Check here for quick answers to frequently asked questions about our dog harnesses and walking accessories.
ABOUT US AND OUR SERVICES
Hello! My name is Jenny and I am the dog harness specialist at Harbour City Dog Gear. I started this business (as Life on the Hedge) in 2013 to supply a range of high-quality, non-aversive dog harnesses and related accessories, designed for each dog's safety, security and comfort. In 2024 I was certified as a Fear Free Professional (Veterinary) and I am currently working towards a qualification in canine anatomy and physiology. In also hold a DipBA, and DipArts (Interior Design). You can find out more about Harbour City Dog Gear here.
Yes! To book a harness fitting at your home, please visit our booking page here. (When at home fittings are available the service will show up on the bookings landing page.)
Appointments for Fittings "At Your Home" are usually allocated to Monday and Tuesday afternoons. If that doesn't suit you, please send us an email with your day/time preferences and we will try to find a suitable appointment for you.
In-person fittings 'At Your Home' generally take between 45-60 minutes, although 90 minutes is allocated for each appointment, and the prices start at $90.
Please tell us in advance if your dog is excitable, anxious, shy, touch-sensitive or needs more time, so we can allow for this and not rush things.
We can usually bring 5 to 6 different harness styles for you to try at a fitting. If you would like to try a particular brand/style, please let us know in the comments so we can have it available at your fitting.
Please also make sure you provide your dog's breed/s, age, M/F, girth measurement and note any specific features you are after, so we can make sure we have appropriate choices for you.
Please note we also offer free Zoom sessions, and our new fitting studio has opened in Lilyfield (inner west Sydney) - weekly sessions open to the public and also for private fittings. Please see our Fitting Services page for more information and opening hours.
We aim to respond to every message within 48 hours, if not sooner. BUT, it may be 3-5 working days before we can respond to your enquiry. As Harbour City Dog Gear is a small sole proprietor business, there may be times when we are unavailable due to family commitments. We consider ourselves "slow retail" ... we do not match the response/postage times of Amazon or The Iconic for example, nor do we aim to!
Our email responses are often quite extensive, which also takes time - researching, measuring and doing comparisons between harness styles etc.
So we ask for your patience if we do not respond immediately. We will get back to you as soon as we possibly can :-)
Please wait a week before chasing for a response. Thank you.
You can get in touch via our Contact Page. Otherwise, you can email us directly at hello@harbourcitydoggear.com.au
Please do not contact us via Facebook/Facebook messenger or Instagram, especially with time-sensitive enquiries, as these messages do not take priority for our team.
Harbour City Dog Gear is located in Lilyfield in Sydney’s inner west.
The Fitting Studio address and opening times are available on the Studio page.
SELECTING AND FITTING A HARNESS
Of course! Jenny has over 10 years experience in fitting harnesses for a huge range of dog breeds/ages/sizes.
Choosing a harness for your dog is sometimes a very personal decision - we can help you to identify what style and size may best suit your dog’s unique physical and behavioural needs. Just be aware that harness sizing isn’t an exact science. Without fitting your dog in person, we can’t guarantee a harness will be a perfect fit; but we’ll do our very best!
Before requesting our fitting assistance, we first ask that you to do two things:
1. Look at our range of available harnesses
2. Pick out two to three options that you like the look of and have the features that will best suit your needs. Size charts and specifications are available in each harness description and/or in its picture gallery. If you would like to enquire about specific harness features, please refer to the item description before reaching out (as we strive to include all this information in the item listing itself.)
You will also need to provide at least a girth measurement for your dog. Please refer to our blog article on how to measure your dog for a harness.
Please note we also offer free Zoom sessions, and private harness fittings at our Sydney studio.
Harbour City Dog Gear does not accept any liability or financial responsibility for any harnesses purchased that do not fit your dog. Of course, we are more than happy to offer exchanges. Please refer to our policy pages for further information.
The most obvious indicator will be how your dog walks. If they appear restricted or uncomfortable, then the harness is probably not a good fit.
