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: Martha Stewart Pets Fabric Harness

This double buckle harness by Martha Stewart Pets is an interesting design. The neck and chest straps fasten with metal tongue buckles, and there are no straps to rub the armpits or insides of the legs. These were some of the first products I saw from Martha Stewart Pets at PetSmart. They came in four sizes and three colors.

Photo by Erin Koski

This harness is kind of strange. I had considered getting one for Brisbane when they first came out in 2010, but they just fit too weird. Despite being advertised as lightweight, I found the thick straps and heavy metal buckles to be way too bulky.

Photo by Erin Koski

It's an interesting design, but I'm not sure it's terribly effective. The chest and neck straps are only attached at the back, there is nothing connective them between the front legs. While this prevents rubbing in the armpits, it also allows the neck strap to ride up and sit in the same place as a regular collar.
 For that reason, I'm not entirely sold on the idea that this harness will protect a sensitive trachea from pulling.

Like the other Martha Stewart Pets harnesses I've tried, the sizing on this one feels wrong. This particular harness fits Ranger's neck just fine, but is huge in the chest. Likewise, when I tried them on Brisbane a few years ago I found they either fit well in the chest or the neck, but never both.

Pros: Definitely will not ride into armpits or cause friction rubs inside the front legs. Definitely does not impede free movement of the shoulders. Could be the answer for a very hard-to-fit dog, particularly one with a huge chest and tiny neck.

Cons: Very thick and bulky straps, weird sizing. Difficult to clean, once stinky, it's stinky forever.

Bottom Line: Well they stopped making them so I can't be the only person that had issues.

Product Review: Alpine Outfitters Urban Trails Custom Harness

The Urban Trails harness from Alpine Outfitters is designed for all sorts of dog-powered sports. It features wide straps padded with Polartec polar fleece, and allows the dog to pull comfortably. This is a custom-fitted harness, made to order. It is available in 11 different colors.

Photo by Erin Koski

When Brisbane was a baby, I had many ambitions involving dog sports. One of these was dog-powered sports. Often known as 'joring', these activities basically involve hitching a dog to anything and everything and having them pull for fun.

Sledding is the most obvious dog-powered sport out there, but it requires snow so is not an option for us out here on the beach. Scootering is one dry land alternative, involving pneumatic tire scooters like we all had in the 80's.

Photo by Erin Koski

Bikejoring is dogs hitched to bicycles and running out front, as opposed to running to the side via a bike attachment. I'm not sure if there are specific words for having a dog pull you on skates or a skateboard. Skijoring is the sport of having a dog pull you on skis. Canicross is the sport of running while having a dog hitched to your belt.

I had all these plans for teaching my fabulous, talented dog to pull me on various wheeled objects. We were totally going to start scootering. This harness was the first step. The second step was to teach Briz to pull while wearing it. This is where the entire process broke down, because Brisbane does. Not. Pull. Not at all. He is a master of loose leash walking, and nothing can convince him that leash pressure is ok.

After many months of failing to teach Briz that pulling in a harness was great, mostly involving marking and rewarding him for putting even the slightest amount of pressure on the leash and tossing treats and toys ahead of him as additional motivation, I finally abandoned my original plan. I still love the Urban Trails harness, though. As I ordered it when he was a puppy, Briz eventually outgrew the harness.

Several years after purchasing our original Urban Trails harness, I contacted Alpine Outfitters and asked about having it adjusted or extended. They promptly made me a brand new harness in exchange for sending back the old one. How cool is that! The custom harnesses have several inches of adjustment in the chest strap to accommodate changes in weight or coat. There is also an Urban Trails harness with an adjustable neck, and non-custom harnesses available in four sizes.

Pros: Great for hitching your dog to anything except a sled or cart, need a different type of harness for those. Custom-made for a perfect fit even on your weird-shaped dog. Soft, snuggly fleece does not rub on delicate skin. Includes dog's name or phone number embroidered on back. Can order it with additional leash rings on the sides or front. Super customer service.

Cons: Can take several weeks to arrive since they have to make it first. Needs to be pulled over dog's head and have their leg put through a strap, not great for head-shy dogs.

Bottom Line: Pulling is great exercise for dogs, but they need the right gear in order to do it safely and comfortably. The Urban Trails harness works for almost any dog-powered activity. It's also a nice soft, cushy harness for everyday wear, particularly for dogs with sensitive skin. And shaved dogs. This is the only thing Brisbane has worn since his haircut.

Product Review: Auburn Leathercrafters French Pattern Figure 8 Harness

The Auburn Leathercrafters French Pattern Figure 8 Harness is designed to fit a wide range of body types. It features a continuous strap design that wraps around the neck and chest, held in place by a leather medallion with an upright leash ring. This harness is available in six sizes to fit a variety of small animals.

Photo by Erin Koski

The figure 8 harness is one of the most basic designs out there. It's versatile because it's so simple, and a makeshift harness like this can be made by wrapping a leash around the dog.

