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How to fit a dog harness correctly

How to fit a dog harness correctly

Every dog owner needs to know how to fit a dog harness correctly because this singular skill may be the defining feature in how safe your dog is — i.e., whether or not the animal feels any pain while the harness is on or if there is a risk of the dog slipping out of the harness and running off.
There's a balance to be found when answering how tight the harness should fit or how loose. And this balance changes with the different types of harnesses out there. Of course, there are some harnesses better suited to specific breeds or sizes of dogs, but it's vital to note that each type of harness may require particular approaches to how to fit them on a dog properly.
Here are some examples of different types of harnesses and their methods of fixing them.

1. The Back-clip Harness: The name refers to the clip around the back where the dog leash fits. This type of leash is best suited for a dog that doesn't pull on the leash, and the steps involved in fitting it over the dog are pretty simple.

· First, you'll want to gently pull the dog's head through the hole in the harness, ensuring that the harness' clip is right in the center of the dog's back.

· The next and final step is to fit the clips together attach the leash to the clip at the back of the harness.

2. Step-in Harness: This is a pretty straightforward harness and follows the same principle to which it got its name

· The first step is to unclip the harness and lay it open on the floor, letting your dog stand directly on top of it

· Next is to fit your dog's paws through the holes in the harness as if you're wearing its clothes.

· Finally, you'll want to pull the straps of the harness to the back of the dog and clip them together.

How tight should a dog harness be?

Deciding on how tight a harness should be can be the determining factor in whether or not your dog is a very uncomfortable walk in the park or if it slips out of the leash and runs off into the sunset.
So, if the question on your mind is, "how should a harness fit a dog?" then not to worry; there's a general rule of thumb to determine if your harness is properly fit or tight without the risk of causing harm to the dog.

First of all, a well-placed harness should fit snugly around the dog's chest area; after ensuring that then you'll want to place two fingers in each section of the space between the harness and the animal. If the fingers fit comfortably, you can rest assured that the harness sizing won't cause any harm to your dog.
If, however, the two fingers don't fit comfortably, then you'll need to adjust the harness and fit it accordingly.

How to properly fit a dog harness

Though most harnesses can be adjusted easily by tightening or loosening the straps, there are three checks that you can use to ensure that your harness is appropriately fit around your dog.

1. Tightness: it cannot be understated that a dog harness should never be too tight around either the chest area or the neck. A well-fitted harness should sit snugly around the dog's chest area, and you should easily be able to fit two fingers within the space between the harness and the dog.
2. Bottom Strap Location: For a harness size ranging from 0-4, the bottom belly strap should be placed four fingers away from the dog's front legs.

3. Top Strap Location: The top strap of the harness should always fit comfortably in the chest area. So, if the harness is too small, then the front strap would tend to ride high and put pressure on the dog's neck. If the strap is too big, then it tends to droop towards the legs.

There are many more to be learned about fitting a dog harness correctly, so if you're still somewhat confused, then feel free to contact us.


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