Choosing and fitting pulling harnesses

The most important piece of equipment and working tool for a dog in sled dog sports is a correctly fitting, ergonomic pulling harness. It is worth investing in a well-fitting harness, as it directly affects the dog's well-being, health, and enjoyment of pulling sports.

Finding a suitable pulling harness can be relatively easy—or very challenging—depending on the dog's body structure. Dogs are always individuals, and their build can vary greatly even among dogs of the same breed. Since dogs come in many shapes and sizes, there are also many pulling harness styles available from various brands. All the harnesses in our selection are high quality. The "best pulling harness" is therefore one that fits and suits the individual dog perfectly.

Below are some guidelines to help you focus on the right things when choosing a harness style and fitting a harness.

Pulling harness, Y-harness, T-harness—how do different types of dog harnesses differ from one another?

  • T-harnesses
    Dog harnesses have traditionally been so-called T-harnesses, with a horizontal cross strap running across the front of the dog's chest. This type of harness restricts the natural forward movement of the legs, so based on current knowledge, it is generally not recommended even for everyday use, let alone for pulling.

  • Y-harnesses
    A Y-harness is a harness whose chest section branches between the dog's legs in the shape of the letter Y. A well-fitting Y-harness allows the dog's legs to move freely and naturally both when walking and running. A short Y-shaped harness that ends at the middle of the back is ideal for everyday use, walks, and hiking. For pulling sports, however, you should get a pulling harness, because if a dog pulls strongly while wearing a standard Y-harness, the pulling force causes the harness's neck opening to rise onto the dog's throat, regardless of how well the harness otherwise fits.

  • Pulling harness
    Pulling harnesses also have a Y-shaped design at the front. However, the harness's side pieces and the attachment point for the tow line differ from those of standard short Y-harnesses intended for everyday use. In a pulling harness, the line is attached to a loop located above the dog's hindquarters. The pulling force is directed through the side pieces sewn at a backward angle to the chest section of the harness. The pull therefore draws the lower edge of the harness's neck opening downward, away from the dog's throat. As a result, the pulling pressure is not directed at the dog's throat, unlike what can easily happen, for example, when a dog pulls while wearing a standard everyday harness.
    A light-colored dog is standing side-on and wearing a correctly sized, well-fitting pulling harness.
    With a pulling harness, the pressure from pulling is distributed to the dog's chest through the side pieces angled backward, rather than being directed at the dog's throat.

When to get a pulling harness for your dog?

If the intention is to teach or allow the dog to pull, it is recommended to get a pulling harness right at the beginning of pull training. Primarily for ergonomic reasons, but also so that the dog learns to associate permitted pulling with the pulling harness, while regular everyday harnesses can remain harnesses in which the dog does not pull. 

Anyone buying a pulling harness should be prepared to purchase several harnesses over the course of the dog's pulling career, as a pulling harness must always fit properly and cannot be bought for a young dog with much room for growth. Particularly in larger breeds, dogs usually continue to fill out noticeably until the age of 2–3, and the amount of fur on dogs with thick coats can vary considerably with the seasons, affecting the fit of the harness.

You can only assess the fit of a pulling harness when it is under tension

Fitting a pulling harness can sometimes be time-consuming. At first, it is a good idea to reward the dog for things such as putting its head through the harness, so that the dog associates putting it on with something pleasant. Once the harness is on, its fit should be assessed while the harness is under tension. Pulling harnesses are therefore easiest to fit with the help of an assistant. 

person putting a pulling harness on a dog

When fitting the harness, it is important that the dog is standing on a non-slip surface, preferably outdoors or alternatively indoors on a rug or carpet (not, for example, on a laminate floor). If the surface is even slightly slippery, the dog will not stand naturally or lean into the harness.

Once you have found a pulling harness that appears suitable, its final suitability for the particular dog can only be determined in actual pulling use.

The image below shows how a correctly sized pulling harness should sit when the dog is pulling. Below, you will also find detailed instructions for examining each point more closely.

dog wearing a correctly sized pulling harness

Check these points when fitting a pulling harness

Neck opening

Fitting starts by checking whether the neck opening is the right size. The neck opening of a pulling harness should be considerably snugger than what you are probably used to seeing in regular everyday harnesses. So don't give up right away even if the dog's head does not pass completely effortlessly through the neck opening (note: turning the neck opening sideways, in line with the dog's ears, makes putting it on easier). Once you have put the harness on the dog, carefully lift and move the dog's fur and “extra skin” out from under the harness's neck opening. 

  • At this stage, try checking—without pulling—how many fingertips fit comfortably between the dog's neck and the harness. If more than two fingers slip in easily, this suggests that the neck opening is probably too large. If the neck opening of the pulling harness is too large, it may slip down over the dog's shoulders and shoulder blades when the dog pulls properly. This interferes with the normal movement of the front legs and may lead to strain injuries in the joints. As a rule of thumb, two fingertips should fit between the dog's neck and the neck opening of a suitable pulling harness when there is no tension—just one for small dogs.

the neck opening of a properly sized pulling harness

When the harness is not under tension, just two fingertips should fit between the back of the neck and the neck opening. The neck opening is neither too large nor too small.

