What Are The Different Kinds of Dog Harnesses?
If you search for “dog harnesses” in Google, are a few million results that come up, different materials and designs. From anything from, a small to extra large dog sizes.
So what’s the difference?
The differences are in the type of activity you are doing with your dog. There are dog walking harnesses and dog mobility harnesses, sporting dog harnesses and everything in between. Within those these categories there are multiple choices.
Let’s start with the harness in general.
Sometimes, large breed or muscular dogs with their sheer power can easily pull you along on a lead, yet some harnesses have got the anti-pull ability to give you more control. Also smaller dogs can quite simply choke on a collar and lead which can restrict their breathing. It will limit their oxygen intake. A harness simply will ease the pressure off the neck area and it disperses along the back.
You can get all caught up in a lead, when your dog is jumping around due to excitement. Your dog may not even realise that they are hurting you as the lead winds around your fingers, arm or wrist, a lead can also wrap around the dogs limbs, and neck potentially harming your dog. A dog harness can make this less likely to happen, although some dogs will walk obediently by their owner’s side. Some however are harder to train. An anti-pull harness makes it easier to restrict the dog from pulling you along. It also gives you two points of connection, which will reduce any unwanted pressure on the dog, making them more relaxed and responsive to learning. Think of the front connection as the “steering” and the back connection as the “break”.
Some dogs are Houdinis, especially Siberian huskies, and they will work out how hey can get off their collar or break the leash. If they do, sled dogs have a very high prey drive and can quite quickly get themselves into a lot of trouble.
Dog Walking Harnesses
Have you been trying to get your dog to walk by your side obediently? Too often, I have seen dogs that will walk their owners versus the owner walking the dog. We’ve all seen that, and the dogs that are literally pulling their humans to hurry them along. How about the dogs that dart off to the side or as far as their leash will allow them to wander? If you want to train your dog to walk by your side, you should probably invest in a dog walking harness. These are also known as “no pull” harnesses, meaning that the dog does not pull you along.
The types of dog walking harnesses that are most popular include:
Dog Mobility Harnesses
Do you have a dog that is arthritic, aging, injured or recovering from an illness or surgery? As the name implies, a mobility harnesses or support harnesses as they are often called, are for dogs that need help mobilising and “a lift up”. For instance, many senior dogs find it hard to get in and out of a car. If you try and lift them, either you or they could be hurt. A mobility harness lifts the dogs mass from below (beneath the chest and pelvis), distributing the weight more evenly over large padded surfaces.
With hip dysplasia, myelopathy, joint disease and muscle atrophy affecting many older dogs, these harnesses really are a big help for owners and vets who need it. Unlike other dog harnesses, mobility harnesses can stay on your dog for extended periods of time.
Many mobility harnesses come with walking accessories, such as handles or leads to make walking even easier.
The key to any dog harness, it’s all about the fit so that it is comfortable and safe for the dog. Most harnesses come in sizes from extra small to extra, extra large, so you should be able to find one that fits your dog’s size and for the purpose you need it for.
With there being so many different uses for dog harnesses it’s important to make sure you find the type that is appropriate for the activity you have chosen. When you have found one that interests you, be sure to follow-up with further research to ensure the harness is the safest for your dog.
There are two basic duties that a sled dog is usually used for; hauling freight or racing. Each of these activities requires specific harness, but to different specifications. There are three main types of harnesses which are for freight pulling, the H-back harness, and the X-back harness.
There are however, more harnesses that are being developed every year. One of these is a Y-back harness which is moving up the ranks with the skijorers.
The freight harness is usually an H-back harness with a wide chest band and often includes more padding, to make wearing it comfortable for the dog to wear. The straps form the appearance of an “H” or that of a ladder across the back of the dog. These are designed specifically to help distribute the weight more evenly and across a broader area of the body.
The X-back harness forms an “X” shape along the dogs back. This is original design for a racing harness and it is lighter and shorter than a freight harness. There are shorter versions of these that ride farther towards the front of the body of the dog.
About Dog Harnesses
I cannot stress enough that you must use the correct harness for the job the dog is performing and the harness must fit the dog correctly.
Why a dog can not use an X-Back harness for their dog to pull a wagon with the tongue of the wagon? Simply put the X-Back harness will come up on the dog, and might in fact come over the dogs head and off the dog, when the wagon is going down hill or the dog stops. Wagons require a shaft for the brakes, but even with this, the X-Back harness will slip up and probably get over the dogs head when the dog stops or when travelling down hill.
You can’t use your X-Back harness on your dog for it to pull a wagon or even a child's sled! No, that harness you had for your Siberian husky is not going to work for many other breeds, this is due to size, each harness should be measured and is specifically for that dog.
