Most people know that a harness is so much better for your dog than a collar.  There is so much going on in the neck: – nerves, blood vessels, thyroid gland etc.  Why would you want to connect a lead to your dog’s collar?  Would you do that to your child? But are all harnesses good for your dog?

Well the answer is no, not all harnesses are good for your dog.  Not all harnesses are ergonomically designed for your dog’s skeleton and some are even designed to be painful to the dog should they pull. 

Your dog’s shoulder blades (scapula) unlike humans do not sit on their back but are at the top of their front legs.  So, they are actual on the sides of the dog.

Some harnesses have a strap that goes across the front of the dog’s chest.  There are two types of this style; the saddle harness and the step-in figure of 8.  These actually restrict the movement of the dog’s front legs, as the straps go across and around the shoulder blades.  Imagine if you had a strap tied around your chest holding your arms to your sides and then you tried to move your arms backwards and forwards.  I’m sure if wouldn’t feel very comfortable and you could feel vulnerable, due to the restricted movement, in the presence of any perceived danger. 

Correctional harness – these have a rope or webbing that create two loops that are placed around the dog’s legs.  If the dog pulls, the loops tighten around the under arm of the dog, causing a lot of pain and potentially damaging the skin and lymph nodes. 

Both of the above harnesses can have an effect on the dog’s behaviour and increase reactivity, if they start to associate the discomfort or pain with pulling when they see other dogs, animals or people. 

The best style of harness to get is a Y shaped harness.  These have a strap that comes up between the front legs and then the V shape of the Y goes either side of the dog’s neck.  Leaving the shoulders blades completely free to move comfortably.  The base of the V should sit on the dog’s sternum (breast bone) so there is no pressure on the neck area at all.  The lead should be attached to a D ring on the dog’s back.  This also helps to keep the lead falling around the dog’s face, creating a much more pleasurable dog walk.  Clip fastenings on the chest should be avoided as this pulls the dog off balance and can lead to long term physical problems.  This style of harness is also safe to use in the car to keep your dog secure.   

Main photo credit: photo@ruffwear