How To Fit a Sled Dog Harness

As you probably already know, fitting a dog for an x back or similar harnesses can feel confusing and daunting. While the best option for fitting your dog is usually to go to an experienced musher, I’ve written a quick guide here to help you fit your own harnesses at home.

When it comes to buying your harness, make sure you are buying from a reputable sledding outfitter. While the ‘cheap’ options off of Amazon or pet sites might seem tempting, more often than not these harnesses are not good quality, and will fit weird or not fit at all. Most sledding breeds will fit into standard sizes, however many brands to offer custom sizes as well.

There are three main parts to fitting an x back: The neck, the rib area, and where the harness ends.

Before you do any fit testing, you will want to make sure that you are checking the fit with tension on the harness, as if the dog is pulling. Without this tension, many harnesses will scrunch up and appear to be too small. With the tension, you will be able to check the fit when the dog is pulling to make sure it is adequate.

For the neck, you will want to make sure that the ‘y’ of the harness rests against the sternum or breastbone of the dog. If the neck sits too high, they will be putting pressure on the soft tissue of their neck. It can also slide backwards and interfere with their shoulder movement. A properly fitting harness should be snug around the neck, allowing a few of your fingers to fit underneath.

For the sides of the harness, you will want to make sure that it is following the outer edge of their ribs, almost as if the harness is ‘cupping’ their ribs. If the harness is too big, the side straps will cut into the soft part of their belly and the harness can make the dog uncomfortable. If the harness is too small, it can ride into their armpits and cause chafing, again, making the dog uncomfortable.

Ideally, the end of your harness where the tug loop attaches, will rest right at the base of the dog’s tail. If it is too long, usually this means it won’t fit elsewhere. If it is really long, it can actually put pressure on their hips. If the harness is too short, again this usually means itll be too small elsewhere. A harness that is too short can also become an issue when you attack your snaps. The tug loop of a harness is meant to help keep the snaps away from the body, but if that tugloop is further up, the snap can still hit your dog.

With these things in mind, sometimes judging a harness fit is still hard. If the harness looks like it is a good fit, try taking your dog on a test walk in it to see how it fits with tension on it. If your dog seems uncomfortable, you can always try the next size up or down. Ask another experienced musher to check the fit in person as well, sometimes an extra set of eyes can spot issues that you may not be able to see.

It is also smart to be open to a variety of different styles of harnesses. While x backs are the gold standard and most popular for mushing, half back styles, wheel dog harnesses, open backs, and many other can be good options. Fit the harness to the dog in front of you!