If you are thinking about purchasing an inexpensive harness that will work for any dog or any activity that a dog will be pulling for, then think again. Inexpensive is relative in the dog equipment world, unfortunately there are no cheap ways to keep your dog safe while you have a bit of fun.
Once again, you will need the correct harness for the job you would like for the dog to do and it needs to fit the dog correctly!
A good quality harnesses for any dog does cost, but if you weigh up your dogs welfare and your safety, then really should money come into question? The real reason that quality harnesses cost more is that they are usually well made, built to last, with good grade materials and they take time to make.
Using the wrong harness and or the wrong equipment will only result in either you or your dog getting injured.
Types of Harness
Siwash or Recreational Harness
The Siwash Harness is probably the oldest style that is known to man. Eskimos have used these for many generations, and they are still being used for a reason. That is because they are functional, work well, last a lifetime, they are easy to put on dogs, are easy to wash and store and because they look really good on the dogs. These harnesses are used for multi use, on sleds, rigs, scooters, a person on skates being pulled by a dog, etc.
The X-Back Harness is actually a Siwash Harness with an X on the dog's back that makes the harness fit a bit better. It takes the Siwash Harness that in human sizes could be compared to sizes jumpers in Large, Medium and Small, and instead, with the X-Back, of a size, like a size 10 or 12 14 etc.
The uses are the same as a Siwash Harness, the padding is the same, and it is the same harness with an X on the back.
Weight Pulling Harness
There is a big difference between a Weight Pull Harness and a Freight Harness, and although they are made the same, the Weight Pull Harness has double padding around the neck. If you are weight pulling and want to win, you need to get a double padded Weight Pull Harness.
A Weight Pull or Freight Harness is used for pulling weight in competitive setting, pulling a sled. Although, I would recommend only if your dog is well trained, untrained dogs can really get hung up in the back area of the harness, and if it is converted (pieces added) you can also have your dog pull a vehicle with shafts, but the back bar also needs to be hooked into the vehicle being pulled.
Multipurpose Harness
Dog Star Kennels designed this multipurpose harness for their Labrador Retrievers years ago. The owner had been a Sled Dog Harness Maker for many years. Not only can you use this type of harness for sled, rigs, carts, wagons, and travios, but also for dogs to pull you in a boat, on a scooter, or on skis or skates. Truly a Multipurpose Harness. It has one "ring" on top, and two sets of two for easy hook up to what ever your dog will be pulling.
The snap is on the top of this harness so when the dog is in water, if caught in a tangle, you can free the dog in an instant. This harness is usually completely padded with double padding under the snap.
Materials that dog harnesses are made from
Most, if not all, sled dog harnesses today are made with either a poly pro or nylon webbing. There is a reason for that. Leather is nice, however, it will stretch, especially when wet, and your dogs might just eat it. Cotton, when wet, stays wet for a long time. Nylon and or poly webbing is not only strong, it is non absorbent so that it will dry quickly if it gets wet holding the size it was when made.
Originally the padding was made with Fur, then faux fur, and now the best stuff to use is a good grade Polar Fleece. Polar Fleece is not only non absorbent, but also is easy to wipe dirt and mud off with just a wet rag. It makes good padding and a good grade will last for many years.
Most harness makers use either nylon rope or parachute cord on the back of harnesses for the hooking area called the ring. Again, great stuff, last long and cleans up well. Although again, non absorbent.
You can have bells, and beads etc added to harnesses for decoration, but they are better weaved into the harness under the padding. Items sewn on to harnesses will work their way off, won't last long.
Washing your harnesses
Webbing harnesses are easy to wash and look like new when finished. I wash mine in THE WASHING MACHINE with settings on cold, warm or hot water in with a load of towels....be warned, your padding might fade. I recommend washing the harnesses on cold or warm.
Do not machine dry however; just simply hang your harnesses by the loops for 24 hours. I dry mine indoors, but drying them outdoors is fine too. If your webbing is kept clean, then your harnesses will last for many years to come. Your harnesses will be longer lived then your dog....so I never recommend having embroidered names on your harnesses.
Making your own dog harness
If you decide to make your own Dog Harness keep in mind that the stitches MUST be very strong. Your harness is only as strong as your sewing machines weakest sewn area. I get a kick out of "webbing strength" being used to describe harnesses; it should be "stitch strength", because the area that is most likely to break on an animal harness is where it has been sewn together. You also must use a good strength thread.
