Ultimate Harness Guide - Part 2: Which Harness Should I Choose?
•Posted on March 24 2026
Ultimate Harness Guide - Part 2: Which Harness Should I Choose?
What next … how do I choose the best harness for my dog that works with their measurements, shape and activities/lifestyle?
Finding the right harness for your dog can be tricky - think of when you have been shopping for jeans … how many pairs of jeans did you try on that looked similar and were the same size and style, until you found “the one” that suited you best? Or maybe you were lucky enough to grab the perfect pair first try!
So you’ve read Part 1: How to Measure Your Dog. What do you do now if you want to find a harness in the right style and size for your dog?
Follow these steps:
1. Collect the three important measurements using the guide in Part 1 (girth, ps-g, neck). Also consider the width between your dog’s legs.
2. Think about what your dog needs in a harness (consider body shape, training support etc) and what materials and features you require, and make a list. Focus on your ‘must-haves’ first, then list ‘preferred’ options. Considerations might include …
* lighter weight or heavier weight?
* structured, relaxed, or in between?
* padded or no/minimal padding?
* simple or fully-featured?
* adjustability …how and where?
* ease of getting on and off?
Even though colour or trend-factor can be a consideration, we suggest you select a harness based on fit and function first, then think about colour. If you first and foremost want a “fashion” harness, our advice is to think about why you are not putting your dog’s comfort and security first. We make no apologies for this!
3. Look through our harness range to find ones you are interested in and that meet your criteria. Try to limit your choices to 3, or 4 max. All the materials and features are listed for each one and there are pictures showing features, functions and style. Refer back to your ‘must have’ and ‘preferred’ list as you look through our options.
If a front d-ring attachment point is a must-have, you can use the dropdown menu in the header (under the Shop tab) to select only harnesses with both front and back d-rings (see below).
A couple of extra tips:
Some harnesses are better than others at accommodating a deep chest. This could be because they are fairly long in general (eg Blue-9, Twiggy Tags) or that the brand has a special ‘long’ edition of a harness (eg Haqihana, anny.x), or the length of the harness bottom/top strap is adjustable (eg Perfect Fit, Naked, Grossenbacher).
If your dog is very narrow between the legs consider a harness that doesn’t have a super wide bottom strap. You can see the proportions by looking through the picture galleries. If it is hard to determine, we can measure the bottom strap for you to check if the width is appropriate for your dog.
4. Once you have selected some harnesses to consider, compare the sizing of each one to your dog’s measurements. All harnesses (except Grossenbacher, which uses breed & weight for sizing) have at least a girth size range; some have a neck size range; most have a prosternum to girth (ps-g or length of bottom strap) measurement. Check the manufacturer's size chart (found in the picture gallery or linked in the description section, or sometimes copied to the sizing tab) as well as any extra info provided in the ‘Sizing’ tab underneath the gallery.
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Check girth size first, then prosternum to girth, then neck. You are looking to see where your dog’s measurements fit into the range given for each of the three important measurements you collected (girth, ps-g, neck).
Note: in our experience the neck size is more generous than the size range indicates, in most cases.
- If your dog’s girth measurement is in the middle of the girth range that is a very good start.
- If your dog is in between sizes, general advice is either size up or consider a different harness that suits your dog’s measurements a little better.
- If your dog’s prosternum to girth measurement is a lot longer than the harness, there is a good chance that the harness might sit too far forward and right up in the front legs, which we want to avoid.
- If you are looking for a double-girth harness have a look at an anny.x Safety or a Grossenbacher ProGuide. The sizing/length for the first girth strap is generally the same as for the single girth version (anny.x Fun, Grossenbacher Fun Run) and the location of the second strap is listed in the sizing info. You want to check that the second strap doesn't sit too far back and interfere with toileting etc.
This should give you a very good idea if the harness is a good option for your dog.
5. If you have done all this and are still stuck or if you are not sure what the sizing means for your dog, or if all this feels overwhelming, we can help! ...
We have tried to provide as much information as possible on the sizing and features of each harness, but we are happy to help if you get stuck or need more information.
We would like to ask though that you select a few harnesses that you might like and make an attempt to size your dog before contacting us for help. When we receive a request for our advice with very little information or measurements provided, it is hard for us to make meaningful harness size/style suggestions and it helps if you give us a starting point.
We encourage you to come into the fitting studio in Sydney to try harnesses on your dog because that is the best way to get a guaranteed great fit. We know that this isn't always possible so if you can't get to the studio it's important to provide us with as much info as you can.
If you get stuck but do not wish to ask us for help, we recommend you choose one of our popular 'all-around' harnesses: Perfect Fit, anny.x Fun (Stnd/Open/Long), Haqihana or Dog Copenhagen Comfort Walk Air.
Now of course you don’t have to do all this research before you buy a harness … if you think a harness looks like a good fit for your dog you can go ahead and try it! You know your dog best and there is not always a need for us to be involved in your choice; just know we are here if you need help.
Disclaimers
If you do ask us for help, please be patient and understand that our email replies to harness style/sizing questions are considered and thorough, and they may take a while to research and write up. We aim to reply to your messages within 48 hours but sometimes it may be 3-4 days if we are very busy.
If you are considering a Grossenbacher harness, if the breed/weight guide doesn’t give you the info you need, by all means contact us – we’ve been working with these harnesses for a few years now and can suggest the most appropriate size for your dog.
Please check that our return/exchange policy suits you before purchasing. We always suggest you factor extra postage into the budget just in case you need to exchange.
Sometimes comparing measurements ‘on paper’ doesn’t translate with 100% certainty to real life, but it’s the best way for fitting a dog remotely, short of booking a Zoom fitting chat with us. If you can provide a photo that is a huge help. But as always, if you can come to the studio with your dog to try some harnesses on, that is the best way to ensure a flawless fit 😊
