How to Put on an Adjustable Dog Harness

Using an adjustable dog harness is a great alternative to using an adjustable collar. Harnesses give you greater control over the dog and do not choke or gag the dog since all the pressure is shifted to the animal's chest area. An adjustable dog harness is more difficult to put on than a typical collar, but if you are willing to spend a couple of extra minutes to put one on your dog, you should be pleased with the results.

Things You'll Need

  • Adjustable dog harness
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Instructions

    • 1

      Have your dog stand on all four legs. This is important because you will need to lift your dog's two front paws in order to put on the harness. If you have an excitable dog or a dog that likes to squirm, you can also put the dog's rear hips between your legs as you stand and squeeze gently. This should restrain your dog temporarily if necessary.

    • 2

      Stand behind your dog and hold out the harness. Make sure the harness is in your hands in a manner where you can easily place the harness on your dog. This means the chest strap is pointed away from you and facing the same direction as your dog's chest. Also, the leg holes should be pointing downward so you can easily lift your dog's legs and place them in the proper holes.

    • 3

      Slip the harness over your dog in the same manner you were holding it. The dog's head will go through the space between the chest strap and the shoulder strap. Make sure the chest strap is placed on your dog's chest.

    • 4

      Lift your dog's left front paw and right front paw individually and place them through the leg hole. The leg hole is created through the space between the chest strap and the belly strap.

    • 5

      Tighten the shoulder strap, chest strap and belly strap so they fit snugly on your dog.