I still remember the look on my neighbor's face when I suggested a harness for her energetic Lab. Turns out her friend's dog lost patches of fur from wearing one. But I later learned that she was using a stiff, poorly fitted leather harness that dug into the dog’s coat with every walk. Worse, she was constantly yanking the leash, adding pressure and friction. And this kind of conversation happens more than you'd think in my years of fitting dogs with proper gear.
The problem isn’t the harness itself, but the wrong style, poorly fitted, and used the wrong way. Not all harnesses are created equal, and they definitely don’t work the same way on every dog. There’s also this persistent myth that harnesses make dogs pull more because of their opposition reflex. People see sled dogs leaning into harnesses and assume that any dog in a harness will act the same way.
That’s like saying shoes make people run marathons. That's mixing up correlation and causation. Sled dogs pull in harnesses because they're trained to pull, not because harnesses magically create pulling behavior. My Border Collie walks beautifully on his harness, while my friend's Labrador pulls even on a martingale collar.
However, a harness is only as good as its design, fit, and training. Use the wrong style or fit it the wrong way, and you’ll blame the tool instead of the technique. Here are the top 5 mistakes dog owners make with harnesses and how to avoid them.
Top 5 Mistakes Dog Owners Make with Harnesses (And How to Avoid Them)
I've seen so many frustrated dog owners go back to collars after a bad harness experience. But what most dog owners don’t understand is that every dog is different. Their body shape, personality, and how they walk all factor into what kind of harness will work. The solution isn’t ditching the harness. It’s understanding what your dog actually needs.
What works perfectly for my Frenchie would be completely wrong for my sister's Bullmastiff. Their bodies are built differently, they walk differently, and they respond differently to equipment. The same applies to temperament. Some sensitive souls practically freeze when wearing new gear. But that’s not a harness issue; it’s a conditioning issue.
I’ve spoken to trainers, professional walkers, vets, and long-time dog owners, including a Labradoodle owner who’s seen the damage collars can do to tracheas, and they all agree that harnesses are safer and more comfortable than collars. Harnesses don’t put dangerous pressure on your dog’s neck, and they give you more control. So, if you’re about to give up on harnesses and go back to collars, hang on a second. You might just be making one of these common harness mistakes, and fixing it will change everything.
Using the Wrong Harness Size
People think sizing is simple, and you’ll hear things like he’s a medium, right? Wrong. Every brand sizes its harnesses differently. A frustrated friend once told me that harnesses always fit fine in the store. What most dog owners don’t understand is that every dog is shaped differently.
A 50-pound Pitbull and a 50-pound Australian Shepherd are built like two different species. I once tried a medium-sized harness on my Pointer mix because that’s what the box said. It fit around his ribs, but the neck was way too loose. On our first walk, he ducked out of it. On the other hand, a tight harness is uncomfortable and dangerous. It’s like being forced to hike with shoes two sizes too small. Some signs that your dog’s harness is too tight include:
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Deep lines and marks pressed into the fur. It's a sign the harness has been digging in for too long. However, slight impressions are normal after hours of wear.
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The skin puffs up around the harness edges like a muffin top over tight jeans. It means the harness is compressing the tissue. Note that this kind of pressure can interfere with blood flow and muscle movement.
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Bald spots, thinning fur, and raw skin around the armpits, chest, and behind the front legs
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Stiffness in the shoulders and short steps when walking, like the dog is wearing a tight backpack.
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Panting heavily or wheezing right after putting the harness on. That means the harness restricts the ribcage or presses on the throat. This one’s serious.
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The dog suddenly starts backing away when you bring out the harness. Dogs remember discomfort. If it pinched last time, they’ll resist it next time.
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The dog keeps trying to reach around and scratch, bite and chew at the straps. It’s basically telling you something’s wrong.
Now, those are signs that the harness isn’t fitting correctly. But how do you actually size your dog the right way? Forget eyeballing it. Take a tape and do the following.