Things to look out for:
Girth The girth strap sits nice and straight, from the top of the harness, down past the ribs and under the bottom of the chest. If the girth strap angles forward and sits too close to the front legs when your dog is standing, or 'follows' the front legs when your dog is walking, it may interfere with their gait or rub at your dog’s 'armpits'. We want the girth strap to be (at least) 2-3cm behind the front legs, but not behind the ribs* You should be able to slide 2-3 flat fingers under the straps. The girth should hold onto the body and not swivel around independently, but not be too tight. The fit of the girth strap needs to be firm enough to anchor the harness.
*This may not always apply to double, or “houdini”, girth straps like you see on the anny.x Safety for example.
Front The front should be fairly snug, but not too tight or cut into your dog’s chest. Note that if you use the leash attachment d-ring on the chest, the front will usually move side-to-side somewhat. If it doesn’t move at all, that could be a sign that it’s too tight. But take care that the front isn't too loose - the front d-ring should sit on or near the prosternum (the top of the sternum bone [or breastbone]) and avoid areas like the trachea and thyroid; it shouldn't sit over the shoulders when walking.
Head Hole When fitted on your dog, the head hole will ideally be smaller than your dog’s head (so there’s less chance of the harness slipping off). Although this will depend on your dog's anatomy/breed/size. If the harness is designed to be put on over the dog’s head, you may need to make the head hole slightly bigger to start, before tightening once in place. If there is a neck buckle, you can adjust to the perfect head hole size without adjusting to take it on/off. Once this adjustment has been made, you can then open the clip to take the harness on/off around the neck, rather than going over the head.
In General The harness is for both you and your dog. It’s important to not just go for how a harness looks (although we all want our pups to look fab!), but consider which features will best suit you and your dog’s needs.
The straps on each side of the neck and girth should be adjusted equally so the harness is balanced (i.e. it isn’t lopsided). Your harness should sit on the middle of the dog’s back, neck and stomach. Noting our exchange policy, you are welcome to go on a 1-2 minute test walk to see how the harness performs and to decide whether it’s right for your dog. But take care that your dog doesn't rub up against a brick wall or roll in dirt whilst wearing the harness - exchanges cannot be approved for harnesses that are damaged or dirty.
PURCHASING A HARNESS
Unfortunately no. We understand that you might want to try two, three or more harnesses to know which one is best for your dog. But we are not a big enough business to have multiple harnesses being sent all over the country only to be sent back and refunded - we would have to have double the amount of harnesses in our inventory to make sure there is enough for other customers to purchase, not to mention increase our prices, to make this possible and unfortunately that isn't an option.
We have opened our fitting studio for this exact reason. I know many of you are not local, but coming into the studio allows you to look at, feel, and try multiple harnesses on your dog/s. It's the best way to get a well-fitting harness.
Our exchange policy gives you plenty of time to try a harness on your dog for size and return for store credit if you need to, without having to rush. And there is no limit to the number of times you can exchange (hopefully you won't need to at all!).
Please read our full exchange policy here.
We try to keep one of each item/colour harness in stock, but our harnesses are very popular and sometimes stock levels and/or manufacturer availability means we can’t guarantee every harness size/colour will be available.
Some of our most popular harnesses are available on back order: Perfect Fit, Dog Copenhagen, Blue-9, anny.x, Grossenbacher, Sleepypod - due to stock fluctuations and manufacturer availability there may be an extended wait time for backorders, which can sometimes be up to or over 2+ months. Most will be between 3-6 weeks. If an item is available on backorder this will be indicated when you attempt to add it to your cart (please note the text on the button will change to BACKORDER).
Limited Edition colours/styles are generally not available on backorder.
Some backorders may take an extended time to arrive due to postage delays or manufacturing schedules.
Once a backorder is placed is is just like a normal order and it cannot be cancelled. If there is an unexpected or extended wait for a particular item, you are welcome to nominate an alternative, but a refund will not be considered in this circumstance.
Backorders are eligible for exchange.
Custom orders (eg Grossenbacher special items/colours) are treated slightly differently. Once you pay for a custom order it cannot be changed even if there is a delay at the manufacturer.
However, if a manufacturer no longer makes the specific item you have ordered, we are happy to process a refund if an alternative product cannot be found.
Custom orders are not eligible for refund/return/exchange. Please be sure a custom item will suit your needs before paying for your order.
Please message us via our Contact form if you require further information.
