Types of Dog Harnesses
Dog harnesses are simple pieces of equipment that help you hold and guide your dog while still letting them have some control. Dogs are very curious creatures and they love exploring around. Every other sniff excites them and they prance in that direction. Nevertheless, this simple equipment does most of the part when it comes to your dog’s security. Particularly for this circumstance, the harness must be reliable. Making sure that you find an appropriate harness becomes crucial. Even after selecting one, you need to see if it is adjusted correctly according to your dog. Improperly adjusted harnesses do a lot more harm than you can imagine. They may even prove to be life-threatening in some situations. Here are some threats that an ill-fitted harness brings:
- A loose harness may cause too much friction and irritation.
- The dog may easily slip out of it.
- The pressure that the dog feels on being pulled will not be distributed evenly and the dog may feel severe discomfort.
- Increases the risk of neck injuries.
- It may hamper breathing.
- A tight harness may lead to skin sores.
Always know that a reliable harness from any reputable manufacturer will have instructions and all necessary information regarding the product. You should know how to use and handle one before stepping out with your fur baby dressed in it.
Things to Consider Before Purchasing a Harness.
Getting the Right Size
A harness grips your dog from several regions. Along the lines of it, you should take those measurements before making a purchase. The most important ones are the neck and the chest. Always measure first.
After getting the prerequisites done, make up your mind regarding what type of harness you find best. Additionally, try making this decision while keeping your dog in mind. Quite often, some dogs feel more comfortable in a particular type of harness than others. You may look for:
Kind of Buckles in the Harness
Buckles may be made of plastic or metals. For easy dogs, plastic buckles do the work. These buckles are also easier to use and operate. For energetic or bigger dogs, you may want to have metallic buckles. These buckles provide a stronger grip.
Points of Adjustments
It helps to note the number of points of adjustments that a harness offers. More points of adjustments give you a wider scope of setting the harness as per your dog. These points should preferably be located around the chest and waist.
Breeds and Body shapes
You should choose such a harness that compliments your dog’s breed and body shape. You would not prefer a small harness with plastic buckles for a strong breed like a rottweiler. So, the sanity of using products aptly should be maintained.
- Dogs with long bodies should be given harnesses that sit around the middle third of their body.
- Harnesses for shorter dogs should have a leash around the front part of the body.
- The width of the straps is crucial for the pressure to be divided evenly.
- A wide strap around the chest region should be there irrespective of the size of the dog.
Types of Dog Harnesses
1. Step in/Back Clip Harnesses
Etymologically, dogs do have to step in to get in these harnesses. The ring onto which the leash is clipped is located on the top of the dog’s back. This kind of leash is adequate for trained dogs who do not pull on the leash.
2. Front Clip Harnesses
The leash attachment in such harnesses is in the front. They are designed to impede pulling as the pressure point is around the sternum.
3. Tightening Harnesses
These harnesses provide additional pressure and grip in case the dog begins to pull on the leash. If your dog is not trained enough to not be a menace with the harness, you can try this kind.
4. Vest Harnesses
These harnesses have been designed more for comfort and fashion purposes. If you wish to get your dog trained on the leash, you would preferably not want this one. Generally, this is used for service dogs or highly trained ones.
5. Mobility Harnesses
These harnesses are used to aid your dogs to move around. Dogs with arthritis, injuries, or just ageing; need some support to move around. These harnesses help in the same.
If you are still having a hard time finding an appropriate harness, check out the following harnesses. We have gone through lots of assortments that are available and enlisted the ones that we found best.
Top 10 Dog Harnesses
- Waago Double Padded Body Harness.
- Pet Walk Classic Step-in Harness.
- Service Dog Chest Harness by PetsUp.
- Chest Support Harness.
- Waago Cushion Type Harness.
- WapaW No-Pull Adjustable Dog Harness.
- Futurekart Vest Harness for puppies.
- Reflective Pet Harness.
- Waago Rope Harness.
