Unfortunately, I often hear that the owner would really like a harness, but that the dog does not like to put the harness on. This could be because the dog does not like to have the harness put on over its head and we have come up with a solution for that. We do not want a dog that runs away when you approach with the harness.
Harness that does not have to go over the head
What we want to prevent at all times is that your dog is afraid of something. If your dog is also afraid of a harness, that is not pleasant at all. You use it 4 times a day. If this is the case, it is possible that your dog does not like his current harness at all. This can be caused by many things, but in this blog we will describe the problem that the dog does not like it when the harness is pulled over the head.
My own dogs fortunately do not have this problem at all, they already stick their heads forward when I walk up with the harness. They also get these y-harnesses on from the time they are puppies, this ensures that they are well used to it and that they have no problem at all getting a harness on their head. That is also the reason why I always say start immediately with a well-fitting y-harness for your dog, even if it has just left the nest. If your dog does find it annoying to have a harness put on, then I recommend having extra clips made in the neck for the harness so that this is no longer necessary.
Extra clips in the neck of the dog harness
If your dog doesn't like having a harness put over his or her head, I would recommend having extra clips made in the neck. We have a standard collection of harnesses online that don't have them, so if you would like extra closures in your dog's neck, you can have a custom harness made.
The y-harnesses that we make with extra clips in the neck are also called 4-point harnesses or 4-clip dog harnesses. With the harnesses that we make, you always have 2 clips or click closures on the back. So if you don't want the harness to go over your dog's head, I make 1 or 2 extra click closures in the neck. This is so that you can click it open at the neck and you put on the harness from the side instead of pulling it over the head.
Y-harness with 3 or 4 closures
What is the difference between 3 or 4 click closures or 1 or 2 extra clips. 3 clips is 2 clips on the back and 1 in the neck. And with 4 clips you have 2 on the back and 2 click buckles in the neck.
Why did I choose to offer the 3-clip option? Well, that's actually quite simple, because for small dogs under 10 kilos or dogs that just have a narrow neck, 2 clips in the neck is a lot. And with a lot I mean that there is then a stiff part of about 10/15 centimetres in the neck. This is because the clickers are not movable. And for a small dog I would choose 1 click buckle instead of 2. And of course, this way you still have that the harness does not have to go over the head. 4 click closures is I think clear, then you get 2 clips on the back and 2 in the neck.
When you order a custom harness, you can click whether you want a normal harness model (so just 2 clickers on the back), 3 clips (so 2 on the back and 1 in the neck) or whether you want 4 clips.
Does your dog not like to have a well-fitting y-harness put over his head? Then order a custom-made one with extra clips in the neck, so that you can put the harness on from the side and it no longer has to go over the head. Order a custom-made harness here.