Ruffwear harnesses

[Watson's Mom]

Sorry for another thread so soon.

I saw a lot of posts with people having ruffwear harnesses.

I’m looking to get one for each of the dogs.

How is the fit? I know it says uses chest circumference for sizing. But they seem to have such strange shapes. Deep chests but small necks. They both wear a martingale for a collar. I’m just afraid that they (Roxy) might be able to slip the harness because I think she’s on the cusp of extra small and small.

Just curious everyone managed to fit them.

 

[Sandy in CT]

Not sure about the Ruffwear, but after having two doxies, we swear by the Hold-a-Dog harness from Dachshund Delights. They are custom made to YOUR dog's size, we prefer the black mesh but they do come in fabrics. The Hold-a-Dog has a seat belt loop on it. Brodie has been wearing them since he was a pup, love them for transporting them in his doggy car seat. For walks, we use either a martingale or a slip lead.

https://www.dachshunddelights.com/Hold-A-Dog-Harness®-in-mesh_p_763.html

 

[tofu pup]

I tried a Ruffwear Front Range for my Cocker, but had to send it back... she was a stout little thing with a great big chest and a dainty neck. The Front Range that was big enough to fit her chest just could not adjust down enough to fit her neck. The Hold-a-Dog probably would have been a good fit for her!

If your dogs are like Betty Cocker and have deep chests and small necks, Ruffwear might not be the right fit. (However, if you order directly from the company, they do accept returns, so you could give it a try-on.)

I'm always worried about Shelties slipping harnesses. I know some people have had success with them, but I think that if you have any misgivings at all (a sound-sensitive dog, a dog who spooks easily, a dog who you just can't get a well-fitting harness for...), AND if there are no medical reasons to avoid collars (back problems, trachea problems), it's probably better to just go with a correctly fitted martingale collar.

 

[Watson's Mom]

I tried a Ruffwear Front Range for my Cocker, but had to send it back... she was a stout little thing with a great big chest and a dainty neck. The Front Range that was big enough to fit her chest just could not adjust down enough to fit her neck. The Hold-a-Dog probably would have been a good fit for her!

If your dogs are like Betty Cocker and have deep chests and small necks, Ruffwear might not be the right fit. (However, if you order directly from the company, they do accept returns, so you could give it a try-on.)

I'm always worried about Shelties slipping harnesses. I know some people have had success with them, but I think that if you have any misgivings at all (a sound-sensitive dog, a dog who spooks easily, a dog who you just can't get a well-fitting harness for...), AND if there are no medical reasons to avoid collars (back problems, trachea problems), it's probably better to just go with a correctly fitted martingale collar.

That’s a good description for Roxy’s build. She’s stout with a deep chest though I wouldn’t say her neck is dainty.

And we’re working on the leash pulling (she acts like she thinks she’s a sled dog instead of sheepdog) but she’s hard headed and I’d really like to get her in a harness with a front attachment so I don’t really think the hold-a-dog is what we’re looking for. The ruffwear ones look like they would be more comfortable than what we have. It seems like it rubs behind her elbows.