You can buy nylon webbing where you can buy fabrics and craft items online However, before you buy the webbing you are looking at, double it over and decide if your home sewing machine can handle and/or pull the webbing though as it stitches. Now, keep in mind that you will have areas on the harness that not only has two or three layers of the webbing but also a doubled amount of padding too. So be sure your machine can handle that amount of material.
You must use a heavy duty needles. I also use a needle for denim as it’s less likely to break or blunt. Your new needles will break the thread over and over while sewing the webbing until the needle head is "broke in". I have sanded the head of the needle to stop this, but you must remember that you DO need a needle head. If you file the needle do so a little at a time.
By the time you have bought you webbing, padding, needles (get at least a four pack because you WILL break many needles), buckles, slides, metal rings, thread and whatever else needed for the type of harness you will be making, you may be spending as much as you would to just buy the harness. Make sure that you price up everything you need before you start buying parts. If you decide to make your own harness, prepare to be frustrated.
Making a dog harness will take some time, probably more of your time then you think. Not trying to frighten you off making them, but really to make you fully aware of the time, and effort that goes into making a dog harness.
The next decision you will need to make is what are you using for a pattern for your harness? It is very hard to make a correct harness by looking at a photo, you will need to also measure your dogs more than once, as they can wriggle, and it’s very disappointing if you go to the time and effort to make your dogs own harness, and it doesn’t fit properly when you put it on your dog. As the saying goes, measure twice, cut once!
Making your own dog equipment can be fun and it’s certainly rewarding. If you have the time and can use a sewing machine you may just save a huge chunk of money making your own equipment. You will be able to pick out your favourite colours right down to the snaps and thread. You can make the item the way you want it to be made. Also you can make it a bit bigger if you have an extra large breed than the sizes sold online or even make it smaller for you teacup dog. It can be matching harnesses in bright colours for each of your dogs. You can add buttons, bows, bells, thicker padding or whatever to your item.
If you search for “dog harnesses” in Google, are a few million results that come up, different materials and designs. From anything from, a small to extra large dog sizes.
So what’s the difference?
The differences are in the type of activity you are doing with your dog. There are dog walking harnesses and dog mobility harnesses, sporting dog harnesses and everything in between. Within those these categories there are multiple choices.
Let’s start with the harness in general.
Sometimes, large breed or muscular dogs with their sheer power can easily pull you along on a lead, yet some harnesses have got the anti-pull ability to give you more control. Also smaller dogs can quite simply choke on a collar and lead which can restrict their breathing. It will limit their oxygen intake. A harness simply will ease the pressure off the neck area and it disperses along the back.
You can get all caught up in a lead, when your dog is jumping around due to excitement. Your dog may not even realise that they are hurting you as the lead winds around your fingers, arm or wrist, a lead can also wrap around the dogs limbs, and neck potentially harming your dog. A dog harness can make this less likely to happen, although some dogs will walk obediently by their owner’s side. Some however are harder to train. An anti-pull harness makes it easier to restrict the dog from pulling you along. It also gives you two points of connection, which will reduce any unwanted pressure on the dog, making them more relaxed and responsive to learning. Think of the front connection as the “steering” and the back connection as the “break”.
Some dogs are Houdinis, especially Siberian huskies, and they will work out how hey can get off their collar or break the leash. If they do, sled dogs have a very high prey drive and can quite quickly get themselves into a lot of trouble.
Dog Walking Harnesses
Have you been trying to get your dog to walk by your side obediently? Too often, I have seen dogs that will walk their owners versus the owner walking the dog. We’ve all seen that, and the dogs that are literally pulling their humans to hurry them along. How about the dogs that dart off to the side or as far as their leash will allow them to wander? If you want to train your dog to walk by your side, you should probably invest in a dog walking harness. These are also known as “no pull” harnesses, meaning that the dog does not pull you along.
The types of dog walking harnesses that are most popular include:
- Front clip harnesses – Front-clip harnesses have the lead attachment in the centre of the dog’s sternum and are more effective in reducing pulling.
- Back clip or step-in harnesses – On the back-clip harness, the ring that the lead clips onto is located on the top of the dog’s back. These harnesses are for calm dogs already trained not to pull on the leash, as the design will not discourage pulling.
- Tightening harness – These harnesses tighten and add pressure if the dog begins to pull. If you use a tightening harness, make sure it is a gentle, non-pain-inducing pressure.
- Vest harnesses – With a vest harness, the D-ring for the lead is on the dog’s back, far away from the dog’s vulnerable throat. A vest harness is not actually designed for lead training or dogs that are not well behaved on a leash. They are to be used a vest harness for service dogs, and others that are used for fashion and warmth. They can close in back or front.
