Firstly, a harness will not stop your dog from pulling, you'll have to train your dog for this.
We only wear harnesses - we don't wear collars because of the known problems that can affect the thyroid.
All harnesses come with a ring to clamp your all important tags and lead to
Some come with a ring at the front so you can supposedly control your dog better - utter tosh, you can quickly sort your dogs pulling with a pocket full of treats and training.
The following are jut a few that we have in our cupboards and are the ones that get regular use, some we buy just because they are beautiful and are not mentioned in these pages
Cheep and Cheerful
price - £6.78 each
Size - Extra large
Origin - China
Samoyed proof - Yes
I was nicely surprised when they turned up, they are indeed soft and strong. There is a handle attached with metal rings and a welded ring to fix a lead to. They are fully and easily adjustable and hold their size under strain.
Good for a quick readjustment over a coat as shown below.
There is a quick release clip to both the chest and neck and the buckles are sufficiently high not to rub on their elbows.
Samoyed proof - yes
Water proof - no
Recommend - yes, great little machine washable, everyday harness.
Price - £20.88
Size - Extra large
Origin - China
Samoyed proof - Almost
I brought these for long hikes where we are likely to encounter water, ponds, rivers and the sea because they are a wide fabric and thin enough to dry quickly.
There are several things wrong with these and many things right with them.
The harness as a whole is a comfy fit with wide banding
Likewise, the strap from the front that fits between the forelegs and body strap is far too long and impossible to foreshorten, so I removed them completely together with the horrible lump of plastic that hangs from here.
I found that the clasp that secures the belly strap rubs on Braes elbows and causes a little red patch - but this seems common with two of the more expensive harnesses that we have.
I have found the belly strap also works loose quite easily and ends up twisting around their bodies.
The handle is integral to the design and allows a good firm grip but after a while the stitching fails against the main body of the harness
There is a velcro patch to fit your amusing badges which are useful if you are training or for a service dog.
The ring on the front is a handy control if your Sammy cant help but pull all the time and also good for hanging a name tag on.
Despite the fundamental problems I really like these, they dry quick, go through the washing machine and give a feeling of control. Plus, the small side bags that you get for the Julius K9s also fit on the side. I use these as a battery pack when they wear their Christmas lights.
Waterproof - No
Recommend - No. I only use these near water because I dont mind if they get wet and dirty and Only if you are prepared to customize them.
Light Duty Fabric Harness
Price - £22.99
Size - Extra large
Origin - UK - Amazon
Samoyed proof - Almost
This is a very likeable harness with friendly stamped all over it in case you don't realise that we are actually quite friendly.
The straps are narrow and annoyingly flap about if you run the dog off the lead
The leads that accompany the set are next to useless as a single Samoyed bite snips straight through and I am sure, that if so inclined, Tylor and Brae could make short work of these harnesses too.
There is no grab handle but if you fix the two flappy bits together with a carabina you could easily make one.
The harness fits onto the body with two loops that you place the dogs legs into, pull it up and snap together in the centre of the shoulders with a quick release catch.
In conclusion, I guess they are ok for town walking, they look really nice and they get a message across
Are they Samoyed proof? No not really, Tylor has managed to chew through the strap that comes around the front of the body.
Recommend - No, great for waking dog around populated areas, towns, shows and the like because it stops you being continually asked if your dog is friendly - likewise very annoying if you just want to get on - not something they could wear on a good hike though.
Padded Fabric Harness
Price - £14.00
Size - Extra large
Origin - Ebay Amazon
Samoyed proof - Seem to be
This appears to be a really comfy harness. The central ring is welded and puts up with a lot of wear and tear. These are nicely made and it is evident in the stitching. There is a padded strip inside the front strap which would be of benefit to a short haired dog but superfluous to a Sammy coat.
There is no adjustment in the strap that comes around the front of the body so it fixes the harness quite close to the neck, almost more like a collar than a harness.Because of this, if you pull on the harness it comes off over the head. This is not necessarily a problem unless you have a dog that you have to drag around (unlike a Samoyed that is more likely to be pulling you around.
It is a nice robust thing that is well made [it is called a Tixie] I have hade several of these in different colours and am very fond of it as an all-round do-er
Would have been better with an additional fixing hoop on the front strap and I would have preferred this strap to be longer so the whole thing fits further down a Sammys back.
Samoyed proof - yes
Water proof - no
Recommend - yes, great little machine washable, everyday harness, although wears quickly along the padding - probably more so with a short haired doggo.
The Go-To Julius K9
IDC PowerHarness - X Large (size2)
Price - £33-39.00
Size - Extra large
Origin - Julius-K9.co.uk or Amazon
Samoyed proof - Definately
Autumn Touch - Tylor Woodland - Brae
This is the go-to harness for the bigger more adventurous animals. Its very sturdy and can withstand yanking a 40 kilo dog over the typical English countryside style or pulling over the boulders whilst scrabbling up the tough side of Mt Snowden. You can also buy link attachments to grip the chest strap and the tummy belt, chest pads, side bags (three sizes), bullet lights, chest clip attachments etc etc.
Its well balanced but slightly on the heavy side as harnesses go. Fully adjustable to insure that the lead clip is in the right position with the front chest strap lowered 30 degrees to follow the natural curves of the dog's chest (K9 make a special hiking one that is double the price).
We have had these for 5 years now without any signs of wear. Tylors has received a bit of damage due to getting caught in barbed wire but they look as good today as they did when we brought them.
These things serve a purpose and as such are not ideal for general use and would look overkill at a garden party… So whenever we are off on a hike, this is the first one out of the cupboard.
It is shower proof but not water proof as the underside is a soft lightly padded material that sucks up the water if you get dunked in say..... erm… a horse trough to cool down.
The belt around the front has a dayglo/luminescent strip that is picked up by car and torch light, there is a place for a K9 torch but others do fit, a couple of handy buckles and reflective side badges that you can buy with pre worded amusement, flags, or you can have a bespoke jobby.
There is a grab handle on the back that fits my massive hands which I am surprised at the amount of times I use it, the ring is welded and captured in the main body that will hold back any Spitz/pulling breed with confidence. The banding is wide and guessing quite comfy for the sams.
Many poo-poo this, I don't know why, perhaps its the price or the fact it is popular and common place, but we wouldn't be seen without one.
The belt around the front has a dayglo/luminescent strip that is picked up by car and torch light, there is a place for a K9 torch but others do fit, a couple of handy buckles and reflective side badges that you can buy with pre worded amusement, flags, or you can have a bespoke jobby.
There is a grab handle on the back that fits my massive hands which I am surprised at the amount of times I use it, the ring is welded and captured in the main body that will hold back any Spitz/pulling breed with confidence. The banding is wide and guessing quite comfy for the sams.
Many poo-poo this, I don't know why, perhaps its the price or the fact it is popular and common place, but we wouldn't be seen without one.