- Solvit Dog Lifting Mobility Harness.
| Image |
PRODUCT NAME |
PRODUCT RATING | PRODUCT LINK |
 |
Waago Double Padded Body Harness |
4.2/5 |
|
 |
Pet Walk Classic Step-in Harness |
4/5 | |
 |
Service Dog Chest Harness by PetsUp |
4.6/5 | |
 |
Chest Support Harness |
4.3/5 | |
 |
Waago Cushion Type Harness | 3.9/5 | Buy Now |
 |
WapaW No-Pull Adjustable Dog Harness |
4.4/5 |
|
 |
Futurekart Vest Harness for puppies |
4.2/5 |
|
 |
Reflective Pet Harness |
4.8/5 |
|
 |
Waago Rope Harness |
4/5 |
|
 |
Solvit Dog Lifting Mobility Harness |
4.5/5 |
Let us have a look at them in detail.
1. Waago Double Padded Body Harness
By now, all dog parents must have been familiar with this brand for providing high-end pet products. Along similar lines, this Waago Double Padded Body Harness for dogs is great.
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Benefits:
- Highly comfortable because it is padded.
- Adjustable strap to resize it as per the body.
- Good quality buckles and stitches.
- Comes in attractive prints.
- Available in different sizes.
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Material:
Cotton and Nylon.
2. Pet Walk Classic Step-in Harness
Pet Walk Classic Step-in Harness is a step-in strap harness. It is a rope harness that has several adjustment points to fit your dog. It contains durable plastic buckles and sturdy nylon ropes.
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Benefits:
- The leash is soft to the skin and does not feel hard when pulled.
- Many adjustment points.
- Easily washable since it’s all just ropes.
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Material:
Nylon.
3. PetsUp Service Dog Chest Harness
Service dogs are already pretty trained to be controlled. But PetsUp Service Dog Chest Harness gives you a good grip over your service buddy. It comes with metallic points of attachment and a sturdy build. The harness portion is made out of waterproof nylon and soft mesh padding.
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Benefits:
- The harness has reflective patches that say “service dog”. Let the world see your dog’s value.
- Adjustable chest straps and release buckles to achieve the perfect fit.
- Contains chest plates to prevent the harness from slipping out.
- Neoprene inner lining makes it cool to the skin and prevents rashes/irritation.
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Material:
Cotton padding and Nylon.
4. Chest Support Harness
Chest support harnesses are meant to provide rearward grip and prevent a forward slump in your dog’s posture. This is what it does while making your dog feel comfortable and cosy enough. It is very flexible and gives an ample amount of room for movement.
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Benefits:
- It contains durable plastic buckles and nooks that make it highly adjustable.
- Very flexible.
- The texture feels soft to the skin.
- Available in different sizes.
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Material:
Nylon.
Note: Chest harnesses are not very supportive to provide forward reach. These harnesses also block some trunk movements as the latch is present in the front. Even then this kind is adequate for larger dogs like st. bernard. As their movements are not very sharp, they get enough range of motion with chest support harnesses.
5. Waago Cushion Harness
Waago Cushion Harness is a simple body harness that has cushions from inside. The cushioned portion covers the back of the torso. Wearing this, your pet will be at ease and feel comfortable enough. The hatch and buckles are prepared out of good quality plastic that can hold additional leashes.
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Benefits:
- Good grip on the body.
- The back coverage evenly distributes the pressure and your dog will not feel it concentrated on the neck.
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Material:
Nylon and Polyester.
6. WapaW No-Pull Adjustable Dog Harness
WapaW No-Pull Adjustable Dog Harness makes the walk time your dog’s absolute favourite! This dog has been built to provide ease to you and your dog. Put it on without any hassle and see your dog love it instantly. The soft sponge pads provided in the chest area offers comfort for extended hikes and other outdoor activities.
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Benefits:
- Soft mesh lining to make the harness breathable.
- The stitching is reflective. Your dog will be safe even during darker hours.
- Comes with a durable handle.
- Weatherproof material.
- Metallic leash attachment points.
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Material:
Nylon belts.
