I have always had problems with my large dogs. Either they pull, and the leash breaks or slips out of my hand. Then the dog is free, and I have zero control. One time, my St Benard dragged me on the sidewalks. After years of struggles, I finally found a solution: a harness with a handle.
With this harness, you immediately grab the handle and seize control over your furry friend when he starts pulling. Here is everything you need to know about harnesses with handles and, of course, my top recommendations.
Harnesses With Handles for Extra Control and Safety
The science of momentum applies even to dog leashes. When you have a longer leash, like the standard 6-foot leash, and a giant dog like my 150-pound St Benard, it can easily break the leash if it bolts away.
If the leash is sturdy enough, there are high chances it'll slip out of hand—and if you were prepared enough for the tug, you'd most certainly get leash burns. The solution is to prevent the momentum build-up, and I haven't seen any better way of preventing it than getting a harness with a handle.
When your furry friend starts being anxious, aggressive, or excited, just grab the handle. He won't have enough room to gain momentum. Another thing is that the handle can't slip out of hand.
Features to Look For in a Harness With Handle
Just like other dog accessories, harnesses with handles differ in design and material. If you want a harness that won't fail you in matters of safety and control of your furry friend, make sure it ticks the box on the following features.
Strength of Handle
The reason you're getting a harness with a handle is to seize control of your companion when things go south, such as leash breaking or dog charging to attack something or someone.
It makes no sense if the handle is weak, and breaks when the dog pulls strongly. Or if the handle gives the same leash burns you're avoiding. So, make sure the handle is sturdy and won't break under pressure. I also suggest making sure the handle is lined with a soft material so you don't get leash burns.
Comfort for the Dog
Dogs usually wear harnesses when going to things they love, like dog parks, walks, and hiking. Don't spoil their fun with an uncomfortable harness. Go for a harness with paddings such as neoprene lining.
Adjustability
Probably you're taking your furry friend for walks and hikes so he can burn calories and maintain a healthy weight. That means you expect your dog's weight to fluctuate.
That means the harness can become too saggy when the dog loses weight or too tight if the pup is still growing. The best way to make sure the harness remains fitting is to go for a harness with adjustable straps.
Top Dog Harnesses With Handles
My furry friend has suffered with unreliable and uncomfortable harnesses before discovering the best ones. I'll be so inhumane to let your companion go through the same pain. Here are the harnesses I have tested and found the quality to be superb.
Sofia Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness
The reason I start with the Sofia Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness is because it ticks the box in one of the two features I value most: reliability. There's nothing bad like an unreliable harness. Imagine going for walks with your territorial and protective Tibetan Mastiff, he sees another dog and decides to attack.
When you grab the top handle to seize control over your furry friend, the handle snaps from the attachments and the dog is free. That means you'll be having a harness, but deep down you know things can go wrong.
If you're going for several days of hiking or camping, you might even need to carry an extra harness, the same way you carry a spare leash. That's why I recommend the Sofia Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness.
This harness is virtually indestructible. It's made from high-quality nylon webbing and metal closures, and all the attachment points are reinforced. There's no way this harness is going to break even if you're dealing with untrained Huskies.
Noir Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness
I have put the Noir Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness as the second option on our list because it qualifies for the second feature I value most: comfort. Before I realized how important comfort is, I almost cried when I saw the bald spots and red skin around my dog's chest.
The leather harness I was using had constantly rubbed against my dog's skin to an extent the dog was resisting to wear harnesses. But when I switched to the Noir Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness, things changed. The body of this harness comes lined with neoprene. This material is different from sponge.
It's soft, comfortable and water-resistant. I'm saying this because I once got a sponge-lined harness for my Newfoundland, and the harness would become damp and smelly after he played in the water paddles. Neoprene doesn't become damp and smelly. So, you won't have to deal with bad odors when your furry friend gets back indoors.
Chocolate Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness
Dogs are like humans, and dog harnesses are just like clothes. Do you know why leggings have become so popular nowadays? It's because they always offer a snag fit, whether you gain or lose weight. That's the same kind of fit your furry friend should enjoy.
A harness that's so large for your dog moves when the dog moves. This movement creates friction against the dog's skin. Remember, the harness sits in the sensitive chest area. Friction around this area can easily result in irritations, chafing, and hair loss.
On the other hand, if the harness is so small, it'll prevent the dog from breathing and panting freely. Some harness designs might even restrict the leg movements if they're ill-fitting.
That's why I recommend you get a harness with adjustable straps like the Chocolate Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness. This harness is adjustable on all four sides. That means you can always give your companion a perfect fit depending on his body proportions and size.
Honeydew Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness
If you love going for hiking and camping trips with your furry friend, then you'll like the Honeydew Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness. One, this harness comes with a rugged design, just like the above harnesses. That means it won't fray or break even when scratched by rocks and bushes during hiking.
