Measuring your dog for a pet harness isn’t tricky, but there are a few tricks to getting the fit just right once you’ve decided your best friend needs one. The benefits of a dog harness include greater control over dogs who tend to pull on their leads or for walks around a busy city environment. Too loose or too tight, however, and you undermine the control, safety, and physical benefits of a dog harness.
How to measuring your dog for a harness
1 Use a measuring tape.
Most pet harness are sold by the weight of the dog but a measuring tape will give you a more exact measurement. You could take your dog to the pet store and try on different pet harness before buying one, but by measuring your dog at home, you can select the right size at the store without your dog being present.
2 Measure the broadest part of their chest.
For most dogs, this will be behind their shoulder blades. Make sure you wrap the tape around them securely, but not too tight or too loose. This way you can make sure you get an accurate measurement.
- Write down the measurement in both inches and centimeters. Different harness brands use different measuring systems so it’s best to have both numbers handy.
3 Measure their neck.
You’ll need to use the measuring tape to measure the thinnest part of your dog’s neck. Again, write down the measurement in both inches and centimeters.
4 Weigh your dog.
Since most dog harnesses use weight to determine sizing, you’ll need to take an accurate measure of your dog’s weight. Some well-trained dogs can sit still on a scale long enough to get an accurate reading, but most will not.
- The easiest way to weigh your dog is to weigh yourself and then weigh yourself holding your dog. Subtract the latter number from the former and you have your dog’s weight.
- You can also go to your veterinarian or groomer and have your dog weighed on their scales that are specifically designed for dogs.
5 Match your measurements to the right size.
Now that you have measured and weighed your dog, you can see what harness size they are. On the packaging of pet harness, or in the descriptions online, you will see a range of measurements that correlate to a size. For example, a size small might fit dogs that are 15 to 30 pounds.
- Be aware that your dog may fit in different sizes depending on the brand of the harness. So a dog that fits in a size large in Brand A might be an extra-large in Brand B.
- If your dog is between sizes, choose the larger size and adjust it to fit your dog.
How to fitting the harness
The harness should fit your dog snugly, but not too tight. Look for a harness that has 4 to 5 adjustment points so you can adjust the harness to fit your dog perfectly. The harness may be the wrong size or improperly fitted if you see any of these signs:
- Chafing around the harness area.
- Your dog can wriggle free.
- The back part of the harness rotates side to side instead of staying put.
- Your dog is strongly resisting walking with it on.
Custom pet harness
GUANCHANG can customize dog harness according to your request. Harness types, color, material, size, Logo and accessory ,etc can be customized according to your request. If you want to custom harness, please contact us (Email: Sales@gcgifts.com). Our designer will give you some valuable advice, and free for you to design the harness you want!
