Our husky mix Denver would always pull on walks and the dog harnesses on Amazon actually made him pull MORE (there is a reason they use harnesses for Iditorad sled dogs). What helped with his pulling was using a prong collar (see our article here about prong collars).
While we do not like using dog harnesses for walking our dogs, we do use them for other purposes such as running, biking or attaching a seatbelt clip. With a fast-moving activity like running or biking, we prefer a harness over a flat collar or prong collar because the dog doesn’t run at a constant speed and a collar could choke them. With the seatbelt clip, while you could attach it to a flat collar, it is more comfortable for them to lie down and be able to turn around in their seat if they are wearing a harness.
As a side note: most safety belt clips and harnesses for dogs are NOT crash tested and are not meant to keep your dog safe in a car crash, we use seatbelt clips and harnesses to keep them from climbing into the front seat.
Here are some harnesses options if you’re looking to use them for a similar purpose:
Contents
Ruffwear Dog Harness on Amazon
Pros
- 4 adjustment points so they fit a variety of size ranges. This is the one we use for our 3 dogs. They range from about 50-65 pounds with very different builds. Chloe is very barrel-chested, Benji is a sausage, and Denver is very fluffy. Both the medium and large/xlarge will fit all 3 of our dogs.
- Padded harness, very comfortable to wear on a long excursion. With cheaper harnesses, you have to worry about chafing.
- Easy to clean nylon material with reflective trim for safety at night. When this gets muddy, we just wipe it off with a damp towel.-Chest and back clip options (but there is also a con to this).
- Available in a variety of colors.
- Trusted brand in all outdoor dog accessories.
Cons
- Pricy
- No storage – there is an ID tag storage area but we don’t keep this harness on our dogs at all times so their tags are just on their collars. This pocket is also quite small so you can’t really fit poop bags or treats.
- The back clip is metal but the chest loop is fabric and feels flimsy in comparison.
The Ruffwear Harness is available on Amazon
Kurgo Stash n’ Dash Dog Vest
Pros
- There is a storage pocket for your poop bags and treats.
- It actually folds down into the storage pocket.
- Reflective trim for safety at night.
- Both the chest and back clips are metal.
Cons
- Pricy.
- Inconsistent sizing/doesn’t fit snugly in the chest.
- This is not padded so it could cause chafing and discomfort if wearing for a long duration.
- Only comes in black.
Poy Pet Vest Dog Harness on Amazon
Pros
- Affordable
- Comes in a large selection of colors
- Both chest and back clips are metal D-rings-Reflective trim for safety at night.
- Has a handle which is convenient for small dogs but I definitely wouldn’t use it for my large dogs.
Cons
- Stitching quality is questionable, especially for larger dogs
- Locking mechanisms getting stuck and plastic buckles breaking
- The description does say it is padded but there are some complaints about chafing