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Measure around the widest part of your canine’s chest, just behind the front legs. This is the main number most harnesses are based on.
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Some harnesses adjust at the neck. Measure where a collar would sit, which is the area high up on the shoulders, not halfway down the chest.
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For harnesses shaped to follow the spine, measure from the base of the neck to just before the tail. This helps avoid straps that dig into the spine.
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After taking measurements, add a gap so that you can fit two or three fingers between the dog and the straps.
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Check underarms and shoulders, as these are where tight straps cause chafing.
Now, getting the size right is only half the battle. You need adjustability. A good harness should adjust at the shoulders, chest, and stomach, like the Terrain Airtag Dog Harness. This harness gives you micro-adjustments that allow you to get an anatomically perfect fit for your dog.
Using the Wrong Harness Style
One harness ruined an entire summer of daily walks with my Boxer mix. It rubbed his armpits raw and twisted sideways every time he lunged. Many dog owners just grab whatever harness looks cute, has decent Amazon reviews, and fits the budget. But the wrong style on the wrong dog is the fastest way to turn a good harness into a frustrating mess. Harness manufacturers come up with different styles to suit different breeds. If you throw any style at your furry friend, you’ll end up with horror stories.
For instance, let’s take brachycephalic dogs like Pugs, Frenchies, and Bulldogs. They already struggle to breathe. Now throw a tight chest-strap harness on them that presses into their trachea and squeezes their ribcage. The dog will end up snorting. These dogs need open-chested, Y-shaped harnesses that sit low on the neck and allow full lung expansion.
Then there are sighthounds like Greyhounds, Whippets, and Salukis. They have deep chests, narrow waists, and narrow heads. Standard harnesses without adjustable straps slip right off. I met a man at the dog park who watched his Whippet back out of a basic H-harness and chase a squirrel across traffic. Thankfully, the dog survived. For such dogs, I strongly recommend harnesses with four points of adjustment, like the Hunter 3.0 Chocolate Dog Harness.
Since you buckle at four points, you can always adjust the sizing to fit the shape of your furry friend. Interestingly, this harness doesn't have to pass over the head. It’s a step-in harness. This makes it perfect even for the other issue we’re addressing next: temperament. Dogs are wolf descendants, and they know how to protect themselves.
Those protective guardian dogs like the German Shepherds take their protection a notch higher, and avoid anything that touches their vulnerable and sensitive areas like head and neck. So, these dogs simply refuse to wear over-the-head harnesses.
You’ll see your furry friend dancing around every time you try to position its head in place. But with this harness, you just place it on the ground, you position your dog's feet in place, wrap the harness around the dog and buckle up. So, to avoid issues, make sure you understand your dog's body structure and temperament, and then choose a harness that suits it.
Attaching the Lead to the Wrong Attachment Point
When most people buy a harness, they don’t even think about the leash clip. As long as it fits, they’re good. But things change when you start walking a reactive dog like a Husky mix on a back-clip harness. I remember that dog dragged me across sidewalks, dirt trails, and a neighbor’s lawn once. When using a back-clip harness, the force is distributed around the dog’s chest, giving the dog pulling leverage.
That’s why sled dogs wear back-clip harnesses. Keep in mind that back-clip harnesses are the default, and you’ll end up with one if you shop without paying attention to the clip attachment points. So, if your dog hasn’t been leash trained yet, or worse, is already a puller, using a back-clip harness is basically giving them permission to drag you. You’ll start hating harnesses.
Now flip it around. Front-clip harnesses were designed to stop pulling. They redirect the dog toward you when they lunge ahead. But front clips have their own issues. If your dog is tiny like Yorkies, Chihuahuas, and Boston Terriers or has a flat face like Pugs and Bulldogs, a front clip does more harm than good. When these dogs pull ahead, and you correct them, that quick redirection puts awkward torque on the neck and chest.
