Product Review: Dog101 Body Harness

This soft step-in harness is by Dog101, yet another SimplyShe brand. It is really amazingly soft on the inside. This one has a Petco Sku, so I know where it originally came from. Ours is an extra small for bitty dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

SimplyShe makes a bunch of different brands and and product lines of clothes for dogs. They are the company behind Glamour to the Bone, Wag-a-Tude, and a few others. I see their stuff at Petco, Ross, Walmart, Marshalls, and various other discount and big box stores.

Ru has a bunch of SimplyShe stuff just because they make clothes that fit him. He's a bit long and a bit narrow, and a lot of basic dog clothes are just too wide and not long enough. I don't usually use little vest harnesses like this on him though, because they tend to wrap around his shoulders and make the rest of him look extra-long.

Pros: Super soft lining for delicate skin. Easy to put on, and no confusing side adjusters. Comes in tons of different colors and patterns.

Cons: Not very adjustable. The sound of the velcro opening may startle some dogs. Step-in style puts the leash ring directly over or even in front of the dog's shoulder.

Bottom Line: This harness isn't a great fit for long-bodied dogs with owners that are self conscious about their dog's long-bodiedness.

Product Review: Dexil Friendly Dog Harness

The Dexil Limited Friendly Dog Harness is a brightly-colored step-in harness embroidered in big bold letters. It is designed to convey the message from a distance and let the world know right away that your dog is totally chill and would love to visit. Dexil offers ten different color/message combinations to announce that your dog is blind, deaf, in training, working, nervous, adoptable, not ok with other dogs, should not be fed, or in need of space. There are limited-slip and buckle collars, mesh harnesses, and long and short leashes available to match. The step-in harness is available in one size for dogs with chests 23-36" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

I've been seeing these harnesses for sale online for quite a while, and I think they're probably a good idea. The only Dexil gear I've encountered in the wild so far was a collar and leash set on a boisterous and highly active blind dog. It was a completely awesome way to let the world know why he was happily bonking into everything.

Our Friendly Dog harness was a thrift store find, and Brisbane is wearing it ironically because he's not actually friendly enough to merit making this announcement. While he is well-trained and tolerant of most situations, he can be selective about who he interacts with. He's already pretty cute and fluffy, I definitely don't need to dress him in an open invitation for the world to put their hands on him.

Sisci and Brisbane could both happily wear Dexil Ltd's Caution harness. The No Dogs harness or Nervous harness would also be appropriate.

Photo by Erin Koski

What I like about these harnesses is that they are super easy to read. The width of the straps and the font makes the message clear at a glance. The collars are even wider, and it's nearly impossible to mistake the simple print for a decorative design.

Pros: Very adjustable. Bright and easy to read. Sturdy and high quality.

Cons: Some messages may be prone to misinterpretation. Does "No Dogs" mean you can totally pet my dog? Does "Nervous" mean you should try to make friends with her? Am I more liable than usual if my dog is wearing this Friendly Dog harness and bites someone? Also, the big long straps between the buckle and the leash rings tends to weigh down the top of the harness and make it slide to the side on smaller dogs.

Bottom Line: If I had a deaf or blind dog I would definitely get them a whole set of Dexil gear. I could definitely see using the "Caution" and "Training" gear, too. This harness obviously belongs on a scary-looking, intimidating marshmallow dog.

Product Review: Top Paw Step-In Vest Harness

The Top Paw Step-In Vest Harness is designed to distribute pressure while protecting the throat. It is lined with a breathable mesh to help keep it comfortable in warm weather. This harness comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns to fit dogs with chests 16-32" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

I hate step-in harnesses. Whoever invented these things never had to make a dog or toddler step into anything on purpose. They never sit right. Either the front is too low across the upper arms with the buckle in front of the shoulders, or the straps are digging in behind the elbows. It's not even a sizing issue, this picture is of 22" Sisci wearing a size medium for dogs 23-28" around. The next size up might sit far enough back to clear her elbows, but it would also be 6" too big?

