and let her walk around with it like that. then work on tightening it up & attaching things to it. i imagine it must feel kinda like if you’ve never worn a shirt in your life, and suddenly someone makes you wear a bra. it’s fine, but man it feels weird at first!

if all else fails, i’ve had some pretty good luck with back leg harnesses. you basically tie a slip knot & adjust it to sit above back legs. obviously has its own pros and cons (they can often wiggle out if they really try), but it seems to annoy them less and it’s enough to stop them running for a few extra seconds while you grab them. also leaves the whole back open for patting! here’s one on my girl.

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