This was a really cute harness in the pictures I found on the Auburn Leathercrafters website. I really like their products so I had high expectations. In person though, it's really sort of awkward.

The neck loop sits very high and would probably choke Ru if he decided to pull. Due to the way the straps are threaded through the center, the chest strap sits at an angle. It's well clear of Ru's elbows, but it's also almost behind his ribcage.

The sizing for this harness is also a little odd. The six sizes, XXS-XL, are measured in inches, but those inches don't correspond to a single part of the dog. In order to figure out the size, you have to measure the dog's neck, measure their chest, add those two numbers, and then add 3.5" to get the final measurement. This means than little 6-pound Ru wears a size medium 28-34" harness.

Pros: High quality leather, very sturdy. Allows freedom of movement without restricting the shoulders. Probably difficult to escape. Versatile design means I can probably use it on my cat/iguana/tortoise/monkey/etc.

Cons: Will be stiff until oiled thoroughly. Awkward fit on my tiny dog. Neck loop sits high enough to choke. Sizing is kind of weird.

Bottom Line: I bought this harness because we didn't have anything like it. Now I understand why we don't have anything like this.

Product Review: The Balance Harness

The Balance Harness is a Roman-style harness designed for maximum adjustability on any dog. It is unique because every strap is adjustable, including the one on the back that goes between the dog's shoulder blades. The Balance Harness features a normal back attachment ring, and also a front attachment ring for use as a no-pull harness. There are two buckles at the girth section so the dog does not have to step through any part of the harness, and an optional neck buckle can be added for dogs that don't like having things pulled over their heads. The Balance Harness comes in black with 19 different color choices for the back strap. There are seven different sizes to fit dogs with chests 12.5-43.5" around. The Balance Harness is available from CleanRun.com and ClickerTraining.com during the current change in manufacturers.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is basically the harness to end all harnesses. It has been carefully designed to solve every problem anyone has ever had. Hard to fit dog? No problem. Sensitive skin prone to friction sores? No problem. Dog hates to be handled? No problem.

The thing that makes the Balance Harness absolutely unique is the adjustable back strap. I have never seen or heard of another harness with this feature. Most of the time I am just stuck with whatever length the manufacturer decided to make that strap, and if I'm lucky everything else will adjust to the right size. This makes sizing difficult, my dog Brisbane usually needs a longer back strap.

Photo by Erin Koski

I do think the front ring is somewhat superfluous, as a simple O-ring would be sufficient for leash attachment. Some people need a specific "leash goes here" invitation though. The Balance Harness makes a very nice non-restrictive no-pull harness with the leash attached in the front. When properly adjusted it gives the shoulders total freedom of movement. This makes it ideal for canine athletes.

The Balance Harness has two buckles at the girth strap, allowing it to be buckled around the dog without having to lift a leg through an opening. The Premier Sure-Fit and Red Dingo harnesses both have this feature as well. These options are all awesome for dogs that don't like having their feet handled, or have limited balance and flexibility.

What about dogs that don't like having things pulled over their heads?

Photo by Erin Koski

A properly-fitted harness should sit pretty close to the dog's neck. You want it far enough down to hit the breastbone and not the windpipe, but not far enough down to interfere with the shoulders. On Briz I often have to make the choice between high enough but too tight to slip on and off, and too low but easy to get on and off. He hates having harnesses pulled over his head, and I hate having to adjust them once they're on.

The Balance Harness neatly solves this issue by offering an optional buckle in the neck strap. The only other harness with a neck buckle that I am aware of is the Alcott Adventure harness, which does not have adjustable back or center straps.

Pros: Unparelleled adjustability for weird-shaped dogs. No-pull front ring. Lightweight and comfortable. Three different buckles mean I can put it on a terrified, frozen, or comatose dog without any cooperation required. Tons and tons of color options including three different shades of pink. Contrasting back strap makes it easy to figure out which part goes where. Endorsed by Dr. Christine Zink.

Cons: Color options only apply to the back strap, the rest of the harness only comes in black unless you custom order it in a different color. The buckle neck harness only comes in six colors. The buckles are surprisingly flimsy compared to the rest of the construction. Like, dollar store collar quality.

Bottom Line: Best. Harness. Ever.

Product Review: Premier Sure-Fit Harness

The Premier Sure-Fit Harness is a Roman-style harness that does not restrict shoulder movement. It features two buckles on the girth strap, so I don't have to lift up Brisbane's feet to put it on. This is a highly adjustable harness, in addition to the adjustable neck and girth straps, the central chest strap that runs between the front legs is also adjustable. The Sure-Fit Harness is available in an impressive twelve colors and five sizes to fit dogs with chests 12-42" around.