Brisbane and Ru both have similar fitting issues with most step-in harnesses, and I always have to wonder who the hell these things are made for. Whilst searching for information on this Top Paw harness, I found the dog it fits. Her name is Edie the pug, and like most pugs she is very wide and barrel-chested and basically the opposite of my dogs. The harness fits her perfectly, sitting high enough in front without pulling into her armpits, with the buckle at or behind her shoulders. Amazing!

Pros: Apparently fits stout, cobby bodies very well. Breathable and easy to adjust. Does not have huge dangly leash attachments hanging off the buckle. Machine washable.

Cons: Does not fit narrow sighthoundish chests very well, being too big in some places and too small or short in others. Wide neck straps may interfere with shoulder movement, not an issue for most dogs but something to watch for canine athletes.

Bottom Line: If it fits, it fits. I will definitely have to keep this harness in mind for dense dogs.

Product Review: Dogo EasyGo Camo Harness

The Dogo EasyGo Camo Harness is a mesh step-in harness with a matching leash. It features a back design that uses a cinch instead of buckles. The mesh portion is breathable and the hardware is very light. This harness is available in two colors and five sizes to fit dogs with chests 9-27" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

This little harness was donated to a friend's rescue program, but it's much to small for any of the dogs she works with. I will be passing it along to one of my local small dog rescues, but thought we would review it first. I believe it is a size small, which would put it in the middle of the five sizes available.

This harness and leash set is clearly designed for itty bitty dogs. All of the metal parts are very light and don't flop around or bonk Ru in the head. We didn't include the matching leash in the photos, but it has a little swivel right below the handle. The design is similar to our Aibao harness, but the Dogo harness is larger and fits Ru better. I like the way the mesh contours to his chest and doesn't rub on his armpits.

It doesn't look quite as good from the side, though. Ru is just very long, so most vest-style harnesses end up looking like little belly shirts on him. He couldn't wear the Dogo harness over clothes easily, either.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: Light and comfortable for tiny dogs. Cool and breathable. Wide chest absorbs force and protects sensitive throat area. Machine washable.

Cons: Step-in design positions the leash attachment over the dog's shoulders rather than behind them. May run across upper arm area and possibly restrict movement.

Bottom Line: This is a very nice little harness. It seems to have been well-used, and is still very functional.

Product Review: Martha Stewart Step-In Harness

The Martha Stewart Step-In Harness is a Petsmart exclusive. It is constructed from nylon webbing with a decorative ribbon overlay. This harness is available in a variety of colors and patterns, and four different sizes to fit dogs with chests 9-39" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

Like the Kong-brand products that aren't treats and toys, the Martha Stewart products are Petsmart exclusives intended to capitalize on a famous brand name. While I find the colors and patterns of the Martha Stewart products to be adorable, they often have flaws.

I just don't feel like this harness is all that well thought-out. Many of the Martha Stewart products make me think they were designed by people who were told "make a dog harness that's different". It's not different to solve an existing problem with step-in harnesses, it's just designed different for the sake of being different.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a size Medium harness, designed to fit dogs with chests 13-23" around. That's 10" difference. Darla is about 21.5" around, so this harness should fit here with more than an inch to spare, right? Unfortunately, the front strap is seriously lacking in adjustability.

Like a lot of nylon harnesses, the strap ends are very bulky. They are doubled over and sewed for an inch where they attach to the hardware. There is also a plastic keeper by the ring to keep the strap from gaping. The doubled section of the strap will not fit through the adjustment slider or the keeper, so there is this triple-thick section that eliminates several inches of adjustment.

The different-for-the-sake-of-being-different part of the Martha Stewart harness is that there is one of these bulky adjustment things on either end of the front strap, with the center strap sewn down in the middle. Each side only adjusts about 1", for a total of 2" difference. It's pretty short. The result is that the buckle tends to sit on the back of the dog's neck, in front of the shoulders.

Pros: Lots of cute colors and patterns, with bows and flowers adorning some of the current models.

Cons: Size range is significantly smaller than advertised due to excessively bulky strap ends.

Bottom Line: This design probably works better on a larger scale where the doubled section doesn't comprise two thirds of the strap.

Have you used any of the Martha Stewart products from Petsmart?

