Product Review: Casual Canine XTRM Harness

The Casual Canine XTRM Logo Harness is a Norway-style harness available in six colors and three sizes to fit dogs with chests 21"-32" around. It is also known as the XTRM Game Over harness depending on the color, and is currently on clearance at several internet stores so it is possible this product is being discontinued.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love Norway harnesses, and I love comparing different products, which is why I have three very similar harnesses for Briz. This one is a little bit less widely publicized than any of the others, I found it at the Hoots and Hounds booth at an agility match. Casual Canine is a brand owned by parent company Pet Edge, and Petco carries some of their products. I've never seen this harness in person anywhere other than Hoots and Hounds, though. I don't think Norway harnesses have really gone mainstream yet, but I'm really out of touch with the mainstream anyway.

Photo by Erin Koski

The XTRM harness has quite a few limitations, it comes in an unusually narrow range of sizes and each size only adjusts 3-5". Still, it has a lot going for it. The leash ring is very light compared to the rest of the construction, so it doesn't bounce around when the leash isn't attached. There is a plastic ring on the left side for attaching the dog's tags where they will stay out of the way.

The front strap is not adjustable on most Norway harnesses, including this one. However, the strap on the XTRM harness is longer than on the EzyDog Quickfit, so I was actually able to make this one fit. Brisbane's harness is a Large, he could fit into the Medium but it might chafe under his arms. The front strap on his Large harness sits a bit low, but the chest strap gets small enough that the harness fits securely even though Brisbane measures a full 2" smaller around than the Large is supposed to fit. Ulysses also wears the XTRM harness, which fits him nicely.

Pros: Very durable, with lightweight hardware. Separate ring for identification tags. Made from nylon with eye-catching canvas overlay. Front strap is medium length, shorter than the ComfortFlex  Sport but longer than the EzyDog QuickFit.

Cons: Very limited size range, these are not made to fit small or large dogs. Each harness only adjusts a few inches, so getting the right size is important. The plastic clip on the belly strap is placed very close to the dog's armpit where it could potentially cause irritation, though there is padding under the clip.

Bottom Line: For its limitations, this harness works very well for Brisbane. It doesn't have loud velcro or a heavy leash ring like the ComfortFlex harness. It fits him very big, but seems to be comfortable and doesn't make weird noises like his EzyDog harness. I would like to compare it to Hurtta's Norway harness. Right now it's the one I use most often for Brisbane.