Also, the correction from a front-clip harness isn’t so kind. So, you’ll end up annoying your furry friend during calm walks and trail adventures. For instance, the leash gets tangled in their legs during hikes, and the walk becomes stop-and-go. The dog gets confused and frustrated. The best way to avoid leash attachment mistakes is to get a versatile dual-clip harness like the HNTR Noir Dog Harness. Then use the following tips:
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For leash training and high-distraction areas, use the front clip to reduce pulling.
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For casual hikes, neighborhood strolls, and letting the dog explore, switch to the back clip for comfort.
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When you want real control, like around traffic or other dogs, clip the leash to both points with a double-ended leash. You’ll get total control, and the dog will move in sync with you. I must say that the HNTR Noir Dog Harness also has a handle at the top. So, if you don’t have a double-ended leash, just grab this handle, and you'll have the same level of control.
Leaving the Harness on 24/7
During my volunteer work at a shelter, I encountered a surrendered Border Collie with severe matting and skin irritation. The previous owner had left a harness on for months. I know this is tempting for most dog owners. You clip it on in the morning, head out for a walk, come back, and you’re like, I’ll just leave it on in case we go out again. But that lazy habit causes:
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A weird smell.
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Your dog scratches obsessively at their armpits and chest.
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A raw patch under the belly strap.
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Hot spots under the arms.
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Yeast infections from moisture trapped under the padding.
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Hair loss across the shoulders from friction.
The science behind it is simple. The dog’s body builds heat under fabric. The harness then creates a hot, damp, unbreathable mess. When you add a bit of friction, warm day and rainy walk, you end up with a brooding ground for bacteria. Finally you’ll have to deal with skin infections. The solution is simple.
Use the harness only for walks and training. Let your dog relax at home. Another tip is to get a harness lined with neoprene like the Alpine Dog Terrain Harness. Neoprene is water and odor-resistant. So bacteria won’t grow, and you won’t have to deal with bad smells even after wearing the harness the whole day. But still, don’t let your furry friend spend the night with the harness on.
Failure to Check on the Harness Regularly
After consulting veterinarians, K9 search-and-rescue teams, and gear manufacturers, I’ve learned that most harness-related accidents happen because owners fail to inspect them. About three years ago, when I was operating a dog walking business, I remember I once inspected 17 harnesses of my clients’ dogs, and 11 had issues.
Some had frayed stitching, some had plastic clips showing hairline cracks, and others had the padding so compressed that it caused friction burns. Surprisingly, most owners were unaware of these issues. These invisible things usually result in catastrophic failures. In busy streets, that might mean the dog running into traffic. But the solution is straightforward. Once a week, do this:
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Run your hand over the straps. Feel for fraying, curling, and soft spots that weren’t there before.
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Check the hardware and whether the clips are cracked, bent, and sticky. Check whether the metal rings are rusting or loosening.
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Inspect the stitching, especially the pressure points and where straps meet buckles and D-rings. Look for loose threads and weak seams.
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Flip the harness over and check whether the padding is breaking down, lumpy, or holding moisture.
I always advise people to save themselves from frequent headaches by getting sturdy and durable harnesses like the Honeydew Tactical Harness. It’s made of 1000D nylon webbing. This stuff is military-grade. It's abrasion-resistant, breathable, and lasts for years. The hardware is metallic, and the stitching is reinforced at all pressure points.
Final Thoughts
Most harness mistakes don’t look like mistakes. They’re a combination of small things like the fit is close enough, the back clip is fine for now, leaving the harness on during this trip won’t hurt, and, oh, I forgot to check the buckles this week. Then, little by little, those shortcuts add up. They lead to pulling issues, skin irritation, injuries, escapes, frustration, and finally, you start thinking that harnesses just don’t work for your dog. The good news is that these are preventable errors. Just get one of the recommended harnesses, make sure the fit is right, and regularly check whether the dog is comfortable and that the harness is still in good condition.