I want to start taking them out on the petsmart trips without pouching them all the time. as a note I've never has them pouch-less during the day. and at night they never stay on me (not anywhere in the house) so that time is moot. my point is at this time idk how they'd react if I were say - set them down outside. Idk if they'd run to me, explore, or run off.

questions are so -

1. how do I train 'older' gliders to stay on me or in my pocket? (oldest is 2 y/o)
2. I found a good harness site. i'm aware of the dangers of them but I think these look pretty 'safe'. - - www.eclecticpets.com/myharnesses.html
3. how do I 'test' my gliders reaction to being out and about out-of-pouch without actually. . .just doing that?
4. Pockets. I also found a cute dress that has a bunch of pockets. my mom when she saw it said that they wouldn't be able to breathe in the pockets seen. is she right?
(I can't post the url for some reason) just go to amazon and look up Sharagano Women's Cargo Pocket Belted Shirt Dress , its the only thing that pops up.

ok I think I have answers to a few of your questions.
1. Have you tried Bra baby training. Its really not as weird as it sounds. Thats what mine do and I bring them everywhere.Its pretty easy to train them like that. I don't have a lot of information to give about it but I found a foum discussion on it.www.glidercentral.net/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/33452/How_to_bra_train . Mine are so well trained if I take them out of my shirt they scurry back in the instant they have a chance.
2. The only concern I have about the harness is how it would rip the wings if they were to fly. Its probably fine if they stay in one place but I wouldn't use it.
3. Sorry I don't have a good answer to that one.
4. I think they could breathe from it ( After all they do sit in a zipped up pouch made with thick fleece). The only thing I was thinking is that where the pockets are they could easily get bumped.
Hope this helps.

My ex bought a harness a few years ago and he wasn't able to get it on his glider, she could climb out of it faster than he could get her in. It was funny.

I have heard that with a leash/harness they could possibly break their neck if they couldn't reach what they were aiming at. I don't know if that has actually happened, but it's not worth the risk, at least not with my gliders.

1. All I can say is we only have ONE glider the wife will take out of the house without a zipped up pouch. (out of 10 gliders.) she will put gizmo in her bra, he will curl up at daytime and evenings and sleep or groom. whether IN the house OR OUT of the house, gizmo will stay in her bra. THAT is the only test I can say, walk around the house for a few MONTHS!! If your glider stays on you or in your bra that is a start, ALSO our bonded gliders are much easier to handle, we can grab sophie or GUS very easy, they dont dart off or bite. Gus fell off me (nails just cut) and landed on the big dog once, I just reached down and picked him up easy. If your glider is not easy to handle I wouldn't even consider taking them out without zipped up pouch, ONE just ONE mistake can be a runaway glider.
Gizmo will stay with my wife ALWAYS, if she takes him out at store he only wants back in the bra.
Outside noises can startle gliders? be positive your glider won't run.
we also always bring pouch just in case.

2. I couldn't even bring myself to put my gliders in that type of potential harm. Just like I put them in zipped pouch out of house, I'm to worried they will run, I let wife do the bra thing.

3. take them OUT and about IN THE HOUSE. take to friends/parents house, take them out of pouch and test in a strange house. I take one to three gliders for a ride from cage to refrigerator for mealworm. they stay on me, but one or two look around alot, maybe for a place to jump.

in the end, outside and harness just come with to much danger for me to do.

thank for the awesome replies. For now I agree and put the harness thing aside. there is a lot of rumor and myths about them and one day i'd like to get one to see for myself. (but I can see my babies need to have bit more training >.<)

Minadog77 thanks for the link. i'll start doing that method when I get moving in the mornings. it definitely seems a lot better then stuffing the three of them in a pouch together. as a side note for the shirt thing, is it ok to have them all together or should it be a separate thing like in bonding?

p.s. yes I do have access to a good exotic vet, any future future potential injuries can and will be taken care of.

I bra/shirt train all my babies. I bra train I individually but I do put all of them in my shirt at once. This is a great way to bond because they are close to you, get used to your smell, how you move, your voice, and they begin to think of you as a safe place.

I recommend starting this in a safe place like a tent or a glider safe room. If they do manage to escape then they will remain safe.

You should only take them out when you are 98% confident that they will not run away. It will never be 100% because they are animals and have the capability of doing unexpected things.

A great way to test if you can take them out is if they will stay on you all day, and if they will come to you at night. Two out of three of mine will stay with me asleep all day. One is a hit or miss. All three will come to me randomly during outside of cage play time. If I'm walking around the house and they are awake they will stay on me.

This is how I know two of mine can go outside without a pouch.


I hope this helps.