- Dog car harnesses - They can help make car rides safer for you and your dog. Like a seat-belt for dogs, these dog harnesses attach directly to a normal seat-belt, but can usually be used as regular harnesses as well. That means no more wrangling to get the lead on with your car door open.
Dog Mobility Harnesses
Do you have a dog that is arthritic, aging, injured or recovering from an illness or surgery? As the name implies, a mobility harnesses or support harnesses as they are often called, are for dogs that need help mobilising and “a lift up”. For instance, many senior dogs find it hard to get in and out of a car. If you try and lift them, either you or they could be hurt. A mobility harness lifts the dogs mass from below (beneath the chest and pelvis), distributing the weight more evenly over large padded surfaces.
With hip dysplasia, myelopathy, joint disease and muscle atrophy affecting many older dogs, these harnesses really are a big help for owners and vets who need it. Unlike other dog harnesses, mobility harnesses can stay on your dog for extended periods of time.
Many mobility harnesses come with walking accessories, such as handles or leads to make walking even easier.
The key to any dog harness, it’s all about the fit so that it is comfortable and safe for the dog. Most harnesses come in sizes from extra small to extra, extra large, so you should be able to find one that fits your dog’s size and for the purpose you need it for.
With there being so many different uses for dog harnesses it’s important to make sure you find the type that is appropriate for the activity you have chosen. When you have found one that interests you, be sure to follow-up with further research to ensure the harness is the safest for your dog.
There are two basic duties that a sled dog is usually used for; hauling freight or racing. Each of these activities requires specific harness, but to different specifications. There are three main types of harnesses which are for freight pulling, the H-back harness, and the X-back harness.
There are however, more harnesses that are being developed every year. One of these is a Y-back harness which is moving up the ranks with the skijorers.
The freight harness is usually an H-back harness with a wide chest band and often includes more padding, to make wearing it comfortable for the dog to wear. The straps form the appearance of an “H” or that of a ladder across the back of the dog. These are designed specifically to help distribute the weight more evenly and across a broader area of the body.
The X-back harness forms an “X” shape along the dogs back. This is original design for a racing harness and it is lighter and shorter than a freight harness. There are shorter versions of these that ride farther towards the front of the body of the dog.
About Dog Harnesses
I cannot stress enough that you must use the correct harness for the job the dog is performing and the harness must fit the dog correctly.
Why a dog can not use an X-Back harness for their dog to pull a wagon with the tongue of the wagon? Simply put the X-Back harness will come up on the dog, and might in fact come over the dogs head and off the dog, when the wagon is going down hill or the dog stops. Wagons require a shaft for the brakes, but even with this, the X-Back harness will slip up and probably get over the dogs head when the dog stops or when travelling down hill.
You can’t use your X-Back harness on your dog for it to pull a wagon or even a child's sled! No, that harness you had for your Siberian husky is not going to work for many other breeds, this is due to size, each harness should be measured and is specifically for that dog.
If you are thinking about purchasing an inexpensive harness that will work for any dog or any activity that a dog will be pulling for, then think again. Inexpensive is relative in the dog equipment world, unfortunately there are no cheap ways to keep your dog safe while you have a bit of fun.
Once again, you will need the correct harness for the job you would like for the dog to do and it needs to fit the dog correctly!
A good quality harnesses for any dog does cost, but if you weigh up your dogs welfare and your safety, then really should money come into question? The real reason that quality harnesses cost more is that they are usually well made, built to last, with good grade materials and they take time to make.
Using the wrong harness and or the wrong equipment will only result in either you or your dog getting injured.
Types of Harness
Siwash or Recreational Harness
The Siwash Harness is probably the oldest style that is known to man. Eskimos have used these for many generations, and they are still being used for a reason. That is because they are functional, work well, last a lifetime, they are easy to put on dogs, are easy to wash and store and because they look really good on the dogs. These harnesses are used for multi use, on sleds, rigs, scooters, a person on skates being pulled by a dog, etc.
The X-Back Harness is actually a Siwash Harness with an X on the dog's back that makes the harness fit a bit better. It takes the Siwash Harness that in human sizes could be compared to sizes jumpers in Large, Medium and Small, and instead, with the X-Back, of a size, like a size 10 or 12 14 etc.
The uses are the same as a Siwash Harness, the padding is the same, and it is the same harness with an X on the back.
Weight Pulling Harness
There is a big difference between a Weight Pull Harness and a Freight Harness, and although they are made the same, the Weight Pull Harness has double padding around the neck. If you are weight pulling and want to win, you need to get a double padded Weight Pull Harness.
