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How To Properly Put On A Dog Harness

Do you know how to properly put a dog harness on?

I do not.

I have struggled with harnesses for years.

When we would have to take a dog harness off of a dog that came into the vet for a variety of reasons, many of the techs, including me, would struggle for several minutes trying to figure out how the heck to get the harness back on the dog.

Here we would be getting a heart rate, drawing blood, or giving injections to a dog, all procedures that take some skill, but yet we could not get a simple harness to go back on a dog the way that it came off.

Why?

Because a dog harness is a foreign object to someone who does not regularly use one.

Don’t get me wrong.

I have nothing against a harness, I think they’re a great product and protect dog’s from certain injuries, but they are just foreign to me because I don’t currently use one on Sherman and Leroy and I struggle getting them on other people’s dogs.

Your leg goes through here and your head goes through here.

No, no. That’s wrong.

Your head goes here and your leg goes here.

That’s not right either.

Just forget it.

I can’t tell you how many times I handed the dog and the harness back to the owner and told them we were done several minutes ago but I couldn’t get the harness back on your dog because I’m harness challenged.

How To Properly Put On An Overhead Dog Harness

Start by loosening the harness and slid the dog's head gently through the neck piece. Next, arrange the bottom straps between your dog's front legs to the under part of their belly. Secure the overhead dogharness. 

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Get the overhead harness in position.

Start by loosening the harness and slid the dog’s head gently through the neck piece.

Next, arrange the bottom straps between your dog’s front legs to the under part of their belly.

 

Secure the harness.

You’ll want to buckle the harness on each side of the dog and then make sure that both legs are through.

If you can not buckle the straps you’ll need to loosen the strap.

Once the harness is in the proper position you’ll need to adjust the straps to fit properly.

You should always be able to fit 2 fingers under the strap and the dog should not be able to wiggle out.

How To Properly Put On A Step-in Harness

Position the step-in harness by unbuckling and placing it on the ground. The D-rings should be facing up. Approach your dog from behind and gently put his front legs through the opening. Pick up each side of the dog harness and buckle it across your dog's back

 

Position the step-in harness by unbuckling and placing it on the ground.

The D-rings should be facing up.

Approach your dog from behind and gently put his front legs through the opening.

Pick up each side of the harness and buckle it across your dog’s back

Adjust the fit properly so that you can fit 2 fingers underneath the harness and so it doesn’t easily slip over your dog’s head.

That’s it! You should now be able to walk your dog in their new harness!

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Nora

Wednesday 2nd of September 2020

How do I know if the harness fits my puppy? Any suggestions

AsharSeo

Wednesday 21st of March 2018

I just bought the 1st type today. We went for a walk earlier, and this helped me see that I put it on backward am bulldog puppies

Dana

Friday 9th of May 2014

I just bought the 1st type today. We went for a walk earlier, and this helped me see that I put it on backward

alex white

Thursday 6th of March 2014

Thanks for the great info.. :D

Bailey

Friday 21st of February 2014

I've never had problems with Bailey's. However, when we rescued Katy the only ones we could find for her at the time required an ability to solve logic puzzles that still is beyond me today. So I always put Bailey's on and DH has to harness up Katy.

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