Product Review: Timberwolf Sequoia Standard Harness

Timberwolf's Sequoia Standard Harness is made from the same soft braided webbing as their Sequoia collars. The straps are soft with rounded edges to prevent chafing. This Roman-style harness is available in nine colors and five sizes to fit dogs with chests 10-40" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

Timberwolf has been around since 1996, their braided collars and leashes have a reputation for lasting forever. It turns out they make harnesses too! Their Standard Harness is indeed a standard harness, with a buckle on the right side. The dog's left front leg must be lifted over the belly strap when putting the harness on.

This is a classic design, it allows total freedom of movement while staying in place. However, Timberwolf's version is made from soft tubular braid so it's easy on the coat and skin. This is a harness with a ring at the front, so it can be used as a front-attachment no-pull harness as well. This harness wears well, and washes up nicely.

Pros: Soft and comfortable for all-day wear. Light and breathable. Easy on delicate coats and sensitive skin. very adjustable, allows full range of shoulder movement. Comes in lots of colors!

Cons: Sizing runs a little bit small. Ru has a 12" chest, and you can see the 10-14" harness is adjusted out nearly as far as it goes. I'm not sure if this is true for the larger sizes.

Bottom Line: It's not trendy, fancy, or super technical, but this simple harness will last just about forever, and look good the entire time.

Product Review: The Perfect Fit Harness

The Perfect Fit Harness comes in three separate pieces that are available in different sizes for a truly custom fit. This is easily the most adjustable harness system I have ever seen, and with the right pieces it can be constructed to fit any dog of any shape. It's kind of like Lego dog gear. Perfect Fit harness have black belly and front pieces, and the tops come in various colors. Everything is padded with fleece. The parts come in four different strap widths to properly and ergonomically fit dog with chests 9.5-48" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

I bought Brisbane a Perfect Fit Harness when he was battling cancer. His buckle neck Balance Harness was beginning to rub his coat, and I wanted to find something padded and comfortable that was easy to put on. It needed to open at the neck so I could keep it away from his face, and it had to allow total freedom of movement in his shoulders.

After asking around the internet dog training community, I found the Dog-Games Shop, home of the Perfect Fit Harness. This was exactly what I needed. Brisbane was a very difficult-to-fit dog. He had a very wide barrel chest, and a skinny neck. I had a lot of trouble finding harnesses that fit around his chest, sat high enough to be clear of his shoulders, and also didn't ride into his armpits. The Balance Harness was the best I had found, until I needed something padded.

Ordering the correct pieces was a bit difficult, as the website largely uses breeds to recommend sizes. I found the best way to get exactly what I needed was to email the company, and tell them Brisbane's measurements and typical fitting difficulties.

Photo by Erin Koski

I ended up with exactly what I needed, and I got a harness that Brisbane could comfortably wear all day long. The harness has buckles on both sides of the neck, and both sides of the belly strap. It also has a buckle between the front legs. Everything is very well-padded and nothing rubs or sits in sensitive areas.

Each individual pieces adjusts differently. The colored top pieces does not adjust at all. The girth strap adjusts on either side and has a ring in the middle to attach to the front. The front pieces adjusts on either side of the neck, and also under the belly to allow the girth to sit further back. It also has the option of a front leash ring to make this a no-pull harness. Each of these pieces comes in multiple sizes, so it one sizes doesn't have enough adjustment, a different size can be used.

Pros: Super adjustable and well-padded. Comfortable enough to leave on all day without irritating sensitive skin. Very easy to put on without sliding over the dog's head, or touching their feet. Front leash ring can be used to discourage pulling. Lots of color options. Can fit basically any dog, or cat, or...I dunno, wallaby? Awesome return policy.

Cons: The company is based in the United Kingdom, so shipping take a while. Front and girth pieces only come in black, so no Punky Brewster-inspired color combinations are allowed. I understand why they do this, but it still makes the whole thing slightly plain.

Bottom Line: This company is awesome, staffed by real, genuine, dedicated humans who honestly want to put together a harness that really fits your dog. They helped make Brisbane's last few weeks a lot more comfortable.

