Are you looking for a harness for your Havanese puppy or dog?
What is the best harness for a Havanese?
The Best harness for a Havanese is the Bark Appeal Step in Mesh Harness. The reason is that it is no choke and also has the softest material against the body of the dog. It is a soft breathable mesh that forms to your dog’s body for ultimate comfort.
The runner up is the JIEPAI Military Service Dog Vest because it has a great fit and will last a long time. It also has a handle on the top for quick pick up if needed
Here is the chart for the best harness for a Havanese Dog.
So, before we get into the review section it’s a good idea for us to take a look at the different types of dog harnesses on the market and see what makes them different from one another.
Back Clip Harnesses
Dog Harnesses can have the clip on the front or on the back. Harnesses with the clip on the back are definitely the most popular kinds of harnesses, especially for smaller dogs. They generally come in one large piece or many smaller strap-like pieces. The important thing to note is that the lease attaches to the dogs back.
Most dogs, mine included, find the back clip to be more comfortable because of where the attachment is. The back clip harnesses apply pressure in a more ‘agreeable’ way for the dog. Smaller dogs, like Havanese, have smaller more delicate necks and these types of harnesses don’t apply pressure to their throats like collars.
The other main thing that makes these great harnesses is that they are really really easy to put on. Because the lease is attached to the back you don’t get it tangled or mixed up with the harness.
The only real issue is that some dogs that need a little more control don’t get it from these harnesses. Usually, this just means that you need to train your dog on-lease a little more, but also just take some time to teach them what is allowed and what isn’t. Usually, a Havanese is not powerful enough to really pull you but they can still need some control.
If your dog is pulling all of the time on the leash, you should spend some time re-training it now that it doesn’t have a collar. You can also get a front clip harness and see how that goes too.
Also Read – The Havapoo
Front Clip Harnesses
Front clip harnesses have their clip on the front part of the do, usually around the chest or the base of the neck. It provides the owner with more control over the dog and the direction of the walk.
This type of harness is usually used when a dog is in training, and beginning to learn about being on a leash. It is more uncomfortable for the dog to pull on the lease with this type of harness.
These front clip harnesses can cause a few issues. The first is that it can become tangled with the lease because of the placement of the clip. The leash can also become tangled with the legs of the dog because it is in front. For this not to happen you will need to keep tension on the lead at all times. This will, however, give you more control over the dog.
If your dog is in training or is prone to bad behaviour during walks the front clip may be the answer to give you more control. You can also tighten the harness to give even more control while you are walking.
What Should You Look for In A Good Harness?
When you are shopping for a good harness there are a couple of things you need to pay attention too.
Harness Adjustability
Make sure you look at how adjustable the harness is. Obviously you need to buy the right size, to begin with, but each dog is different and you need to be able to tighten and loosen the harness in key places. Our little Nessie goes from a pretty short hair girl to a scruffy girl before she gets cut again. It is important that the harness is adjustable as she gets more scruffy…and cute btw.
However, if you keep your dog regularly groomed and cut the same each time you may not need to adjust it after it’s initial fitting. just make sure that if you need to you can.
What Material is the Harness made out of?
Obviously harnesses are made out of a variety of material. Some are mesh, some are canvas and some are straps. It’s is important to know what stage of development your dog is in and if you need something that will provide more comfort or more control. Either way, the material needs to be breathable and comfortable enough that it doesn’t cut your dog, or cause it to have sores.
However, if you need a level of control then you need to make sure that the harness is going to give you that while you are on your walk.
Quick Drying
Some Havanese love to swim and some are not so keen. To be safe some harnesses are made to add in floatation. If your dog loves to get wet then you need to make sure that the material will not weigh them down when wet and that it will dry quickly.
It’s also important where we live up in Canada that the harness doesn’t get too wet during walks in the snow. If it’s snowing or even raining a little, the harness needs to be able to repel some of that and not get wet and heavy.
Strength
You definitely don’t want your harness to break. Especially if your harness is designed for the car or for aquatics. Check all of the attachment points to make sure they are durable and going to last. For little dogs, it is also important to make sure that if the harness has a handle that it is sturdy and not going to break when you pick the dog up from the ground or out of the water.