Which Dog Pulling Harness Is The Best?

This Dog Pulling Harness Article is written by sprint musher Lynn Orbison

I'm a dog musher because I love the dogs. But what I've found is that equipment can both help and hinder my working relationship with my dogs. So I pay enough attention to be the best coach possible.

If you have one dog and want to maybe try mushing, you don't necessarily need the top of the line harness. If you have a pup, don't waste your money buying the top of the line version because they will likely outgrow it by the time you get them trained!

I think of harnesses like athletic shoes. You can get pretty fancy, and sometimes you need to. When I was a kid and I went to gym class we had to have special gym shoes. I always lusted after the pointy-toed ones in pretty colors. (My sister always bought white.) In fact, I bought a pair of those shoes a couple of years ago, and the only time I wear them is when I mow the lawn on the riding tractor because they hurt my feet to do too much else in them!

Of course nowadays kids are buying $200 tennis shoes to be cool. I have no idea how that analogy fits, except that maybe you won't bat an eye about paying $15 - $30 for a harness your dog may only wear a few times.

I've always used X-back harnesses (like this red one)

Sprint dogs tend to be rather wild and crazy and H-back harnesses (like these)

are easier to get hung up in when a dog leaps on or over the dog next door. The X or H in a dog pulling harness means the way they cross over the dog's back. The picture at the very top of this page is also an X-back harness.

They came out with collared-neck harnesses when I was in the hey-day of training with sprint mushers Kathy Frost and Lloyd Lowry. They actually tested the prototypes! Everyone thought they were a great modification. Basically, the harness rode more snug on the neck with less pressure on the shoulders and it was supposed to be less strain for the dog to pull effectively. And I think they work.

But I have several dogs with chiropractic issues and it seems to be made worse when wearing a collared neck harness.

Then they came out with these distance harnesses...they look sorta like a tracking harness. This type of dog pulling harness pulls on the forward part of the body only, no harness riding on the pelvis, and you don't need a neckline either, so fewer tangles and fewer back problems! It works too. I have a friend whose dog had back trouble, and she was able to race another year or two, but the dog ended up with sore ribs from the new harness, so she had to alternate harnesses.

Bottom line: How a dog pulling harness fits only matters when the dog is working in harness.

And the corollary to that is: If your dog is a really hard worker, ANY harness will have it's shortcomings!

Have you ever gone backpacking with one of those cheap backpacks? Ouch. They're okay for a bit...but once you start going up and down or for hours on end, well, pretty soon you're going to see the advantages to buying a more expensive backpack.

It's the same with dog harnesses.

Except that your dogs are not going to complain like you would. They are just going to do their best and love you and assume that you love them and do whatever it takes to make you happy. (Well, okay, if you have an Alaskan Husky maybe making you happy isn't at the top of their list.) They are VERY stoic and will work beyond what is healthy and safe for them so PLEASE pay attention and don't let them.

If you are going to Nome from Anchorage, you want a harness that fits well.

If you are going to ride your bike around the block, you will probably be okay if it is not a perfect fit.

By the way, I've been to many races and trained with many people, and I see many dog pulling harnesses that don't fit properly all the time! Please remember, you cannot expect your dog to give his best if you haven't given him the proper tools and the proper training.

How do you tell if the harness fits properly?

Tough question. Here are some tips (I speak mostly about fitting X-back harnesses because that's what I'm most familiar with):

The harness should be snug, but not impossible to put on or take off.

I do not like to see the webbing rubbing on the sides of the dog's hips AT ALL.

I like to see the tug loop at the end of harness (where you attach the tug line) extending beyond the base of the tail. If you have a curled tail dog you might want to get a distance harness. I had a little curled-tail husky and she used to get her tail stuck in her tug loop from time to time. The harness and her tail certainly interfered with each other a lot and I think it affected her gait.

Remember, the harness is a tool. This is not a beauty contest. Glitter, sparklies, bells and whistles may hinder more than they help. And, I get REALLY frustrated when a new dog chews through a brand new harness, so I like to train strangers with old repaired ones!

Don't judge a harness by the way it looks on your dog in the pet shop, the feed store, or in your living room unless you have taught your dog to line-out, and you can put some tension on the tugline.

Look at the harness when your dog is working.

Is the dog comfortable in it?

Does the harness rub anywhere?

Make sure your dog pulling harness fits the bone and muscle structure of your dog, not just his fur coat! This is especially important for hairy dogs.

You can see the bone and muscle structure on a short haired dog. That makes it much easier to see how your dog pulling harness fits.

I know several people who use those new distance dog pulling harnesses with the spreader bar behind. Again, this is for people who have their dogs in harness for 50 - 100 miles at a time. Your pet doesn't need the confusion of that spreader bar to take a walk around the block.

Some outfitters sell adjustable dog pulling harnesses. You can buy one and expand it as your pup grows. This is good and smart, but remember, pups are just babies. Don't make your pup do too much work because you could actually damage growing bones and cause lifetime troubles. It is more important to feed your puppy's mind than exercise their body.

More Mushing Info and Articles

• Getting Started - The Big Picture
• The Smaller Training Picture
• Team Work
• How To Put On A Harness
• Training Lead Dogs And Which Dog Goes Where
• Line Out Training Before Gee and Haw
• Behavior Tips To Help You and Your Dog
• Choosing The Right Dog Sled