Also Read – Best Dog Collars
7. Futurekart Vest Harness for puppies
Futurekart Vest Harness for puppies is a vest harness specially designed for puppies. Given that these harnesses are designed more for comfort and are not too tight, puppies will feel comfortable wearing one. It is not too gripped but enough to solve the purpose of keeping your pup safe when outside.
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Benefits:
- Great for puppies and leash training.
- Made out of soft nylon to feel breathable.
- Provides a good grip on the chest and neck regions, which are fragile in earlier ages.
- Adjustable sturdy buckles and latches with a metallic ring.
- Highly comfortable cotton mesh on the inside.
- Adequate for smaller dogs like Corgis, Pugs, etc.
- Hassle-free management.
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Material:
Nylon and Cotton.
8. Reflective Pet Harness
These are normal body harnesses that are made to reflect light during darker hours. Unfortunately, few dogs do suffer because of not being visible at night and getting hurt by vehicles. Reflective Pet Harness is the perfect solution for preventing such horrific things from happening. Made like normal harnesses, these are coated with reflective material.
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Benefits:
- The most evident benefit is that it is reflective and very good for safety purposes.
- Made from soft nylon to feel comfortable on the skin.
- Comes with adjustable latches and buckles that are durable.
- Available in different sizes.
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Material:
Nylon.
9. Waago Rope Harness
If your dog does not like harnesses that cover quite some part of its torso, these Waago Rope Harness are your best friend. They solve as much purpose as any other harness. Along the lines of it, it is just roped to provide grip without taking much of the area. This harness comes with steel hooks that provide the utmost durability. The ropes are plated with chromium to reflect during the darker hours of the day.
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Benefits:
- Provides grip without covering many areas.
- Metallic hooks.
- Highly adjustable buckles and latches.
- Good quality nylon ropes that are coated with chromium.
- Comes along with a collar.
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Material:
Nylon.
10. Solvit Dog Lifting Mobility Harness
As mentioned above, mobility harnesses are constructed to help senior/injured dogs move around. This is one such harness that lets you haul some of the bodyweight of your dog. Solvit Dog Lifting Mobility Harness lets you choose which portion of the body needs to be supported. The rear portion, front, or the whole body. When you aid your dog using this harness, it reduces pressure from their body and makes movement easier.
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Benefits:
- There is not just one pressure point, but several. Your dog will not feel stressed or unbalanced.
- Reduces pressure and enables your dog to move more comfortably.
- The handles are rubberized.
- Multiple lifting handles.
- Breathable mesh on the inside.
- Contains a special supporter for the hip.
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Material:
Cotton pads in mesh, Nylon, Rubber handles.
Since every end is a new beginning, it is wise to end this blog while beginning to realise how essential harnesses are.
- It is for your and your dog’s safety when you are both out. Heavier and larger dogs can easily pull you on it. Smaller ones will need you to pull on the lease for them.
- Harnesses are safer than leashes. We said what we said! Your dog might entangle and be prone to get choked by a leash. However, this is not so with a harness.
- Leashes require collars, and you know collars are not exactly safe.
- A harness also makes it more convenient to restrict your dog’s movements when required.
We all are on the same side in this, with our pet’s safety and comfort. After all, there are only a few things that our dogs need and expect from us. These things are generally not materialistic, they need our love, time, care and concern.
FAQs:
1. Why are harnesses better than leashes?
Dogs may feel choked on wearing collars and collars are necessary to use leashes. Collars and leashes are also known to affect breathing negatively. All these problems are resolved if you shift harnesses.
2. Are harnesses safe to be used throughout the day?
Generally, harnesses are used to walk your dogs, leash-train them, in crowded areas, etc. However comfortable they may be, not preferable to be used throughout the day.
Final Thoughts
Getting back to the harnesses, the above-mentioned ones belong to almost all commonly available kinds. There is one especially for mobility, a few chest harnesses, step-in harnesses, and normal body ones. If you try and fault any of these, you will not find any. Having said that, one may suit your dog’s needs more than the other. That is something you have to figure out on your own. Our tips on how to choose one should really help you here. Stay safe and keep your pooches safe.
