Choosing The Right Harness For Your Dog - A Physio's Guide.

Collars have long been the traditional choice for pet owners, but harnesses are gaining traction for their numerous benefits. But does your dog really need a harness? And if so, how do you choose the best one that fits well and allows normal movement? This post will explore what to look for in a good harness, with a focus on maintaining normal movement and functionality.

Benefits of Using a Harness

A harness has several advantages over a collar, especially when it comes to your dog's comfort and safety on lead. Here are key benefits:

• Even Pressure Distribution: A harness spreads pressure across your dog's chest and back rather than concentrating it on their neck. This is crucial for brachycephalic breeds like Bulldogs or Pugs, which are prone to breathing problems. It may also be a better choice for long necked dogs like greyhounds, especially if they tend to pull on lead.

  
  

• Better Control During Walks: For dogs that pull on lead, training is always the best way forward. However, in the mean time a harness can enhance your control, whilst preventing your dog from choking themselves, as well as potentially damaging their neck. Various harnesses have different attachment points, example being a front clip harness, which aims to redirect your dog back toward you when they pull.

  
  

• Increased Safety: Dogs that tend to escape (or try to) from their collars can benefit from harnesses since they provide a secure fit. A well-fitted harness can significantly reduce the chances of your dog getting loose. Simply tightening their collar is not a suitable solution, as it can impinge your dogs movement, muscle function and of course, breathing! You should be able to fit two fingers comfortably between the collar and your dogs neck.

  
  

How to Choose the Right Harness

Measure Your Dog

Accurate measurements are key for a proper fit. Use a soft measuring tape and follow these steps:

1. Neck: Measure around the base of the neck where the collar usually sits.

2. Chest: Measure around the largest part of your dog’s chest, just behind the front legs.

3. Weight: Note your dog’s current weight and consider any changes they may have.

   
   

Adjustable straps

Every individual, even of the same breed will have an individual shape. Therefore, adjustable straps, ideally on multiple points of the harness are crucial. That way it will be tailored to your individual dog, and can be tweaked to change as they do! This is especially important for very active dogs, whom depending on the work required, may need a bigger range of movement. Like with a collar, you should be able to fit 1-2 fingers between the straps and your dogs body.

Material and Durability

Choose a harness made of high-quality, durable materials that can hold up to daily use. Opt for breathable fabric, which will be especially useful in the summer months. If you have a dog that pulls and is very strong, look for something that can facilitate high tension.

Additional Features

The style of harness you choose should be mainly dictated by its suitability to fit your dogs shape and allow normal movement. However, other features like ring attachment placement (front and/or back) and reflective strips for visibility in low-light conditions, will often vary across different styles, and can be selected as such.

Good Customer Service

If in doubt if a harness is suitable for your dog, ask the company! If they are knowledgeable on their products and put effort into finding the right harness for your dog, chances are they're a good choice.

How to Tell if Your Harness fits Well

There are so many harnesses on the market today, choosing the right one can seem overwhelming! So here is a breakdown of what to look for in a well fitted harness:

Shoulder Movement

Various harnesses contain straps that impinge, or completely cut across the shoulder. This restricts your dogs normal limb movement and can cause a cascade of muscular and joint related issues down the line, not to mention its probably very annoying for the dog to not be able to walk properly!

Underarm Chaffing

A back strap that sits too close or under the dogs armpit will cause chaffing and soreness when moving. As a result, your dog will likely change their forelimb movement to avoid this (if they can!), again increasing the risk of muscular and joint issues over time.

Surface Area Distribution

This one is a little more subjective, and will depend on the style and fit of harness you go for. But usually, some form of wider (sometimes padded) surface should be present at least around the sternum and chest area, to ensure the force is distributed, and not cutting into the chest at the front.

In this scenario, it is also important to consider what the harness is intended for, and how it will respond to movement. For example, if your dog is wearing a front clip harness and pulls, the purpose of the harness is to pull the dog back round to you. Therefore, padding around the sides/shoulders may be necessary to prevent the straps cutting into the body in these areas.

Similarly, if you have a harness with a back attachment and the dog pulls, the front of the harness may ride up into the base of your dogs neck. Ideally, the harness will be well fitted enough that this does not occur, but it does emphasise the need for a wide surface distribution and potential padding in this area.

Wrapping It Up

A harness can provide significant benefits for many dogs, enhancing comfort and control during walks. Personal types I tend to look to as a Physiotherapist are Y-shape and 'perfect fit' harnesses, as these tend to be more suitable for movement.

For those whom have Facebook, click this link to view a fantastic video showing how different harnesses affect normal movement: https://www.facebook.com/reel/381493751536381

Enjoy your walks!

Different types of dog harnesses available in a store