The suitability of harnesses for dogs

A phrase I hear quite often in clinic is:

"Oh… he/she doesn't let me put a harness on them."

This is usually in response to me fitting a hydro harness to their dog before I start hydrotherapy treatment in the water treadmill. I use special hydro harnesses that let me control the dog while I administer their session, and they also act as a safety device should I need to lift the dog out of the water quickly. These harnesses are essential when I am working with spinal and neurological disorders. As secure as they are, they still allow space for the dog to move their limbs and body fully and comfortably.

When I question the owner, I can usually work out where the problem with putting a harness on has stemmed from. A lot of shop-bought, off-the-peg harnesses are very bad for dogs. They cause pain and discomfort and restrict the natural movement and body language of the dog. Once dogs have repeatedly encountered this discomfort, their only option is to try to avoid the harness in the first place.

I have heard stories of dogs running away, refusing to walk or cooperate with the fitting, and in some cases biting their owners. This can be misread as the dog not wanting to go outside for exercise, and in some cases it can result in a fear or dislike of exercise altogether — or worse still, a dislike of the person applying the wretched appliance.

What an ill-fitting harness can lead to

As well as a loss of exercise and stimulation, an ill-fitting harness can also lead to:

• Problems with canine communication
• Altered mobility
• Weight gain
• Behavioural issues
• Lack of trust of the owner

Problems with canine communication

Whether on lead or off, a dog needs to be able to display his own body language, and to read the intricate and multifaceted language of other dogs. If the off-lead dog still has the harness on, that will act on his natural mobility.

If the dog cannot move correctly, his body-language messages will be unreadable to other dogs, and this can lead to misunderstanding, causing fights or fleeing — neither of which is desirable. If he cannot move his head correctly, or stand in a relaxed way because of the restrictions of the harness (or worse still, is in pain), this will cause incorrect postural signals.

Altered mobility

The dog moves, as we do, as a whole being. We are not just a body connected to legs and arms — our whole body is used to move us around and to combat gravity. As a human, we only have to carry a very heavy suitcase to see how that affects how we walk and hold our upper body. After a period of time, the body will try to compensate for the altered action and posture, and before you know it, after a few months of carrying that suitcase, you're walking with a stoop to that side.

Dogs are the same. They can walk in a one-sided gait, arched back, crabwise, with a low head carriage — all of which will result in pain and discomfort as they get older, and can lead to the risk of ligament and tendon injuries.

Weight gain

Weight gain can occur if the dog refuses to exercise. And the heavier body and thicker body shape that follows can become even more restrictive inside the harness if the dog is then dragged out for a walk. The cycle compounds itself.

Behavioural issues

As well as issues with communicating with other dogs, the dog may also develop other behaviour problems, such as:

• Running away
• Lack of recall
• Growling at the owner
• Destructiveness
• Vocalisation

All of which could be linked back to the pain he felt when his owner put the harness on in the first place.

Lack of trust of the owner

Truly a sad way to feel in your dog-and-owner partnership. And that is the one it hurts most to see in the clinic.

So what makes a well-fitted harness?

We need to provide a secure but comfortable way to connect our dog to his lead. We need to be able to fit the harness quickly, and also be able to release it quickly in an emergency.

There are so many harnesses on the market. Bright colours, thick fleece, strong webbing — all advertised to "control your dog". Some advertise as anti-pull. Some as suitable for running with your dog. Some are designed so your dog can't slip out and escape.

Firstly, as an owner — think! Why do you want to buy a harness for your dog?

• For street walking?
• To stop pulling?
• For ease of picking him up and carrying?
• To attach to the car seat belt?
• For the pretty colours?

Does your dog really need a harness at all? If he is mainly off lead, has good recall, is caged in the car, is easy to hold if you need to let cyclists, kids or walkers pass, and the harness comes off as soon as you're in the park — do you really need to inflict the extra weight and straps on him, which may rub and cause soreness?

If he doesn't go off lead and is mainly on street walks, then yes — the extra security may be beneficial. But as owners, we should make sure that whatever we provide fits well.

If your dog pulls and the harness is bought as an anti-pull device, you should look into how it actually acts to prevent the pulling. Practically all these "anti-pull" harnesses do is make it so the dog cannot move his legs correctly, and therefore can't walk properly — so the pulling stops, either through pain or through lack of ability to move properly.

If a harness is still for you and your dog, then there are plenty of well-fitting ones out there if you know what to look for. The most important thing to consider is how the dog moves.

How dogs move

As humans, we use gravity to move forward. We fall forward, gravity pulls us downwards, and we move first one leg and then the other to push forward and upwards.

Dogs have four legs — they can't lean or fall forward the way we do. A dog initiates walking from a hind leg, then the same-side fore leg moves, followed by the opposite hind leg. As this happens, the body is pulled forward, and then the opposite fore leg moves forward. A little bit like the ancient Egyptians moving huge stones by rolling them on logs. The dog's legs move the body forwards, whereas two-legged humans have to basically cheat by falling over in order to walk and run.

So the dog needs to be able to move each leg fully and easily in order to propel his body mass forward — to run, to jump and to walk.

How the limbs move in relation to the body

We have all seen natural-history videos of tigers walking purposely towards the camera. Take a look at those shoulder blades at the lowest part of the tiger's neck. The shoulder blades lift and fall with every step. Imagine something tightly fastened around those shoulder blades, preventing them from lifting — the tiger would not be able to move freely.

Dogs have a similar anatomy. Just because they have thicker and longer fur, and quite often more body fat, does not mean that their shoulder blades don't lift in the same way. It's just harder to see.

How ill-fitting harnesses restrict the dog's natural mobility

The dog's front legs start from the shoulder blades, not from the lowest part of the chest. If we restrict the area over the shoulder blades, then the dog cannot move his fore legs fully. The fore legs also need to move forward, beyond the chest and out under the nose and head. Anything that fits tightly across the chest will inhibit this forward movement.

So the best types of harness will avoid these two issues. We need a harness that does not press down over the shoulder blades from above, and also does not press across the chest.

What to look for — the practical tests

Take a look at your dog's harness, or at the ones in the shop. Can you honestly say that the harness meets those two criteria?

Two simple physical checks:

• Can you fit your hand — or at least 3 fingers — between the harness and your dog's shoulders?
• Can you do the same down the front of the harness on his chest bone?

Y-shaped harnesses are generally the better buy. They allow the whole fore leg to fit and move with no restrictions.

Any harness which fits across the chest is going to prevent the dog moving correctly (hence the anti-pull effect). Incidentally, these harnesses usually fit across the fore leg around an inch below the shoulder joint.

And if you want to see how it feels to walk with restricted shoulder-blade movement — get two heavy shoulder-strap bags, put one on each shoulder, and walk upstairs a few times. You will soon feel the effect, and the fact that the whole body needs to be unrestricted in order for the limbs to move freely.

If you decide that you really do want a harness for your dog, then choose wisely. Go for comfort and good fit over fancy colours and fancy names. Imagine how you would feel wearing it.

For extra security, you can buy a harness which has a second strap that fits under the tummy too — but it must allow for free movement and not press against the legs or the groin.

The owner's responsibility

Dogs need to exercise freely, move without discomfort, and express their emotions.

As owners, this is our responsibility.