  • If the harness has adjustable side straps, as in Non-stop dogwear Freemotion harnesses, tighten them appropriately, as this also affects how the harness (and neck opening) sits on the dog when pulling. You can find more detailed instructions for adjusting the Freemotion harness model at this link.
  • Next, pull the harness strongly backward by the attachment loop for the tow line and use your index finger to feel perpendicular to the lower edge of the harness’s neck opening whether you can feel the upper edge of the tip of the dog’s sternum. See the image below. At this stage, the tension in the harness should be as strong as when the dog is working in the harness.
  • A neck opening that is too small or the wrong shape remains too high despite the tension, above the upper edge of the sternum, causing the harness to press against the dog’s throat/trachea. In that case, even when the harness is under proper tension, you can no longer feel the upper edge of the tip of the dog’s sternum from the lower edge of the harness’s neck opening.
the arrow indicates where the neck opening of the pulling harness should settle when the harness is under tension: on the upper edge of the tip of the sternum

Pulling draws the lower edge of the neck opening away from the dog’s throat, and the upper edge of the tip of the sternum can be felt perpendicular to the lower edge of the neck opening. The neck opening is therefore the right size for the dog.

Chest piece

Check from the front of the dog that the chest piece is not too wide for your dog. A chest piece that is too wide may restrict the free forward movement of the legs and start rubbing the armpits.

Next, check the length of the chest piece:

  • If the chest piece is too short, the harness seems to end too soon, and the side straps press into the dog’s armpits behind the front legs. Note that here too, the harness only fits correctly when the dog is pulling. A pulling harness that is exactly the right size for your dog may tighten up behind the armpits and look very ill-fitting when it is “loose” on the dog.
  • If the chest piece is too long for your dog, the side pieces of the harness will extend too far back, behind the dog’s chest and ribs. The lower parts of the side pieces must remain on top of the dog’s chest / ribs even when pulling. Otherwise, they will press against the sensitive abdominal area when pulling.
  • Correctly sized harnesses therefore leave a little empty space behind the armpits during pulling, while the lower parts of the sides remain on top of the dog's ribs. 

The example image below shows a harness with a chest piece that is too long for the dog. The lower parts of the harness's side straps can move behind the dog's ribcage and ribs and press uncomfortably into the abdomen during pulling.

a pulling harness that is too long presses on the dog's abdomen
A pulling harness that is too long for the dog in the chest area.

Back length

In full-length pulling harnesses, the attachment loop for the Pull line should start approximately where the dog's tail begins. A harness that is too long can slip behind the dog's hindquarters. It is generally not a major issue if the harness is slightly too short, as long as the harness's chest piece is long enough and the lower parts of the side straps do not catch in the armpits during pulling. Especially if you participate in sports where the Pull line runs slightly upward from the dog (e.g. running/skiing/biking), the harness can be a few centimetres shorter than the back length.

For sled dogs (that is, with a low pulling point), full length is more important. If the dog mainly pulls in sports with a low pulling point (sled, tire, etc., and wheel dogs), a so-called gangline harness is the most ergonomic pulling harness model.

Example of correctly fitting Non-stop Freemotion harnesses

the dog is standing side-on and is wearing a correctly sized Freemotion pulling harness

In the image above, the dog is wearing a Non-stop Freemotion harness, and the harness is under light tension. The neck opening is sufficiently snug and does not sit on top of the shoulders. The lower parts of the side straps do not rub behind the armpits, but remain on top of the ribs even when pulling. 

Measuring your dog for a pulling harness

With the information shown in the image below, you can start exploring the options in our selection of pulling harnesses. 

  • A good, sufficiently snug fit at the neck opening of the pulling harness is important, so choosing the model and size always starts there. When measuring, keep the tape measure as taut as possible, so that it runs in a straight line in front of the dog's shoulders and shoulder blades—as the neck opening of the pulling harness should also sit when pulling. Always measure only one side of the dog to get an accurate measurement. You can find a measurement chart on each pulling harness product page showing the neck opening size measured from the harness. Divide the neck opening measurement by two and try measuring with a piece of tape to see whether that length is sufficient for your dog.
  • Most size charts include an indicative dog weight, back length and/or example breed. Check whether your dog roughly matches these indicative measurements.
  • If you are unsure, ask! Based on the information below, we can help you choose.

Instructions for measuring your dog for a pulling harness

 Typical pulling harness options

 Small or relatively small dogs, approximately 3–15 kg:

Dogs with a short chest (e.g. spitz breeds, Samoyeds, poodles):

Dogs with a so-called standard build (e.g. retrievers, shepherd dogs, pointers, malamutes, huskies):

Dogs with an especially narrow neck and long chest (e.g. long-bodied, narrow-necked individuals of the following breeds: working-line husky, Alaskan husky, Malinois, Eurohound):

Dogs whose required harness neck-opening measurement is almost as large as or larger than their back length, i.e. very square-built dogs with thick necks.

  • You can generally only get a well-fitting pulling harness made to measure.

Help choosing a pulling harness or determining the fit

We are happy to help you choose and fit pulling harnesses and other products. This works best with measurements taken from the dog and fitting photos.

If you send us fitting photos of pulling harnesses, preferably take them with an assistant, following the natural pulling position as described below. 

  • the dog is standing on a level surface where its paws do not slip (preferably outdoors, never on a bare wooden floor)
  • the dog stands side-on to the camera
  • the harness should be under firm, strong tension without the dog arching its back. The tension should be close to the force with which the dog actually pulls a runner/skier/bicycle/sled.
  • check that the pulling comes from the same angle as it naturally would with a pulling line (usually slightly from above with a small dog, and directly level with the back with a large dog)
  • if no assistant is available, it is a good idea to use video recording. Leave the camera filming from the side while you fit the harness. 

You can send us the photos by email or via WhatsApp message.