How do I adjust the harness so that it fits my dog ​​perfectly?

Last week I got a question while measuring a dog how she could adjust the harness perfectly to her dog when I made it. In this blog I will tell you all about it

What should I look for when choosing a perfectly fitting harness for my dog?

Before you can make sure your dog's harness fits perfectly, you should first make sure that the harness you bought is literally not too big or too small. In my experience, it is usually the latter, so that a dog usually has a harness that is too small. Pay particular attention to the points below.

- Make sure you place 1 hand behind the front legs and then start the belly band

- Make sure that the back is long enough for this, so that the harness does not slide forward and there is not enough space behind the front legs.

- Make sure the harness fits the dog well, think of soft material and a non-cutting fabric for example. If your dog has a quickly tangling coat like a Doodle then fabric is actually out of the question, this quickly causes felt formation.

- Make sure the harness is not dirty, grains of sand can also irritate if your dog has a smooth and short coat.

A perfectly fitting harness all sounds very complicated, because there are so many things to consider. We have incorporated all of the above points into the leather harnesses that we make. We make these in our studio in Dordrecht, which means that we can make absolutely everything to measure. I have a whole clear video recorded in which I explain from A to Z using my own dog Moos how to measure a Meola Leather Dogs harness. Don't trust it? Film your dog when you measure him and send the video to me whatsapp then I can take a look with you. Do you live near Dordrecht? Then book a measuring session and come to our studio so that I can measure your dog.

Adjusting the harness

First of all, it is easiest if you put your dog at eye level, for example on a grooming table or otherwise on the dining table. That way you can see everything easier and you can also reach it better. Your back will also find it a lot more comfortable.

You put the harness over your dog's head, place the strap with his name on it (the only part that is not adjustable) on his back, then put the strap between his front legs and click the clickers into place.

Now let's first look at the part that is at the neck. This band is not supposed to sit where a collar would. This is a lot lower. If all goes well, you should feel a lump on the front of your dog's chest (I've marked it with a yellow circle in the photo below). You want the neck to sit above this lump. So the ring that is at the front should sit above the lump.

Then we go to the front legs. Put 1 hand behind the front legs and make sure that there is enough space on this part. Adjust it longer or shorter if necessary. I have indicated this with the pink circle that there should be enough space after the armpits. The strap that is between the front legs should be tight when the dog has its head up, just like the dachshund in the photo. If the dog has its head down, it is correct that this strap gets a bit more space, that is not bad at all. If you make it too tight, the entire harness will come forward and there will be no more space at the armpits and the whole point of the harness is lost.

Then we go to the belly, the last part. Pull the harness well back so that the back is nice and smooth and you have enough space at the armpits. Then you can now tighten the belly band. There should still be room for a finger between. I always say make sure your dog can still breathe, but certainly do not make it too loose. If the belly band is too loose, the harness will slide from left to right when you click the line to the harness. This is not the intention. A little bit of it moving back and forth is no problem, but it should not be too bad.

Photo taken by; @plintstagram

If you need help with fitting or adjusting your leather harness, let me know by sending me a whatsapp . We are currently working on the very first limited edition collection. We have developed 4 standard sizes that fit most dogs, but if a custom harness is still needed, that is of course always possible. But I didn't want to say that, we are working on the limited collection and the basic collection is always available. In other words, take a look at the webshop to see what is currently online.

Love Amy