A Weight Pull or Freight Harness is used for pulling weight in competitive setting, pulling a sled. Although, I would recommend only if your dog is well trained, untrained dogs can really get hung up in the back area of the harness, and if it is converted (pieces added) you can also have your dog pull a vehicle with shafts, but the back bar also needs to be hooked into the vehicle being pulled.
Multipurpose Harness
Dog Star Kennels designed this multipurpose harness for their Labrador Retrievers years ago. The owner had been a Sled Dog Harness Maker for many years. Not only can you use this type of harness for sled, rigs, carts, wagons, and travios, but also for dogs to pull you in a boat, on a scooter, or on skis or skates. Truly a Multipurpose Harness. It has one "ring" on top, and two sets of two for easy hook up to what ever your dog will be pulling.
The snap is on the top of this harness so when the dog is in water, if caught in a tangle, you can free the dog in an instant. This harness is usually completely padded with double padding under the snap.
Materials that dog harnesses are made from
Most, if not all, sled dog harnesses today are made with either a poly pro or nylon webbing. There is a reason for that. Leather is nice, however, it will stretch, especially when wet, and your dogs might just eat it. Cotton, when wet, stays wet for a long time. Nylon and or poly webbing is not only strong, it is non absorbent so that it will dry quickly if it gets wet holding the size it was when made.
Originally the padding was made with Fur, then faux fur, and now the best stuff to use is a good grade Polar Fleece. Polar Fleece is not only non absorbent, but also is easy to wipe dirt and mud off with just a wet rag. It makes good padding and a good grade will last for many years.
Most harness makers use either nylon rope or parachute cord on the back of harnesses for the hooking area called the ring. Again, great stuff, last long and cleans up well. Although again, non absorbent.
You can have bells, and beads etc added to harnesses for decoration, but they are better weaved into the harness under the padding. Items sewn on to harnesses will work their way off, won't last long.
Washing your harnesses
Webbing harnesses are easy to wash and look like new when finished. I wash mine in THE WASHING MACHINE with settings on cold, warm or hot water in with a load of towels....be warned, your padding might fade. I recommend washing the harnesses on cold or warm.
Do not machine dry however; just simply hang your harnesses by the loops for 24 hours. I dry mine indoors, but drying them outdoors is fine too. If your webbing is kept clean, then your harnesses will last for many years to come. Your harnesses will be longer lived then your dog....so I never recommend having embroidered names on your harnesses.
Making your own dog harness
If you decide to make your own Dog Harness keep in mind that the stitches MUST be very strong. Your harness is only as strong as your sewing machines weakest sewn area. I get a kick out of "webbing strength" being used to describe harnesses; it should be "stitch strength", because the area that is most likely to break on an animal harness is where it has been sewn together. You also must use a good strength thread.
You can buy nylon webbing where you can buy fabrics and craft items online However, before you buy the webbing you are looking at, double it over and decide if your home sewing machine can handle and/or pull the webbing though as it stitches. Now, keep in mind that you will have areas on the harness that not only has two or three layers of the webbing but also a doubled amount of padding too. So be sure your machine can handle that amount of material.
You must use a heavy duty needles. I also use a needle for denim as it’s less likely to break or blunt. Your new needles will break the thread over and over while sewing the webbing until the needle head is "broke in". I have sanded the head of the needle to stop this, but you must remember that you DO need a needle head. If you file the needle do so a little at a time.
By the time you have bought you webbing, padding, needles (get at least a four pack because you WILL break many needles), buckles, slides, metal rings, thread and whatever else needed for the type of harness you will be making, you may be spending as much as you would to just buy the harness. Make sure that you price up everything you need before you start buying parts. If you decide to make your own harness, prepare to be frustrated.
Making a dog harness will take some time, probably more of your time then you think. Not trying to frighten you off making them, but really to make you fully aware of the time, and effort that goes into making a dog harness.
The next decision you will need to make is what are you using for a pattern for your harness? It is very hard to make a correct harness by looking at a photo, you will need to also measure your dogs more than once, as they can wriggle, and it’s very disappointing if you go to the time and effort to make your dogs own harness, and it doesn’t fit properly when you put it on your dog. As the saying goes, measure twice, cut once!
Making your own dog equipment can be fun and it’s certainly rewarding. If you have the time and can use a sewing machine you may just save a huge chunk of money making your own equipment. You will be able to pick out your favourite colours right down to the snaps and thread. You can make the item the way you want it to be made. Also you can make it a bit bigger if you have an extra large breed than the sizes sold online or even make it smaller for you teacup dog. It can be matching harnesses in bright colours for each of your dogs. You can add buttons, bows, bells, thicker padding or whatever to your item.