Another thing is that this harness comes with Velcro backing on the top side. This allows you to attach an accessory or pouch to the harness. For example, instead of exhausting yourself with all the supplies when hiking, you attach a small pouch on the harness, and make your furry friend carry some of his supplies like water, treats and waste bags.
I believe this attachment offers more flexibility than a harness that comes with a built-in pouch because you can always detach the pouch when not needed. For instance, there's no need to exhaust your dog with an unnecessary pouch when going for short walks in the evenings and mornings. So, you just detach it.
Blackout Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness
As the name suggests, the Blackout Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness is all black. The main reason I love this harness is the dual release buckles. As an experienced dog owner, I know things do happen. Maybe you have gone hiking, the dog sees a squirrel, and, of course, chases it.
Unfortunately, the harness is caught by the branches. Or maybe your furry friend is playing in the yard, decides to jump over the fence, but unfortunately the harness is caught by the fence. That's where the quick release buckles come in. They are more of a safety feature in case of an accident.
You just press them, and your dog is free in a split second. They are not like dual-pinned buckles that look like belts. Those ones take time to open, especially when there is tension on the straps. So, if you care about your dog's safety, go for this option.
Camo Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness
If you have a giant dog like the Newfoundlands and St Bernards, you can agree with me that their pulling power is enough to drag a person on the sidewalks. We only benefit from the fact that most of these dogs are well-trained and don't pull on leashes.
However, over-excitement easily makes dogs forget the training and pull. For example, if you're walking beside a river, and Newfoundland spots a duck swimming, it'll definitely pull and jump into the water. That's the main reason you need the Camo Hunter 3.0 Dog Harness.
This harness comes with both the front and back clips. Attach the leash on the back clip for normal walks. But if your dog isn't leash-trained or you are going to environments that can over excite the dog, use the front clip. When the dog pulls, this clip redirects the pulling force back to you, discouraging pulling.
Grape Terrain Dog Harness
As the name suggests, the Grape Terrain Dog Harness is the most versatile harness on our list and can be used in all terrains, indoors and outdoors. Not that the above harnesses aren't great, but it's because this harness comes with the Y-shape design instead of the standard design.
This harness is made of straps and a chest plate. This means it offers minimal coverage compared to the above harnesses. As a result, heat retention is minimal, and the dog remains comfortable even on a hot day.
Rose Air Tag Dog Harness
The harness can be sturdy and reliable, only for the leash to slip out of hand. For instance, the dog spots another dog and unexpectedly dashes to attack. You're caught unaware, with your hand relaxed on the leash.
That's how easily your dog can run out of control, wander off and go missing. But with the Rose Terrain Dog Harness, there's hope of finding your dog. As the name suggests, this harness comes with a pocket for keeping an Apple Air tag.
The pocket is hidden so people can't see it. But when your furry friend wanders off, you just use your phone to track him. Note that the harness doesn't come with the actual Airtag.
Sofia Terrain Dog Harness
The Sofia Terrain Dog Harness shares the same design as the above harness. One strap goes between the front legs and connects with the straps running down from behind the front legs, forming a Y-shape when looking from the front with the dog standing.
Since this harness is basically made of straps and a minimalistic chestplate, it gives the dog freedom of movement. This makes it a great option for daily use at home and during recreational activities like walks, visits to dog parks and hiking.
In fact, it's called a terrain harness because it works in almost all environments. I know most dog owners are weary of buying Y-shape harnesses because of rubbing in the armpit area. The good news is that the manufacturer of this harness has carefully calculated the proportions so that the straps don't rub the dog's armpits. Just get the right size, and you're good to go.
Desert Camo Terrain Dog Harness
The Desert Camo Terrain Dog Harness is yet another sturdy yet lightweight harness. It shares the same design and features with the above Y-shape harness. But I want to talk about the unique features when you go for the smaller version of these harnesses.
As I mentioned, all the Y-shape harnesses on our list come with a hidden pocket where you can hide an Apple Air tag. Something that I didn't mention is that that's a feature for medium and large harnesses.
When you go for the smaller size Y-harness, like this Desert Camo Terrain Dog Harness, you get a D link at the front instead of the pocket. That's a very creative move from the manufacturer. One, it's hard for a small dog like the Yorkshire Terrier to outrun you and wander off.
So, there's no need to put unnecessary pockets. But with the manufacturer putting a D-link, you can use this lightweight harness as a tactical no-pull harness for small dogs, instead of buying the heavier and bulky no-pull harnesses.
Tips for Using Harnesses With Handles
Using harnesses with handles is no different from using the other harness types. You just need to take measurements of your dog's chest size and then go for the correct size. Something worth mentioning is that harnesses with handles give you the freedom to use longer leashes, as you only need to grab the handle when you want immediate control.
Conclusion
A harness with a handle allows you to get immediate control of your companion when the leash breaks or when he is excited and shows signs of bolting away. However, even these harnesses vary widely in quality and design. I suggest you get one of the above options—ones I have tested and confirmed that the quality and reliability are unparalleled.