PuppyHarness.net

Puppy Harness

Does your puppy or small dog get so excited for their walks that they pull on their leashes to the point you fear they might hurt their necks or cut off their airway? In such cases harnesses can be a much better option for small dogs or puppies that have very delicate necks and would benefit from not having the extreme pressure of a collar against their throats. A harness is designed to fit around a dog’s body, thereby distributing pressure evenly across the body, rather than solely across the neck. Harnesses are also very beneficial for use with dogs that pull hard on their leashes, have smaller heads and can thereby easily slip out of collars, or have medical conditions (collapsed trachea, respiratory problems, etc).

Standard (Roman)
This is the most basic design of harness. The Standard harness is put on by putting one loop (opposite side from D-ring) over the dog’s head and one leg through the remaining loop (usually on the side of the left leg). The back strap is then wrapped around the body and buckled closed. A dog’s leash can then be attached to the D-ring which is placed on the rear of the harness, over the dog’s back. Standard harnesses are easy to adjust, and come in a variety of colors and materials. Standard harnesses are harder to use if your dog does not like things going over its head and older versions can be complicated to put on, as they have a variety of confusing loops, straps and buckles.

Step-In
The step-in harness is the simplified version of the standard harness. This harness consists of two openings, which as described by its name, your dog merely has to step in to with each leg. The sides of the harness can then be brought up on each side of the dog and clasped behind the shoulders. This form of harness also comes in a variety of colors and materials and provides an easier way to put on harnesses for those dogs who do not like things placed over their heads.

Vest
This form of harness is designed just as its name describes, as one large piece of fabric (often padded), shaped much like an “I” which wraps around the dog’s chest like a vest, connecting behind the neck and back. The vest design is becoming increasingly popular, as it not only comes in several colors and fashionable designs, but also because its design distributes pressure even more evenly than the strap harnesses.

Seat Belt
Dogs are just as vulnerable, if not more so, to injury in a car. Therefore, it is important for any person transporting their dog in their vehicle, to do so with the proper safety restraints. Dog seat belt harnesses are perhaps one of the easiest ways to achieve this, as they can also double as walking harnesses. The vest harness is the most common design utilized in seat belt harnesses. Along with the D-ring attached to the portion of the dog’s harness over its back (where a leash can be attached for walking) there would also be a strap with a general seat belt buckle. This buckle can be used in most standard car buckles and can therefore allow your dog restricted mobility, without the threat of hitting anything after sudden turns or stops.

Figure-Eight
This harness is designed with a single strap which is wrapped into a figure eight shape. The small loop goes around the dog’s head and the remainder of the strap is wrapped around the dog and buckled closed. This type of harness is very simple in design, but cannot be adjusted on both the head and body loops separately because it is made from a single strap. This design is also problematic, as it leaves potential for the loop around the neck getting too tight and choking the dog.

No-Pull
A no-pull harness is obviously designed to help discourage a dog from pulling on its leash. Unlike a standard harness, with a no-pull harness, the leash is attached to the harness behind the dog’s head, rather than at the dog’s back. These harnesses also have two straps (padded, to prevent chaffing) which wrap under each of the dogs two front legs. When the dog pulls forward pressure is applied to the straps which wrap underneath the dog’s legs, causing the dog to feel as though it is being lifted off of the ground. This feeling is unsettling for the dog and causes him to stop pulling.

Head Collar/Gentle Leader
Gentle leaders function much like a halter does on a horse, as they allow you to gain control of your dog by maintaining control of its head. It consists of a nose loop, which fits snugly (but not tightly) around the dog’s muzzle, and a neck strap that attaches behind the ears at the top of the dog’s neck. The leash then attaches under the chin. When a dog makes a pull forward or attempts to walk its owner, rather than the other way around, its head immediately comes to the side. This therefore discourages pulling in your dog, as it does not get them what they want, and leaves you in control. While similar in appearance, head collars ARE NOT muzzles. They may fit around a dog’s muzzle, but they leave enough give so that your dog is fully able to drink, pant, eat, bite, etc. Overall, gentle leaders are a great way to gain control of a persistent pulling dog, without putting any pressure on their sensitive neck.