Pardon my fat dog.
Photo by Erin Koski

This is one of the first harnesses I bought for Brisbane, way back when he was a baby. I had thought it was long gone, donated to rescue with assorted other silly things, until I found it in my car. Nothing makes me feel sillier than discovering something that has been hiding in my car for years, though in my defense it was stuffed in the spare tire compartment with assorted other things I used to use when I picked up dogs to send to New York.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a great harness that does not restrict shoulder movement in any way. It was mentioned by name when I emailed Dr. Christine Zink for harness recommendations, and she's basically the expert on such things so I take her word for it.

I have a green medium Premier Sure-Fit harness, and recently picked up a purple large harness at a thrift store. I'm beginning to think I'm a bit weird about harness fitting, because I pretty much adjust the center strap on any harness to be as long as possible. I just want the straps to sit as far away from sensitive armpits as possible. On Brisbane, the medium Sure-Fit is adjusted with the necks straps at about half their maximum length, the chest straps each about an inch short of their maximum length, and the center strap adjusted as long as possible. On foster puppy Darla, the neck and chest straps are all adjusted nearly as small as they go, but the chest strap is still set to its maximum length. I did the same thing with the Red Dingo harness, so it's not something about this particular brand. On Brisbane the large harness fits loosely with every strap adjusted as short as possible...except that center strap.

Photo by Erin Koski

When properly fitted, the neck straps of the Sure Fit harness should sit way up high on the neck, well away from the shoulders. I try to get it just below where a collar would sit.

Pros: Highly adjustable for a good fit. Comes in tons of colors. Two buckles make it easier to put on, I don't have to put any feet through any straps. Front ring allows it to be used as a no-pull harness.

Cons: There's not a lot of overlap between the larger sizes. I almost feel like the front center strap isn't quite long enough on the medium, but the large doesn't adjust small enough.

Bottom Line: It may be plain, but the Sure-Fit harness is a great non-restrictive option for canine athletes, dogs who run with their owners, and really almost any dog. I like harnesses. This is a good one. Since I rediscovered it we have been using it a lot.

What's your favorite harness?

Product Review: Gooby New Freedom Harness

The Gooby New Freedom Harness is a mesh vest harness for small dogs. This is an updated version of the original Gooby Freedom Harness, it is not the Freedom Harness II. Does that make sense? No? That's ok. This current iteration comes in nine colors and five sizes to fit dogs with chests 10-24" around. Ours is a small.

Photo by Erin Koski

Gooby made the first mesh harnesses that I saw in stores, way back when Brisbane was a little baby. I have one of their original Freedom harnesses, and it looks like they've made some improvements.

The first thing I noticed about this harness was the buckle. Like Planet Dog, Gooby most likely discovered that metal side-squeeze buckles don't last. The springs inside them degrade too quickly. The updated Freedom Harness has a standard plastic quick-release buckle.

Photo by Erin Koski

The big rubber logo on the original harness is also conspicuous by its absence. Instead there is a much sleeker patch on the back. I'm not positive about it, but I suspect that the area at the front has also been narrowed a bit where it goes between the front legs.

This is a very comfortable harness, I can leave on Ru all day and it doesn't rub marks on his almost-naked skin.

Pros: Soft and light. Does not choke, distributes pressure evenly across tiny chests. Allows great freedom of movement when properly fitted.

Cons: Not adjustable in neck, may not fit some funny-shaped dogs. Lighter colors get dirty quickly. May cause hair to mat when worn for extended periods by dogs with actual hair.

Bottom Line: This is the best-fitting mesh harness I've used, and Ru is exactly the sort of dog the Gooby Freedom Harness is intended for. We'd use it a lot more if it worked better over clothes, the Midnight Pet Pet Lite and E-Z Harness is still the best for my tiny fashionista.

Product Review: Red Dingo Harness

The Red Dingo Harness is a Roman-style harness with unique bone-shaped buckles. It is available in a vast array of colors and designs, including basic solid colors and reflective ribbon. Ours is a Circadelic pattern. Red Dingo harnesses are available in four sizes to fit dogs with chests 12-44" around, this one is a size Large and has to be adjusted fairly small to fit Brisbane.

Photo by Erin Koski

I admit, the buckle bone is the primary reason I love Red Dingo's products. Unique products really catch my eye, I'm sure I would be less enthusiastic if every quick-release buckle were shaped like a dog bone.

Outside of that, this is a solid harness. It is easy to adjust and doesn't slip. It has buckles on either side of the chest strap so I don't have to pick up Brisbane's foot to put it on him. It can be adjusted in the chest, the neck, and bottom strap for a really good fit.

Pros: Endless selection of colors and patterns. Available with reflective trim for visibility. Front ring allows for use as a non-restrictive front-clip harness. As adjustable as the Premier Sure Fit harness, but a lot more fun.

Cons: The smallest size won't adjust quite far enough for little Ru. Most of the designs have a lot of white, which starts looking dirty very quickly. This is pretty heavy for a nylon harness, the webbing is very thick and bulky.

Bottom Line: What's not to love? This is everything I need in a harness, plus the green looks great on Brisbane.