Basic Rules to Choose Harness for Your Dog

Choosing the right harness for your dog is a complicated matter. The harness must fit size, breed, physical strength and temperament of your dog perfectly. Which harness to choose also depends on your purpose: for walks, for some sports, for work and tracking or for a sick dog. Dog breeding beginners willing to choose the right harness for their dogs should seek assistance from more experienced colleagues, preferably dealing with the same breed and using dog harness for a long time.

As experience shows it is quite easy to pick harness for little and lap-dogs, but it is more difficult to choose a dog harness for sport and active leisure.

There are some basic rules you should follow for choosing a dog harness:

• make sure the material is easy to wash, endurable, wearproof but at the same time soft and not rough;
  
• choose dog harnesses with several fasteners. Wearing ammunition mustn't be uncomfortable for the dog. That is why you should choose models that do not make you squeeze your dog into them or lift its paws;
  
• the fasteners must not stick out or dig into the dog's skin, otherwise it will hinder the dog's movements and bother it with unpleasant sensations. The shape of the fastener must be incurved and fit the shape of the dog's body, especially if it is a middle or big dog;
  

• the belt in the upper part of the harness must be fastened stable and safe, it must fit the width of the dog's back, otherwise it is going to slip down or dislocate. While choosing a harness pay attention at the width of the belt: it should not be too narrow, otherwise it digs into the dog’s body;
  
• the side belt must not tightly reach the armholes of the dog, the distance must be that of the width of your hand (for big and middle dogs) and around two-three fingers for little dog breeds;
  

• the harness must outskirt tightly to keep the dog's body inside and not to slip away, but not too tightly at the same time, in order not to hinder the dog's movements. If you can easily put your hand between the harness and the dog's body that means you have chosen the right size. If the harness hangs on your dog, you should adjust it to the dog's size to avoid injuries;
  
• it is recommended not to wear the harnesses all the time outdoors and it is absolutely inadmissible to let the dog keep the harness indoors. Habituation to the harness and full dishabituation of the collar is not recommended for exhibition dogs, because the center of gravity is distributed in a different way, and being used to the first one, it will feel uncomfortable wearing a collar at the ring.

Learn also how to measure your dog to buy the right harness.