How Should You Choose a Perfectly-sized Dog Harness for Your Dog?

Harnesses keep dogs safe and prevent them from choking when they are playing and having fun on walks. They also work better when it comes to leash training, as they can restrict a dog's pulling behaviour without hurting them. However, sometimes it can be difficult to find the right harness among the perplexing array of options available in the market.

So what is the first step in picking the best harness? It's all about sizes. As an innovator in dog harnesses and other dog walking essentials, we iSafeCare have put together this comprehensive guide to find the most suitable harness for your dog and show you step by step how to fit a dog harness properly. Read on to find out more.

Why a Comfort Fit of Dog Harnesses Matters?

A typical analogy is that, you are never happy with clothes that do not fit you at all, so a harness that does not fit your dog can be uncomfortable for them. An improper fit can awkwardly restrict or undermine your dog’s movement, and even worse, cause injuries.

Importance of Choosing the Right Size of Dog Harnesses

Not only can a adversely-fitting dog harness cast an unbearable degree of discomfort to your doggo and even pose a safety issue for dogs who can wiggle out and break free, but it can also cause medical and physical problems. If your dog’s harness is too small or tight, it can restrict its natural movements. Its stride gets thrown out of whack and it will start using its muscles incorrectly and reluctantly, causing unnecessary stress on their joints and bones. Loose harnesses, on the other hand, can cause injuries by snapping against the dog with sudden pulling. Moreover, they put your dog at risk of slipping out of the harness and getting away beyond your expectation.

Briefly speaking, a poorly-fitting dog harness will make your dog feel awkward and it will feel like a punishment to your canine friend, meaning it becomes a counterproductively huge safety hazard for your dog.

Signals Your Dog’s Harness Isn’t Fitting Right

If you discern any of the following signs, your dog’s harness may not be in the right size as it should be:

• Your dog can step or wiggle out of the harness.
• Your dog is chafing under the armpits or around the harness.
• Your dog starts to lose its fur around the harness area.
• You feel the chest strap loosening during dog walking.
• The back piece of the harness rotates to the side.

Also, if your dog is resistant to walking, for example, it just stands there and does not budge or it tends to put up a fight when it’s time to put on its harness, it might be because the harness does not fit right!

How to Choose the Perfectly-sized Harness for Your Dog?

After you have made up your mind to get your dog a harness, you should first figure out the right size. The following important indicators will guide you through the measurements.

Chest

Measure all the way around your dog’s body, preferably the largest part of your dog’s chest, with a soft tape measure or a piece of string. Start at the bottom of its rib cage and bring the tape measure up and over its back and then back down to where you begin.

Neck

Simply wrap the tape measure around the thickest part of your dog’s neck and take that exact measurement. This should be somewhere closer to the top of its shoulder, instead of where it usually wears its collar.

Weight

Your dog’s weight is another important indicator to guide the sizing when choosing your next dog harness. If you have trouble getting your dog onto the scales, weigh yourself first and then pick up your canine buddy. Weigh both of you together and subtract your weight to get its weight. 

iSafeCare offers you an easy on & off harness to optimize your doggy’s experience. Check out our size chart inside our harness product page to choose the perfectly-sized harness for your dog. If your dog is between sizes, choose the next size up. You will be further surprised by our Dog Walker Combo Kits to make your dog walking adventures marvelously complete. We look forward to welcoming you into our iSafeCare family!