Orders for items that are in stock at HCDG in Sydney are usually sent within 48 hours of receipt, but sometimes it may take longer than that to dispatch your order. We aim to send orders as soon as we can, but we do not process orders every day.
Once your order is processed and packaged up ready to be sent, you will receive a confirmation email with tracking number. This email signifies the fulfilment date of your order.
Orders that include backordered items will be sent in one parcel once all items in the order are available to be sent together.
Harbour City Dog Gear is a small family-run business and there may be times when we are unavailable due to personal commitments. We are not Amazon or The Iconic (nor do we want to be) because we prefer a more personalised approach. If we are not processing orders we are writing emails to customers and checking harness sizes. So we ask for your patience if you do not receive a shipment confirmation within 2-3 days of your order.
All orders are processed in order they are received. So if we have a busy week, it may take 3-4 days or more for your order to be processed.
Just a quick note on our personal thoughts on urgency re postage: we all want to receive things as quickly as possible, but Harbour City Dog Gear doesn't generally consider receiving a harness to be an 'urgent' matter. There are some items that really are urgent (eg healthcare related). A harness is usually not in this urgent category. Please consider this before you ask us to prioritise your order or ask for urgent posting. Thank you.
Some of our harnesses and accessories can be purchased on backorder if we are out of stock. Currently the brands you can backorder from Harbour City Dog Gear are Perfect Fit, Blue-9, anny.x, Sleepypod, Grossenbacher and Dog Copenhagen. (Any updates to this will be in the store messages at the top of each page.)
The best and quickest way to secure the item colour/size you want if it is out of stock, is to place a backorder - backordered items are the first to be included in the next shipment (or may even already be on route in a shipment from the manufacturer).
If an item is available on back order it will be indicated on the product page when you select the relevant colour/size variant ... the 'Add to Cart' button will change to 'BACKORDER'.
Please note backorders can take between 3 weeks to 3 months to be shipped to you, depending on the brand/item. The apx time frame is noted on the item page once the 'backorder' button appears.
If your purchase is for multiple items and one or more is on backorder, your entire order will be on hold and only be sent once all items are in stock and ready to be shipped to you.
When an item is down to one left in stock, that will be noted near the "Add to Cart" button. Please note that the 'Backorder' button only appears if there is zero inventory left of the item. If there is only 1 item left in stock and you want 2 of that same item, the system will let you add 2 to your cart and it will not register as a backorder, despite there being only 1 in stock. So if you plan on ordering multiples of the same item we recommend you contact us to check how many are in stock before you place your order. Once an order has been placed it cannot be cancelled.
Backorders are generally only available on standard colours/sizes. Limited editions are just that and are usually not available once sold out.
Once a backorder is placed is is just like a normal order and it cannot be cancelled. If there is an unexpected or extended wait for a particular item, you are welcome to nominate an alternative, but a refund will not be considered in this circumstance.
Backorders are eligible for exchange.
'Custom orders' (eg for Grossenbacher products) are not treated the same way as backorders.
Please message us via our Contact form if you require further information.
Gift cards expire 3 years from date of purchase.
One or more gift cards can be used to pay for your order.
Any balance owing on your order after gift card values have been applied, can be paid for by any other store payment method.
You can redeem the value of a gift card by entering its unique code in the appropriate field at checkout.
The entire gift card value will be used if your order total is more than the gift card amount.
If your order total is less than the gift card amount, any balance remaining will stay on your gift card until it is used or it expires.
Gift cards are applied to the final order total which can include shipping and taxes.
A gift card cannot be used to pay for another gift card, or used to pay for fitting services.
If you are purchasing a gift card for someone else, you will need to forward the email to the final recipient.
Each gift card has a unique code. For security reasons this code is not visible in its entirety to Harbour City Dog Gear. However, if you mistakenly delete your gift card email please click the "Resend gift card" button in your order confirmation email. Or please contact us and we can send the gift card to you again by searching the purchaser's name or by the last 4 digits of the gift card code.
Remember, a gift card is similar to cash - if you print our your gift card and then lose it or leave it somewhere, and someone finds it and uses it, unfortunately we are not able to know that has happened so the purchase will be accepted. It is not possible to cancel the card nor refund the card balance if the card has been used by an unauthorised person. For this reason, if you print out the gift card with the unique code on it, please make sure you don't lose it!
