Summary
Choosing the right dog harness is crucial for comfort and safety, distributing pressure better than collars. Types include back clip (calm dogs), front clip (discourages pulling), dual clip (versatile), step-in (easy to put on), and safety (for car travel). Measure your dog’s girth, neck, and chest for a snug fit (two fingers underneath). To put it on, calm your dog with treats, identify the loops, have them step in or guide it over their head, secure the buckles, and adjust the straps for a snug fit. Back clip harnesses have the D-ring on the back, while front clip harnesses have it on the chest. Start with short sessions and always adjust for a secure, comfortable fit.
How to Put on a Dog Harness? Guides to Follow While Buying Your Dog’s Harness
While buying stuff for our pets, we all will go for the best one to provide them the utmost comfortability; here are the steps you should follow when buying a dog harness.
- While buying a harness, the master should always take care of his dog’s behavior and temperature while having a walk. Some harnesses are designed so well that they are not used to pull the dogs’ leash, which comforts them throughout the walk.
- The owner should always measure the collar and neck of the pet as a perfect-sized harness can divide the owner’s pressure and the weight of the leash on some of their body parts like shoulders, chest, and back. The separation of pressure throughout the body makes the dog less tired and helps it enjoy itself more.
What are the Benefits of Having a Harness for Your Dog?
We have also seen that some dog owners use collars for their dogs. A collar is a good choice for those dogs who don’t run during an outing and stay calm.
But for those playful dogs who get excited over an unknown thing, using a collar can be dangerous because they can run away at any time, so using a harness instead of a collar is a better choice for the dogs who use it to pull their leash during outings.
Apart from this, many other benefits of using a harness include preventing diseases like breathing issues, often called dyspnea, in breeds like brachycephalic, french dogs, and bulldogs.
The most important benefit of using a harness is the distribution of the leash, which reduces the dog’s stress during the walk. It also provides a comfortable outing for owners of big dogs by reducing their pulling force.
How to Take the Measurement of Your Dog for a Harness?
As the sizes provided by different companies in harnesses are different, the master should take care of the circumference measurement at the widest part of the dog’s ribcage. The most important part of the measurement is the circumference of the dog, as the waist size will determine which harness is the exact one.
To measure your dog’s girth, take a measuring tape, round it through your dog’s waist, and note it down to find the circumference. The measurement should be an inch more because the harness should be larger but not tighter, as a stricter harness can make your dog uncomfortable.
The neck measurement is also necessary for choosing a harness in some cases, so you can follow the procedure for measuring the perimeter in this case.
Some harnesses might also require the width of the chest, which you can take by keeping the measuring tape at the mid-chest of the dog and over the breast bone.
What are the Best Harnesses to Choose for Your Dog?
As per the studies on the harnesses available in the market, we have come up with some of the best harnesses for your dog.
Here is the ultimate guide to follow
Back Clip Harness
Back clip harnesses are specially designed for calm and composed ones who don’t have to pull on the leash or run while having a walk.
The metal D loop attached to the back of the harness, where the dog’s leash is attached, stops the dog from pulling.
In addition, the top handle of the back clip harness provides an easy grip for the owner to hold the dog in a time of need.
Front Clip Harness
The design of the front clip harness is similar to the back clip harness; the only difference is that the metal loop in the front clip harness is located a few inches away from the dog’s chest. This harness is helpful for owners training their dogs not to pull their leashes while walking.
Dual Clip Harness
Dual clips are designed to provide attachment to the dog’s body on both the front and the backside of the dog.
Dog owners commonly use this type of harness to teach their dogs the correct manner of walking.
But it can be quite uncomfortable for the dog as the two loops can scratch the pet’s skin due to continuous rubbing against it.
Step In Harness
It can be one of the best choices for your dog, as many dogs hate those inserted in their head. This harness’s buckle and double D rings protect the dog from slipping.
Safety Harness
Safety harnesses are used in cars; these are attached to the car’s seat belts to protect your dog from jerks on the road. Again, this is the best for those who keep their pet with them while traveling.
How to Correctly Orient the Straps of the Harness?
If a person uses a harness for the first time, it is common to get confused, as the harness sometimes gets twisted while moving it from one place to another.
The easiest way of placing the straps correctly is by focusing on the D-shaped loop, as all the straps were directly attached to the ring according to their sides.
In addition, some of the straps will be designed to be on the chest, whereas some will be on the back of the dog.
How to Put on a Harness?
Below are the steps on how to put on a harness:
- At first, you should show some love to your dog to convince him to use the harness.
- Place the detached harness on the ground and spread out the straps to make it easy for your dog to get into it.
- Now, gently try to put your dog’s paws in the spread-out straps.
- Put the right one in the right loop and then the left one in the left loop.
- Now, pull the harness up onto your dog to let him fit perfectly in the harness.
- Secure the clips as needed and according to your dog’s neck size.
- Now, adjust the harness by rotating it so your dog doesn’t come out of it.
How to Put on a Back Clip Harness?
Guide to follow on how to put on a back clip harness:
- Spread the harness on the ground in an exact manner.
- The larger side of the harness with a buckle will get over the front legs, while a smaller side of the front loop will get tied to his head.
- Now bend the knees of your dog Bri, ng the upper body forward and down, and slip the first loop over the body.
- Now, take the strap below the belly of your dog cli, put it according to its size, and slide it away from the front legs.
- The D-shaped loop must be at the top of the back to give the owner an easy grip on the body.
- Now, you can clip the leash to the ring by making a few adjustments.
How to Put on a Front Clip Harness?
The steps are mentioned below on how to put on a front clip harness:
- Then, take the harness and line it up on the ground.
- The D-shaped loop should be on the front side of the dog’s chest, whereas the buckle should be below the dog’s chest.
- Now, slightly put your dog near the harness and try to put the colored straps over the head.
- After entering the colored straps in the head, try to clip the buckle on the belt below the belly.
- Now, check the tightness of the harness and adjust it accordingly.
The steps for putting on the best ones are similar to the harnesses mentioned above.
How to Adjust the Harness Perfectly?
Adjusting the harness is probably the most important part you should be aware of while putting the harness into your dog. If the harness is not tied perfectly, it can cause scratches on the pet and make him uncomfortable throughout the walk.
Proper use of the buckles for tightening the straps is necessary, as it also provides an easy grip to the owner by inserting their fingers into the ring.
Proper checking of the clips and buckles is necessary to avoid any issues on the outing. For example, the owner should check if the harness straps are rubbing against the dog’s skin, as it can cause scratches to the skin; it’s also necessary to check the buckles and straps to avoid slipping out of the dog in the way.
