First and foremost you should know that I had an shoulder injury in my younger years. Luckily I recovered from it but it made my hooman reconsider recently what she could have done to help the healing process.
And that's where the harness choice pops in, it's such an important piece of equipment we dogs wear every single day (for more then an hour). We run, jump, turn and so much more so it should be comfy right?!
So my mama decided to do some research and after a while she realized that the harness I was wearing was actually restricting my movement. Now what kind of harness is then good?
Picking the right harness has a lot to do with the way your dog is build but overall the "Y or H shaped harnesses"' have shown to be the most comfy and they're also recommended by many Chiropractic professionals. It makes sure that the forelimb can move freely back and forward and when the dog pulls hard on the leash it doesn't make any damage to the neck or other sensitive parts. Beside of the harness shape it is also very impawtent to have a look at how the harness fits your dog, not every Y or H type of harness is a good one.
Some tips to check when picking a new harness:
- Is there room enough behind the forelimb and doesn't it sit too tight in the armpit?
-The middle of an Y harness sits on the chest bone, if you put your hand on the front of your dog you will feel a bone sticking out and that's also the point where the middle of your harness should sit.
-The shoulder front should be free, straps should not sit on top of the bone.
-The part between the forelimbs should be soft fabric and not too wide (otherwise it might rub the forelimbs)
-The second strap should be approximately 2-4 fingers behind the forelimb but make sure that the end of the harness doesn't go behind the last rib (it can not hang on the soft abdomen area)
- Are there any metal parts/buckles that hit while running?
- What kind of material is the harness made from? lightweight fabric with plastic buckles or with metal buckles? In case your dog needs to run long distances (such as in canicross) lightweight options are better.
If you have checked all the above this and your dog looks comfy you have found your new harness ✅
Disclaimer: Please keep in mind that a harness is not a tool to teach your dog to stop pulling, the only way you can stop this is by training consistent with a professional to guide you. Also keep in mind that using tools such as the front ring of some harnesses might harm your dog because when they pull all the force comes on 1 side/leg.
Luna's current harness:
At the moment we are very happy with the ZeroDC Short harness, this harness is made for daily walks aswell for dogsports like canicross and fits Luna greatly. (Not sponsored) Each dog is different so always measure before purchasing online, we hope you find the pawfect harness too!
Paw from Luna 🐾
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| which harness not to buy |
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| ZeroDC Harness "short" (not sponsored) |
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| Me in my new pawfect harness (lots of space behind my forelimb) |