In the system we use, a customer is not able to check a gift card balance. If you wish to check a gift card balance please contact us and we can do that for you.
GENERAL / OTHER
We offer free delivery to local addresses (valid postcodes are listed in our shipping policy).
If the value of your order is over $260 free standard postage is available.
As of June 2025, we have lowered the free postage threshold to $175. This may change at any time without notice.
Orders can also be picked up from our fitting studio in Lilyfield for free during our standard opening hours.
Ocassionally we may offer a discount pop-up on our web site. To access the discount you may need to sign up to our email newsletter list.
We do not generally offer discounts on request. Nor do we offer a discount for purchasing multiple items.
We try very hard to keep our prices as low as we can to offer you the best value possible.
We also occasionally offer product bundles to give you a better price on multiple items.
We sometimes partner with like-minded organisations (eg PPGA) but offers may only be open to members of those organisations.
Any special or limited-time offers will be announced on our web site and/or social media channels.
First, please consult your vet if your dog develops a sudden aversion to a harness that they were otherwise previously comfortable with. It could be a pain or sensitivity issue.
Secondly, if your dog is worried by or becomes anxious around a harness, consider whether it’s because the harness slips over their head or they have to lift their leg to put it on. These can be contributing factors.
When putting the harness on your dog, try to ensure they can move towards the harness rather than you moving the harness towards them. You can try using high value treats to lure them towards the harness and to put their head through the opening.
Try not to force your dog to put on a harness; move at their pace.
We are more than happy to spend time with your and your dog during a private harness fitting, following our gentle desensitisation techniques (time permitting).
An information sheet and short course on desensitising your dog to a harness will be available in the future.
We believe that a well-fitting, ergonomically-designed and comfy harness can help your dog to feel balanced and secure. This should support your dog and enable them to concentrate more on what you are teaching them, and may help to reduce any pulling or impulse behaviours.
It’s our opinion that no harness or tool should be relied upon solely to stop your dog from pulling on the leash. The majority of “no-pull” harnesses we’ve investigated have involved causing discomfort to the dog. They have worked by cinching, constricting, putting the dog off balance or even pulling their front legs off their ground. Almost all of them potentially restrict movement through straps across the dog’s chest, shoulders or both. Ultimately, these harnesses do not fit with our ethos and values at Harbour City Dog Gear. Rather, we consider a good walking harness as a support for loose-leash walking training as part of a training plan. They are not a stand-alone solution to pulling. Having said that, we have received testimonials from community members who have said their dog’s pulling notably reduced as soon as they were wearing a well-fitting, comfy harness from Harbour City Dog Gear. This will depend very much on each individual dog.
Some of our harnesses have a leash connection point on the front of the chest (a "front clip"). If you have a dog that pulls/lunges on your walks, conecting one end of a multifunction or double-ended leash to the front clip on your harness may help to redirect your dog's attention away from triggers/stimuli in the environment and back to you. It is important to make sure the harness fits your dog well if you are planning to use the front clip so there is minimum movement around the neck and shoulders when using this feature. We highly recommend using a double-ended lead so you have two points of contact and you don't need to rely on the front clip as a brake, but to use it as more like a steering wheel.
We do not suggest connecting to the front clip only and in fact we recommend against this. A harness is designed to distribute pressure when the leash is attached to the back clip; it cannot distribute pulling pressure when attached only to the front clip. If using both front and back clips together, you can distribute pressure via the back clip and provide gentle redirection from the front clip when needed.
More importantly, we strongly suggest you engage an qualified and experienced force-free trainer to help you identify the reasons your dog is pulling/lunging and to work with you to lessen/solve the behaviour.
One thing to remember is that if your dog pulls on the lead due to enthusiasm or excitement and you continue to move forward with them when they pull, it becomes a self-rewarding behaviour. Ask your trainer for their recommendation for how to teach loose leash walking.
Please contact us if you need any tips or assistance with loose-leash walking training. Otherwise, please refer to our list of recommendations for qualified, experienced, force-free trainers (coming soon).