Product Review: Tre Ponti Liberty Harness

Tre Ponti's Liberty harness is a different style of step-in. This simple yet effective harness fastens at the back with a flexible and adjustable cord. The semi-rigid design stays in place, and does not twist around the dog's body, or ride into their armpits or throat. Tre Ponti's Easy Fit style harnesses are available in a wide variety of materials and styles, and seven sizes to fit dogs with chests 10-26" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

I first saw Tre Ponti harnesses a couple of years ago, on a pair of morbidly obese chihuahuas at doggy daycare. The harnesses were so totally different from anything I had ever seen before. Upon researching them, I immediately discovered that they were from Italy, and nobody online was selling them for less than $50 due to shipping fees. It's possible that the owners of those fat little dogs found the harnesses in a boutique shop somewhere local, and it's equally possible that they picked them up while traveling in Europe.

Fast forward to SuperZoo 2016, where the Tre Ponti company had a booth. I told them I hadn't been able to find their products in the USA, and they said they were just starting to bring them here.

I was delighted to be able to purchase a Tre Ponti harness at the show. Ru's harness is a size 1.5, and it looks like he could wear a size 2 as well. These are a different style that almost anything else I've seen except for the Top Paw knock offs they have at PetSmart. It's a bit like a regular step-in harness, but it's also like a Norway harness. There's not much to rub or irritate the dog's skin. The material is breathable and flexible, but also holds it's shape well enough to keep the harness in place.

Pros: Easy to put on. Very simple yet effective design. Comes in lots of colors and materials. Strap back closure helps prevent escape by tightening when pressure is applied. Very distinctive-looking.

Cons: Like most harnesses of this style, the strap laying across the top of the shoulder has the potential to limit the dog's range of motion. For this reason, I would not use this style of harness on my performance dogs for extended exercise.

Bottom Line: I use the Tre Ponti Liberty harness when Ru is wearing a big sweater, because it adjusts instantly to go over whatever he is wearing.

Product Review: Buddy Belts

Buddy Belts are the snazziest step-in harnesses around. They're also the only step-in harnesses that I really like. Forget floppy straps that never fit quite right, these are made from self-supporting leather so they stay right where they're supposed to go. Originally designed to fit the creator's dachshund, this harness stays well clear of the dog's sensitive throat, and the leash ring always stays right on top. They look awesome, and they last forever. Buddy Belts are available in a multitude of colors and finishes, and twelve different sizes to fit dogs with chests 8-42" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

Ok, this is basically the best kind of dog company there is. The company is quite clearly run by real people, and not some giant faceless corporation. The product was developed specifically to solve a problem that the founders were having with their dog, and that dog is all over the website. That little black and tan dachshund? That's Buddy!

The people behind this company are super nice! I met them at SuperZoo, where they asked if I had a Buddy Belt for my dog. Though I had been wanting one since they hit the market around 2001 (I remember looking up what size my cocker spaniel would wear) I had never had the funds to buy one when the opportunity presented itself. They're tough to find used, too! When I shared that I had been coveting their product for over a decade, they gave me one for Ru! It's a purple Flash Dance color with sparkly rhinestones, and he looks amazing in it!

Photo by Erin Koski

The reason that Buddy Belts are so expensive is because they are made from very high-quality leather. They last absolutely forever, and people hang onto them. I've never seen a secondhand one for sale, either online or in a thrift store, and believe me, I have looked. The company recently released a synthetic leather version, the Buddy Belt 2, that is a bit more affordable.

The reason Buddy Belts are so unique is because they were designed from scratch. The harnesses available at pet stores either didn't fit Buddy, or rode up too high and choked him. Rather than modifying those designs, Buddy's family started over and came up with the Buddy Belt.

While most dog harnesses are made from flexible straps or fabric, Buddy Belts are made from leather that holds its shape. This allows it to stay centered in the dog, keeping the cut-away section right where it needs to be to prevent pressure on the throat. This design also prevents the harness from rotating around the dog's body. You know when your leash pulls a regular harness down to the side? That never happens with a Buddy Belt.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Very high quality harness. Sits lower on the chest than any other harness I've seen, great for a collapsed trachea or dog recovering from surgery. Metal buckle does not trap hair. Leash ring always stays on top. Fits different from any other harness, often fits when other harnesses don't.

Cons: Can cause chafing if poorly fitted, extra padding is available to prevent this. May restrict shoulder extension, so not ideal for canine athletes.

Bottom Line: Ru has hiked for miles in this harness without complaint. I feel comfortable leaving it on him all day. It also looks brand new despite daily use over the last four months. It's just as awesome as I always imagined!