5 facts you need to know about harnesses

The harness is a great tool, we walk in it most of the time, but there are a few things to be careful of. Let's look at some of the points where, despite the best intentions, a harness can cause discomfort and it might be better to have a collar (if you can walk your dog on a lead) than an ill-fitting harness.

1. The harness should be Y-shaped, this is very important! Non-Y harnesses press right at the end of the scapula and the humerus. This pressure can be so great that the range of motion (ROM) of the shoulder of a dog regularly walked in the wrong harness is reduced, which negatively affects the whole mechanics of movement, upsetting the normal biomechanical system.  The Y-shaped harness, leaving the scapula and humerus and their shoulder joint completely free, does not put pressure on or restrict the range of motion, is comfortable for the dog, does not inhibit movement, and "almost does not notice" that he is wearing the harness. If you take one piece of advice, beware of any harness that consists of a strap across the chest. Really. Red flags, no-go zones, leave it on the shelf, even if it's on sale, even if it's cool, even if it matches your dog's colour.

2. Do not press on the dog's throat, pay close attention to this, because even if a harness is Y-shaped, if the part between the two legs at the chest is too high, it can press on the dog's throat, which is very counterproductive. Coughing, choking, tracheal and oesophageal injury can also be caused by an incorrectly sized Y harness.

3. There should be at least 3 fingers of space behind the elbow, the elbow is a complex joint and the olecranon is a barely covered area, easily pressed. The reason for the 3-finger clearance is that the elbow has a wide range of motion of 110-150 degrees (it can be even greater for certain breeds and movements), so it is important that whatever angle and pose the dog's feet and elbows are in, they should not touch a strap and at the very least not touch a plastic buckle or sizing plastic

4. The harness should be on the bony parts, not pressing on the inner part, i.e., on the sternum, the harness should run between the two forelegs, max. up to the uppermost sternum (manubrium sterni) and the last sternum (processus xiphoideus). Put your hand on your dog's chest from the front, feel for a small pointy protrusion in the middle, that's the beginning of the sternum, that's where the harness should reach. Run your hand down along the sternum and after the last sternum piece you will feel no other bony formation in the midline. Your harness should reach down to the max before the last formula.

5. The upper cervical part of the harness should be at the junction of the cervical and dorsal vertebrae, if it is higher than this it will certainly disturb the neck and throat, besides provoking coughing, choking, it will badly alter the biomechanics of the dog's natural movement, leading to compensations (and not only physically but also mentally frustrating the dog)

So, the basic thesis to look out for, in a nutshell: an ideal harness should allow the dog's whole leg to move freely, not restrict or press any joints, not reach the throat, reach up to the manubrium sterni at most, have 3 fingers behind the elbow, and the last sternebra (processus xiphoideus) is the furthest part to reach up to, and the top of the harness should reach up to the transition between the cervical and dorsal vertebrae.

Unfortunately, it is impossible to find a harness suitable for many dogs due to their body type, but a good starting point is that all parts of the harness should be symmetrical and relatively adjustable, not rigid, made of a flexible soft lined material, and if you have an affinity for the following areas of the body, I suggest you look for them and then handle your dog carefully. So let's look at the hand-feel bone formulas you need to know if you want to choose a well-fitting harness:

• scapula margo dorsalis-a

• scapula margo cranialis-a

• spina scapulae

• acromion

• tuberculum majus (this is already on the humerus)

• olecranon (this is now on the ulna)

• manubrium sterni (top of sternum)

• corpus sterni (the "body" of the nail bone)

• processus xiphoideus (the "end" of the nail before the cartilaginous part)

+1 if you want to be really clever: Th1-2 vertebrae (i.e. the back)

Important: There are different sports and uses for different harnesses, never go for the brand, but choose the one that is anatomically suitable for your use and your dog.