rabbitgoo
Classic Fit No Pull Dog Harness
- Pro: Each size covers a wide chest range
- Pro: Leash rings on the chest and back
- Con: Too big for a chest under 11.8 in
Buying guide · Dogs · Walking
The best harnesses for puppies
A puppy changes from one month to the next. The harness that fit when you brought them home can pinch a few weeks later. Meanwhile the pup inside it is chewing the leash, spinning at the door and working out what a walk even is. Luckily, the chewing and the spinning are a phase they'll grow out of. The harness is the part you have to keep up with, one notch on each strap at a time.
PetSafe
Easy Walk Harness
- Pro: Chest loop tightens when they pull
- Pro: Eight sizes that overlap
- Con: One leash point, on the chest only
Voyager
Step-in Air Dog Vest Harness
- Pro: Puppy steps in with the front paws
- Pro: Neckline shaped to stop wriggling out
- Con: Narrow sizes, so outgrown sooner
What to look for in a puppy harness
A puppy's chest can change size within a few months, and most pups pull while they learn the leash. These four things help a harness keep up.
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Room to grow in each size
A size with a wide chest range lasts longer on a growing pup. On the size chart, look for a size that runs well past your puppy's chest today.
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Straps you can let out
Each adjuster lets you loosen one strap as your puppy fills out, so the harness keeps fitting. Count the places to adjust, and check there's one on the neck loop and one around the ribs.
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A leash ring on the chest
Most puppies pull while they're learning, and a leash clipped at the chest turns a lunge to the side. Look for a ring or loop on the front, as well as one on the back.
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Easy to put on a squirmy pup
A puppy who wriggles makes every buckle hard to close. Quick-release side buckles help, and with a step-in harness your pup walks into it, so nothing has to go over their head.
Our three picks, reviewed
Best in Show
Classic Fit No Pull Dog Harness
rabbitgoo
Puppies grow so fast that last month's harness can feel like a tight sweater. The rabbitgoo's XS runs from an 11.8 to an 18.5 inch chest, so there's room to let the straps out before you need the next size.
Puppies grow, and this rabbitgoo vest has room to keep up. Every size covers a wide stretch of chest, with the XS alone running from an 11.8 to an 18.5 inch chest. Four adjusters let you loosen the straps as your pup fills out.
While your puppy learns the leash, clip on at the ring on the chest. When they lunge, the pull turns them gently sideways and back toward you. Once they've got the hang of walking with you, switch the leash over to the back ring. The sturdy handle on top is handy for holding a bouncy pup still at the curb or lifting them into the car.
After a muddy walk, you can machine wash it gently, as long as it's zipped into a laundry bag. The chart lists a neck size as well as a chest size, so measure both before you order.
Pick it if
- Your puppy is growing fast
- You'd like a single harness for leash lessons and easy walks
- You'd like a handle to hold your pup still
Skip it if
- Your puppy's chest is under 11.8 in
Best for puppies who pull hard
Easy Walk Harness
PetSafe
Some puppies treat every walk as a race to the next smell. When yours hits the end of the leash, the Easy Walk's chest loop tightens a little across the shoulders, giving you a moment to win back their attention.
Clip the leash to the Easy Walk's chest loop, and every lunge tightens it a little, putting gentle pressure across your puppy's shoulders.
A vet behaviorist designed it in 2004 for dogs who pull. It's a light strap harness with less coverage than many, so your puppy stays cool on a warm walk. Both the shoulder strap and the belly strap snap shut. The belly strap is a different color, so you can tell top from bottom on a puppy who won't hold still.
Most of its sizes cover a shorter stretch of chest than the rabbitgoo's, so a fast-growing pup may need a new one sooner. When your puppy is between two sizes, the chart tells you to take the bigger one. The leash only clips at the chest, so once your pup walks nicely, the rabbitgoo's back ring gives you a calmer option.
Pick it if
- Your puppy pulls hard on most walks
- You'd like a light strap harness
Skip it if
- You'd like a second ring on the back
- You'd like to buy as few sizes as you can
Best for wriggly puppies
Step-in Air Dog Vest Harness
Voyager
If your puppy goes floppy and slides away the moment you lift a harness, this is the one to get. They put their front paws into the Voyager, and the shaped neckline helps stop them wriggling back out.
Getting dressed is a two-step job with this Voyager vest. Set it flat on the floor and let your pup step in front paws first, then close the hook-and-loop strap and clip the buckle. With nothing pulled over their head, a squirmy puppy has a lot less to fight.
Its soft, light air mesh helps keep a puppy cool on a warm walk. Two reflective bands on the sides help drivers see your pup on a dark morning. Voyager designed it for cats and little dogs, so the biggest size stops at a 23 inch chest.
The sizes are narrow, none wider than two and a half inches of chest, so a growing pup will move up sizes faster than in the rabbitgoo. For a small-breed puppy who hates getting dressed, we think that trade is worth it. A puppy headed for a big adult size is better off in one of the other two.
Pick it if
- Your puppy squirms or ducks when the harness comes out
- Your pup is a small breed
Skip it if
- Your pup is a large breed
- You'd like to buy as few sizes as you can
Which one is yours?
- Your puppy is growing fast and you want to buy fewer sizesBest in Show →
- You'd like a single harness for leash lessons now and calm walks laterBest in Show →
- Your puppy pulls hard on almost every walkBest for puppies who pull hard →
- Your puppy squirms or ducks when the harness comes outBest for wriggly puppies →
Side by side
| Best in ShowClassic Fit No Pull Dog Harness | Best for puppies who pull hardEasy Walk Harness | Best for wriggly puppiesStep-in Air Dog Vest Harness | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type | Vest with a top handle | Light strap harness | Mesh vest your pup steps into |
| Built for | Training on the front ring, easy walks on the back | Dogs who pull hard | Pets who hate a harness over the head |
| Fastens with | Two quick-release side buckles | Snaps at the shoulder and belly | Hook-and-loop strap and a buckle |
| Extra feature | Sturdy grab handle on top | Belly strap in its own color | Neckline shaped against wriggling out |
| Sizes | X-Small to X-Large | Petite to X-Large | XXXS to XL |
| Your pet's size | Find yours → | Find yours → | Find yours → |
Our verdict
Buy the rabbitgoo: every size has room for a growing chest, with leash rings front and back. Get the Easy Walk for a hard puller, or the Voyager for a pup who fights the harness.
Questions people ask
Should I buy a size up? No, because a harness that’s too loose can slip and rub, and a puppy can back right out of it. Buy the size that fits your pup’s chest now, and go up only when the tape lands between two sizes. Our measuring guide shows you where to put the tape.
Does a front-clip harness stop pulling? It helps, but it won’t fix pulling alone. A handout on loose-leash walking from UC Davis’s vet school says a leash clipped at the chest cuts down pulling. It names the Easy Walk as one example. It also warns that some dogs still pull, and it suggests giving a treat once your dog has walked beside you for two steps.
When do I check the fit again? Check it whenever a strap starts to look tight. Use our harness fitting steps to test each strap. When you’ve measured again, the Fit Finder shows whether your pup has moved into the Easy Walk’s next size.