Please note that a refund/exchange claim for a harness not stopping a dog from pulling will not be accepted outside our normal refund/exchange policy parameters. As none of our harnesses are described or considered by us as "no pull" this cannot be used as a claim for an item not being as described.
We now stock Sleepypod car harnesses as they are the only harnesses certified by the Centre for Pet Safety USA.
Our other walking harnesses are not crash-tested or impact-rated, so generally we do not recommend using them as a car harness. However, all of our harnesses will comply with Australian legislation for restraining your dog in the car, when used with an appropriate seat belt attachment. Please check guidelines in your state/territory. We stock a seatbelt strap from Zero DC that clicks into your seatbelt and attaches to the back clip on your harness.
Alternatively, you can consider a crash-tested car crate like the Variocage.
PERFECT FIT FAQs
The Perfect Fit size chart and girth measurement table can be downloaded from the Perfect Fit Collection page.
The chart (complied by the UK manufacturer) is a list of breeds with the component sizes recommended for puppies, and small-, average- and large- adults for each breed.
If you have a mixed breed dog, first refer to the dominant breed using the sizing chart and then you can also check against the size for the next most prominent breed in your dog. Using the girth measurement as a baseline, you can work out which size pieces will suit best.
Please reach out to us via the contact form if you are unsure of sizing or if you need further assistance.
This is a difficult question to answer because there are so many component sizes and combinations. It is perhaps better to consider your dog's breed in the sizing chart on the Perfect Fit Collection page and you can also refer to the listing for each component for photos.
A comprehensive guide to Perfect Fit components is coming soon.
The Perfect Fit sizing can be somewhat confusing, but the breed chart is the best way to figure out what pieces you need.
The majority of harness combinations are made up of three separate pieces. (The 10mm "TY" size is two separate pieces.)
Each harness is first based on the width of the webbing that is used to make the harness (10mm, 15mm, 20mm, 40mm), then each individual piece that makes up the harness itself (top, front and girth [or top, base in the TY 10mm range]).
To decipher the code for each combination in the breed chart you need to know that the code order is always: width-top-front-girth. So 15-xs-xs-m translates to a 15mm width Perfect Fit harness made up of extra small top piece, extra small front piece, medium girth piece.
So to figure out what size pieces you need, before you even consult the breed chart you will need to at least have your dog's girth measurement (see our recent blog post for a comprehensive guide to measuring your dog for a harness).
Once you have the girth measurement, have a look at the Perfect Fit breed chart and refer to the yellow table on the first page. Find where your dog's measurement falls in the Girth (cm) column and read across to the last column to see what size this is called. Make a note of this before moving on.
NB. If your dog's girth fits into two widths - for example a 67cm girth might be a 20mm Large girth or a 40mm Medium girth ... if your dog is a strong puller Perfect Fit recommends choosing the wider option, so the 40mm Medium in this case. Or if your dog is narrow, lean and generally doesn't pull you could choose the 20mm Large option. Sometimes it depends on your dog's frame and what proprotions will suit them. Reach out to us for help if you are not sure what width to choose.
Next, find your dog's breed in the alphabetical list starting on page 3 of the breed chart. Decide if your dog is a puppy, or small/medium/large adult for the breed - not whether your dog is a large breed, but your dog's size relative to their breed. Read across the line until you find the code suggested for your dog.
Check the girth size you have already figured out against what is recommended as per the code. If it's the same, then the sizing should be suitable. If the girth size is different you may need to go up or down in the top and front pieces, or contact us for help figuring out what pieces will be best.
Note: the size names of the pieces across all the widths go from XXS to XXL, but note that some sizes are repeated across different widths. For example, the 15mm girths are XS, S, M and the 20mm girths are S, M, L, XL. You can see that there are S and M sized girth pieces in both the 15mm and the 20mm widths. This does not mean these girths are the same size. Please check the yellow table carefully when figuring out what the breed codes are referring to and remember what width your dog needs when checking/ordering pieces.
If after reading this you are thouroughly confused, don't worry! - just contact us so we can help you. We do Perfect Fit sizing all the time and chances are that we can sort you out quite quickly. We will need a girth measurement, breed/s, age, M/F, and a recent photo if possible.