Product Review: Little Pals Adjustable Harness and Leash Combo

The Little Pals Adjustable Harness and Leash Combo by Coastal Pet Products is a step-in harness with an attached leash. It comes in two styles (daisy and bone) and each of those are available in two colors. This product fits dogs with chests 10-14" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is basically the harness version of a slip lead. It's not as fast or convenient as looping a leash over a dog's neck, but it is much safer for tiny tracheae. Normal step-in harnesses close at the back with a quick-release buckle and a D-ring extending from a strap on either side, the leash is clipped through both rings. The combo eliminates the buckle and rings and just has a big loop of strap connecting each side. The (tiny rat) dog's feet go through the harness, and then the long strap is pulled over the head and cinched down behind the shoulders. There is a swivel at the point where the leash attaches, preventing it from getting tangled.

This leash is totally freaking adorable, look at that daisy! It takes a moment to figure out how to put on the dog, but after that it's very easy to use. I love that it doesn't require me to manipulate tiny buckles or trigger snaps. The little metal slide that keeps the harness tight requires minimal effort to move, but performs its function fine.

When I first tried it on Ru, I noted how far the Y-shaped points of the harness were from meeting behind his shoulders. The large loop means that technically I could put this harness on a much larger dog, but the bigger the dog the more the small harness would restrict shoulder movement. Then I read what size dogs the harness is actually supposed to fit and remembered that Ru is actually quite large by Little Pals standards. This harness is intended for dogs with 10-14" chests, and Ru is 13". Still, this combo harness would probably be a better fit for a tiny dog.

Pros: Easy to put on for the spatially aware, requires minimal fiddling with tiny hardware. Fast and convenient, fit in pockets. Excessively cute. Sized for truly bitty dogs, the chest strap on mine actually measures 8" so I believe it would best fit a dog 8-12" around.

Cons: Whoever invented step-in harnesses has never actually tried to get a dog to step into anything on purpose. The leash is only 4' long, and that's not much for a 6" tall dog. I prefer 6' leashes for tiny dogs so I don't accidentally yank them off their feet by turning to fast while holding the leash at waist level.

Bottom Line: The Little Pals Harness and Leash Combo serves the same function for Ru as the Lone Wolf Martingale Slip Lead does for Brisbane. It's a great house-to-car leash, an emergency backup. An I'm-feeling-lazy leash. I would recommend this leash for people who have joint pain and want to use a harness but don't want to fiddle with tiny hardware.

Product Review: RC Pets Step-In Harness

The RC Pets Step-In Harness is a back clip harness made from nylon, with a colorful tape pattern overlay. The harness is durable, washable, and looks great.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love RC Pet products because of their tape patterns. They make flat buckle collars, martingale collars with and without chain sections, big fat buckle collars, wide martingale sighthound collars, leashes in three lengths,harnesses, and also collars, harnesses, and leashes for cats. There are also treat bags, a collapsible water bowl, and a bear bell. All of these products come in matching RC tape patterns, so you can make just about everything match. I absolutely love the Maltese Cross pattern, and we have a martingale collar and a flat buckle collar in the same pattern.

I love the way this harness looks on Brisbane. The center strap between his front legs is adjustable, so it fits him very well. However, the rings for the leash are not set right beside the buckle. Instead, they are on 2" long straps that make the leash rings ride high above his back. This makes the buckle assembly very heavy. With the leash attached it is relatively easy to keep the buckle on top. I don't use this harness on occasions when I plan to take off the leash but leave the harness attached, because the heavy buckle assembly rotates the whole harness around and end up beside his elbow.

Pros: Durable, bright design does not fade or stain even after lots of abuse. Comfortable step-in design is easy to use. Tons of options for dogs with 10-40" chests. Lots of matching accessories and gear. I see a lot of RC Pets collars on dogs at work, and I yet to see one that showed signs of wear.

Cons: Long leash ring straps make the buckle heavy and prone to sliding to the side. Whoever designed the step-in harness has never actually tried to get a dog (or toddler) to deliberately step into anything.

Bottom Line: I use this harness when I'm feeling stylish, but I like the design of the Lupine step-in more because the buckle generally stays put. This was Brisbane's regular walking harness for several years, but now we're both in love with Norway harnesses. I think they're the wave of the future. If RC Pets comes out with one I will definitely buy it.