Harnesses

A golden retriever mixed breed sits on a bright teal wooden bench wearing a teal y-front harness and a fall-themed bandana. There are row homes in the background suggesting this is a city street.

The harness you choose matters tremendously!
This page will show you what to look for, explain why it’s important, and share specific recommendations.

What makes a good harness?

  • See the “Y” going up the dog’s chest and around each side of the neck? That is an anatomically-friendly harness that allows your dog to move naturally. It’s usually referred to as a “y-front" harness.

  • There shouldn’t be straps restricting the movement of the shoulders in any way.

    Features like pinching and squeezing often reduce pulling, but that only works because it causes discomfort. They can also cause injuries. It’s better to rely on training, not equipment, to teach your dog not to pull.

  • Some dogs are escape artists and back out of their harness with ease. Harnesses with an extra strap around the body make it MUCH harder (often impossible) for that to happen!

    Other dogs are sensitive to gear sliding over their head. Harnesses that clip around the neck as well as around the belly avoid that problem altogether.

  • Dog bodies vary; don’t assume the harness you like will fit your dog well! Make sure the strap doesn’t chafe the arm pits, the neck loop is off the shoulders, and it’s fitted properly.

  • The straps around the body and the neck MUST be adjustable! If you can’t adjust both, DON’T BUY IT.

    A bonus adjustment is the piece that runs down the front of the dog (connects the neck and chest straps).

  • The connection for the leash should be on the dog’s back behind the shoulder blades, not on top of them. Many harnesses made for aesthetics instead of function will have the connection in the wrong spot, so be careful about this!

Don’t just take my word for it…

Use the arrows to review the images in this post for a visual demonstration of why certain harnesses are better than others.

The Best Harness Design: The Y-Front

Do you see the “Y” shape that goes up the chest and around each side of the neck? That is an anatomically-friendly harness.

No Y, no buy!

Spot the “Y”—or lack thereof…

  • Most Y-front harnesses are obvious!

    This is the Ruffwear Front Range harness, which is a fantastic option for nearly any dog. It’s detailed below (the “fits most dogs” option).

  • Tip: Look at the shoulders

    Sometimes it’s tricky to tell a Y from a T. A “T” shape crosses the shoulders, which impedes their motion. This is easier to see on the dog on the left.

  • Y-front harness side-by-side with others

    The Y-front harness on the left is the Ruffwear Hi and Light, which is essentially the same as the Front Range except it’s lightweight.

    The harnesses on the right impede shoulder motion. You can clearly see how both cross the shoulders.

  • Small dogs deserve quality, adjustable Y-front harnesses, too!

    There are SO many cute harness options out there, but most of them are problematic and can cause issues over time (and sometimes quickly). Make sure they’re a Y-front AND adjustable around the body AND THE NECK!!

  • This is an Easy Walk harness modified with clip in the back.

    When worn as intended, the Easy Walk harness has a loop in the front which squeezes the shoulders together. Not only does this impede the natural motion of the shoulders, but it’s very uncomfortable. It has to be uncomfortable in order to deter pulling. This harness is terrible for shoulder health, and when fitted backward (like in this photo) it squeezes the body, which isn’t healthy either.

    Better to use training to teach leash manners than to rely on tools.

  • Shoulders need full, unimpeded ranger of motion!

    You can clearly see how her giant shoulders are completely free! This Y-front harness is from Bully Billows (a quality brand, especially for bullies!).

Harness Recommendations

Click images to jump down to a full description of each recommended harness.

Fits most dogs
Escape artists
Strong dogs
Budget-friendly

NOTE: I don’t partner with any brands I recommend, nor do I profit off of these recommendations in any way. These are just products I’ve found to be reliable and feel comfortable recommending to others.

Head/gear shy

The harness that fits most dogs really well:

Ruffwear Front Range

Pros:

  • I have yet to find a dog who isn’t comfortable in this harness!

  • Well made and reliable. Lasts for years!

  • Padding around most of the straps to prevent discomfort

  • Reflective trim

Cons:

  • The front piece isn’t adjustable.

  • No handle

Additional note: This style harness doesn’t have an extra strap for escape prevention. See the Ruffwear Flagline below if your dog needs that feature.

A black and tan mutt and a black pit bull sit on a garden box facing the camera with smiles on their faces. One is wearing a red harness and one a pale green harness.

Quality harness that’s also budget-friendly:

Chai’s Choice “Premium Quick Release Outdoor Adventure”

Pros:

  • Built-in padding

  • Less expensive than most quality harnesses, but still seems reliable

  • Reflective stitching

  • Handle on the back

Cons:

  • A bit clunky… not as streamlined and neatly designed as the other harnesses I recommend

  • There is a similarly-named Chai’s Choice harness that is easy to mistake for this one (it’s not the same!)

Additional note: This style harness doesn’t have an extra strap for escape prevention. See the Ruffwear Flagline if your dog needs that feature.

A red pit bull mix is lying in the grass facing the camera. He has ears perked out to the side and a wrinkled brow. He's wearing a blue harness with a yellow leash tag showing.

The harness that’s best for really muscular dogs:

Spark Paws “Comfort Control No-Pull Dog Harness”

Note: I wouldn’t classify this as a “no-pull” harness. Many manufacturers label any harness with a front clip option as “no-pull” but that’s misleading, in my opinion.

Pros:

  • Very thick, padded straps

  • Large clip to secure it

  • All straps are adjustable

Cons:

  • It could feel clunky and heavy for a dog who isn’t very muscular/large.

  • Misleading marketing about the supposed “no-pull” feature (don’t expect it to help)

  • No handle

The harness that prevents escape:

Ruffwear Flagline

Pros:

  • Second strap around the body which makes it far more difficult (maybe impossible) for a dog to escape the harness, so long as it’s properly fit.

  • Well made, reliable. Lasts years!

  • Lightweight

  • Covers more of the underside of the body

  • Handle on the back

  • Reflective trim

Cons:

  • Front section isn’t adjustable.

  • No padding.

A German Shepherd mix with big wide ears sits on a rock overlooking tree tops. He's smiling at the camera and wearing a teal harness with a pink leash attached.

The harness that’s best for dogs who don’t like it to slip over their head (“head shy” or “gear shy”):

Blue9 Balance Harness

Pros:

  • Snaps around the neck so nothing has to slip over the head! Great for dogs who are head shy/gear shy.

  • Fully adjustable

  • Also designed to prevent armpit irritation

  • Stronger than it looks

  • Reflective option

Cons:

  • Oddly expensive

  • Very minimalist, which could be a “pro” if you like that feature :)

Image courtesy of Blue9

Image from Blue9

Additional note: This style harness doesn’t have an extra strap for escape prevention. See the Ruffwear Flagline if your dog needs that feature.