There is quite a bit of confusion about the H model harness and the Y model harness. I will explain everything about it below and why the harnesses I make belong to the Y models. Just to clarify, I have obtained this information from various behavioral experts, a veterinarian, a lot of research on the internet and of course through my own experiences. I simply want to transfer information in this blog and explain how I feel about it.
Why I prefer a harness
I always put a harness on my own dogs and that certainly has a reason. If you put a collar on the neck muscles, vertebrae, nerves and for example the oesophagus and trachea of a dog are extra strained. Especially if your dog sometimes pulls or for example is still very young and is still discovering the world and therefore finds everything around him interesting. You can imagine that this can cause a lot of damage to the dog, let alone if he or she is still very young. That is why I choose to always put a harness on my dogs. If your dog always runs loose then of course it is a different story, but that is not the case with the average dog.
The H-harness or breastplate
Annemiek from Dog School Learn Together has created a perfect image to see the difference in harness models very quickly. You see the H-harness on the left and this is also sometimes called a chest harness. Imagine you are standing IN FRONT of the dog then you see a vertical line on the left, a horizontal line over his chest and then on his right side another vertical line or if you are standing IN FRONT of the dog you see an H in this harness. This is the reason this harness has this name.
As you can also see in the picture, this model compresses the dog's organs. As a result, the dog does not have maximum freedom of movement. It is also possible that smart dogs or, for example, dogs that have a trauma because they first lived as a street dog escape from this harness. If the dog puts its shoulders forward and makes them narrower, the harness can come off very easily. This is because there is no strap between the front legs.
The Y-harness, the model you will find in our webshop
This is the harness model that we always recommend. I will briefly explain to you why this harness has a Y-harness. You can probably guess it, but imagine that you are standing IN FRONT of the dog, you will see a V around the neck and a vertical band runs from this between the front legs to the belly. A Y shape. Always put on the harness and do not put it down, because when you have the harness on you can see much faster how it fits on the dog and which letter you see in it.
In the picture you can see that this model harness gives the dog complete freedom of movement and all the intestines are completely free. There is a big but to this, because the dog only has maximum freedom of movement if the back and the part that runs between the front legs are long enough so that the harness does not get into the armpits. This can cause other problems such as chafing, matted fur and of course that the dog is limited in its freedom of movement. Because there is a strap between the front legs with this model harness, it is not possible for your dog to escape from it. Unless your dog has 3 legs instead of 4, but we are not assuming that for the moment.
Photo taken by; @plintstagram
As you can see I am a big fan of the Y-harness. This is also the reason why you will find this in my webshop. The harnesses you find there are made in our studio in Dordrecht. 100% handmade. Our harnesses are also extra long on the back and between the front legs. This is so that we give the dog maximum freedom of movement. Are you also looking for a perfectly fitting leather harness? In this blog I will explain to you how to measure your dog. Are you a bit hesitant? Film your dog when you are going to measure him or her and whatsapp it to me so I can watch with you. If you live near Dordrecht you can of course also come by so that I can measure your dog. Book a measuring session here.
Love Amy