A Guide to Selecting a Dog Harness

If your dog has neck problems, then he may need more than just a basic collar and leash to wear for an outing or a walk. What they need is a harness, which is a piece of equipment worn in combination with a collar and used as a substitute for the attachment that is normally used for a dog leash. The design of the harness allows for proper distribution of weight and your tugging force. This in turn helps keep the dog’s neck safe and unaffected by all that pulling.  

Dog harnesses come in various designs depending on the type of use. Choosing the right one for your dog can be a little difficult, especially if you don’t know what you are looking for. To help you with your next purchase, here is a guide to selecting the best dog harness.

1. Pulling dog Harness

This type of dog harness is used for developing the muscles of your dog. It can be attached to heavier objects, such as a wooden box full of sand, stones, or bricks, or car tires. You can choose a leather or nylon dog harness. Nylon is a more functional and budget-friendly option and will be ideal for walking your dog in a humid climate, or during rain or snow. On the other hand, leather looks more expensive, is a natural material and does no harm to the health of your pet.

2. Training Dog Harness

There are a number of ways to train your dog, and sometimes all you need is a hard-wearing harness to do the job. Popular ways of using a dog harness to train are protection/attack training, police and military training, sports competitions, French ring, and Schutzhund training. This training harness is strong, resistant and comfortable thanks to its soft padding, which will allow your dog to remain comfortable throughout his training.

3. Walking Dog Harness

This harness is great if your dog is obedient, but has minor behavioral issues, such as a strong prey hunt dive or aggression towards other dogs. A lot of dog owners choose a harness over other behavior correctional techniques like shock collars and choke collars because it is seen as the most humane method.

4. Decorated dog harness

The main purpose of this type of harness is to make your dog look stylish. However, you can also make it more functional by adding a special control handle.

What to Look For In a Dog Harness?

1. Material and padding – Nylon and leather are popular options. If you live in a humid climate, go for a nylon dog harness. However, if you live somewhere where the weather is dry, you can use both nylon and leather.
2. Padding is used to add comfort to the harness when your dog is wearing it – This feature is very important, especially if you are going for a training dog harness where it can easily get uncomfortable for the dog.
3. Size – Before buying a harness, make sure you properly measure your dog. Go through the sizing charts and diagrams instructions provided by the manufacturer and ask for help whenever needed.
4. Latches – Another key feature to look for is how the harness attaches. Some types may have a single latch, while others may have two, or none. However, there are harnesses that come with a step. Just search for one that looks like it will be the most comfortable and offer the best fit for your dog, or if you just do not want to mess with any latches, get a step in harness.