Dog Harness: A Good Fit That Is Gentle on Neck and Back

Dog Harness: Relaxed Walks on the Lead

A well-fitting harness spreads the pull of the lead across the chest and shoulders, protecting the sensitive neck. Here you'll find Y-harnesses such as Fitty or Dallas with two lead attachment points, an escape-proof safety harness, reflective models for the darker months, puppy harnesses with a lead, padded harnesses for small dogs and a car safety harness.

Which Harness Suits Your Dog?

A Y-harness leaves the shoulders free and allows plenty of freedom of movement, which makes it a good choice for most dogs. A second attachment point on the chest helps with lead training, because your dog is gently turned to the side when it pulls. Anxious dogs and rescue dogs sometimes back out of their harness when they get a fright. An escape-proof harness with an extra belly strap reliably prevents this. For puppies there are light harnesses that can be adjusted as they grow.

Fitting It Right and Staying Safe in the Car

For a harness to fit well, the chest strap shouldn't rub under the armpits and the back piece shouldn't press on the spine. You should be able to fit two fingers between the strap and the body. Reflective strips and an address tube, as on the Maestro 2.0, provide extra safety in case your dog ever gets lost. For car journeys there's a car safety harness that you connect to the seat belt system. That way your dog stays in its place when you brake.

Frequently asked questions

Is a harness better than a collar?
For dogs that still pull hard, a well-fitting harness is gentler, because it puts no pressure on the larynx and neck vertebrae. If your dog already walks nicely on a loose lead, a collar is just as fine.

How do I find the right harness size?
Measure the chest at its widest point directly behind the front legs and also measure the neck. If your dog is between two sizes, the larger one with more room for adjustment is usually the better choice.

My dog doesn't like having its harness put on. What helps?
Practise putting it on in small steps and reward your dog when it puts its head through the opening voluntarily. A harness with clip buckles that doesn't have to go over the head makes it easier for many dogs.