How to Put On a Dog Harness, Step by Step

A harness that is put on correctly disappears. Your dog stops noticing it within a minute and walks normally. A harness that is put on wrong rubs behind the front legs, twists sideways, or lets a determined dog reverse straight out of it.

The good news is that it is a two minute skill.

First, work out which type you have

Vest or overhead harness

Goes over the head, then buckles around the body. Most soft padded harnesses for small dogs and cats work this way, including our Adventure Buddy Cotton Pet Harness.

Step in harness

Lies flat on the floor in a figure of eight. Your dog steps in with both front feet, then it lifts and clips over the back.

Multi strap or H harness

Separate neck and chest straps joined along the spine, with buckles on both. Our Trail Ready Harness and Leash Set is adjustable at both points.

Putting on a vest harness

1. Loosen everything first. Open all buckles and let the straps out before it goes anywhere near your dog. Fighting a tight harness over a head is how dogs learn to dislike harnesses.
2. Find the front. The D ring for the leash sits on the back, between the shoulder blades. The wider padded section usually goes across the chest.
3. Over the head. Slip the neck opening over, guiding it rather than pushing. Keep it clear of the eyes and ears.
4. One leg at a time. Lift each front paw gently through its opening. Do not force a leg sideways.
5. Buckle behind the front legs. The chest strap should sit roughly two finger widths behind the armpit, not jammed up into it. This is the single most common mistake and the usual cause of rubbing.
6. Adjust, then check. Tighten evenly on both sides so the harness sits square.

The two finger rule

Slide two fingers flat, side by side, under any strap. They should fit snugly with a little resistance.

If you can fit a whole hand under, it is too loose and your dog can back out of it. If you cannot get two fingers in, it is too tight and will rub. Check the neck and the chest separately, because they often need different amounts of adjustment.

How to tell it is fitted correctly

• The back D ring sits centred on the spine and stays there when your dog walks
• The chest strap clears the armpits and does not shift forward into them
• Your dog's gait is unchanged, no shortened stride and no elbow flicking outward
• You cannot pull the harness over the head or shoulders with the buckles done up
• No fur is caught in a buckle

Cats need a stricter fit

Cats are extraordinary escape artists because their shoulders collapse in a way a dog's do not. Everything above still applies, but be less generous with the slack, and never leave a cat unsupervised in a harness.

Let a cat wear the harness indoors with no leash attached for several short sessions before you ever open a door. A cat who bolts while wearing a harness they hate is a bad first outdoor experience for everybody.

If it keeps twisting or rubbing

Usually one of three things. The harness is too big and is rotating on the body. The two sides are adjusted unevenly, so it pulls to one side. Or the chest strap is sitting too far forward into the armpit. Take it off, loosen everything, and refit from step one rather than trying to correct it while it is on.

Size before you fit

None of this rescues a harness in the wrong size. On adjustable harnesses the published chest and neck figures are ranges, and you want your dog's measurement to land comfortably inside the range rather than at the very top or bottom of it. Our guide to measuring your dog or cat covers how to take those numbers properly.

See all of our harnesses and leash sets, each with its supplier size chart on the product page.