How to Make a Pitbull Pulling Harness

There are plenty of reasons to build a pulling harness. The simplest reason is to have a sturdier alternate to the basic dog collar for dog walking. If you and your dog participate in bikejoring, skijoring, dog scootering or similar activities, then a dog collar is unsafe for the dog. A harness, particularly with padding, is much better for the dog.

Things You'll Need

  • Four plastic or metal sliders
  • A plastic buckle
  • A metal D-ring
  • A metal ring
  • 1 1/2-inch-wide nylon webbing (about 105 inches needed)
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Instructions

  1. Making the Collar

    • 1

      Place the webbing over the dog's neck. Take both ends and pin where webbing crosses each other. When crossing the two ends, make sure you're crossing the webbing over the dog's breastbone.

    • 2

      Measure 6 inches past the point you pinned from step one.

    • 3

      Cut and sear the ends.

    • 4

      Attach a slider to both ends of the webbing you just cut.

    Making the Tie

    • 5

      Cut a piece of 12- to 15-inch-long webbing.

    • 6

      Attach an adjustable slider to one end of this webbing.

    • 7

      Loop the opposite end into a circular ring. Pull the webbing though the loop so that there's about 1 1/2 inches through the loop.

    • 8

      Fold the webbing that was pulled through the loop over so it's touching the rest of the webbing.

    • 9

      Sew the webbing together. Use a rectangle-and-cross pattern for the most security.

    Making the Belly Strap

    • 10

      Drape webbing over the dog's back, just behind the front legs.

    • 11

      Pull the webbing across the dog's belly until it's snug. Pin where it crosses, then cut and sear three inches from that point.

    • 12

      Pick up the two ends for a clip. Weave about one inch into the buckle. Take the other end of the webbing and attach the other half of the clip. Keep the loose webbing on the outside, so that you can make adjustments later if needed. At the end of this step, you should have a buckle that can open and close your belly strap.

    Connecting the Collar and the Belly Strap

    • 13

      Take a string of webbing and loop it through a D-ring. You should have about an inch of webbing past the loop. This piece is your top strap.

    • 14

      Lay this webbing parallel to you, with the D-ring to the right of you. Place the belly strap on top of the webbing you just laid out. It should be perpendicular to you and to the left of the D-ring.

    • 15

      Take the end of the parallel webbing and fold it over the loop. This is a right-to-left motion, and the webbing should cover the top of the belly strap.

    • 16

      Sew the top strap and the belly strap together with a cross-and-rectangle pattern. The rectangle pattern should connect the belly strap and the folded-over piece only. Next, sew a line directly to the left of the D-ring to anchor it.

    • 17

      Attach a slider to the left end of your top strap. Loop the left end around the collar, then put the webbing back into the slider. This is how you adjust the length between the collar and the belly strap.