Sorry, this is another discussion about harnesses but...
I read somewhere that harnesses that restrict/ are put over the shoulder blades area are not good for dogs and that they can do damage because it restricts the natural movement of the dog...
Now Julius K9 harness does go over the shoulder blades...So not good?
In that article (it was published in a dog magazine) it was said that a lot of harnesses are not really designed perfectly for dogs...They said the best types are the ones that look like Y or H harness to me- they go around dogs sternum and around the bone around neck (sorry, english is not my first language).
However it is said that these harnesses should be fitted quite tightly (around 2 fingers) otherwise they slip and than cover the shoulder blades, which is not good... Now I know that fitting 2 fingers between harness/collar is a general rule but I ussually don't really follow it as I like it a bit more loose (my dog does not want to escape) - I ussually allow 3 fingers to fit under the collar/harness...
I am just so confused now. I have never used harnesses on my large dog before. But now he is older and has some issues I decided to invest in a harness...
The trouble is that now I have 3 harnesses at home for him right now and still on the look out for better ones/better fitting ones...
We have the ruffwear web master ( Ruffwear Web Master) - it is nice, although it covers too much of my dog for my liking. He also looks quite weird in it as he has a very dense and long fur...AND there is of course the thing that this harness has to go over the head (we don't like that...)
We also have XDog harness from Trixie. It is supposed to be a similar design to Julius K9. I don't know wether it is or not but...I don0t like it at all. For starters, if I want it to lay on my dogs back than I have to adjust the chest front strap so only half is velcroed (and the other half is just the velcro) because the darn thing is too small otherwise...(and this is the XL version) It also constantly turns around my dogs body plus he is sometimes behind me and than the harness moves forward like he would were some kind of strange collar or something....
I was thinking of maybe trying the julius K9 , Hunter ranger or ezzydog converter. But I don0t know if all of them would slip around and move forward on the dog so much...Plus I don't know wether this designed was meant as the one that covers the shoulderblades and is thus dangerous for larger dogs?
Than I bought the ferplast giotto harness. I really like it on my smaller dog and was very happy when I learned about the giotto (bigger) range. I ordered the XL version which was suppose to measure 95 cm around the girth - unfortunately it ONLY measures 91 cm which is too small for my dog. And it was quite expensive for now not being able to use it
:mad2:
So I am back here looking for yet another harness... I did send a pm to the person suggested to me by a forum member about custom made harness but did not get a reply. But I don't live in the UK, so maybe that is why...
Now I am not sure of what other harness to try (and I am on a budget of course). On one hand I want a harness that definitely won't harm my dog (ie restrict movement) but It also has to look at least half decent on a longhaired dog...It shouldn't have to be put over the dogs head (it can be if it is like Julius K9 style where the neck/chest part is really wide so it doesn't touch the dogs ears when put on/of)...
It should also be strong (of course) and preferiably not cover too much of the dogs body...
So....I am looking at these harnesses, if anyone has experience with any of them I would be gratefull for the input:
Julius K9 (, ezzydog converter or fusion pets raider : I am not quite sure of the design. They do go over the shoulders - do they restrict movement? Do they slip around the dog/slip infront of the dog if pulled from front?
Norwegian type harnesses: I don't have one in mind right now...though I have looked at the Comfort Flex harness (Clean Run: ComfortFlex Sport Harness). I like the fact they cover less body but I am not sure wether the chest part isn't too thin and also it doesn't seem to be adjustable at the chest part, only at girth...
And than there is the alpine outfitters harness Urban Trail Dog Harness - Ships Free - Animal Grace, Active Dog Outfitters which I think I like the most but it scares me that it was said that these types of harnesses are only OK of fitted tightly, otherwise they restrict the shoulderblades movement?
Than I have also lookd at the Eazydog chest plate harness EzyDog Chest Plate Dog Harness - Ships Free - Animal Grace, Active Dog Outfitters . I quite liked it but than I read some reviews that is always slips around the dogs body,no matter how tightly fitted. And that this is especially the problem with longhaired breeds (which my dog is)...
I have also looked at tempo fusion pets (Tempo - Dog Harness - Ships Free - Animal Grace, Active Dog Outfitters ): I like the fact that it looks to cover less body. I am not sure of the design tho...and the handle looks quite small...
Hm...decisions...decisions...I really do not want to spend any more money on harnesses....Would like to buy one that would just "do the job" as I really have spent too much on the harnesses I have already (for them to not work out the way they are supposed to)
And here is a pic of my dog, just so you know for whom the harness is intended
(You can see he has quite a lot of hair...especially in the front part but also elswhere)

Thank you!
I read somewhere that harnesses that restrict/ are put over the shoulder blades area are not good for dogs and that they can do damage because it restricts the natural movement of the dog...
Now Julius K9 harness does go over the shoulder blades...So not good?
In that article (it was published in a dog magazine) it was said that a lot of harnesses are not really designed perfectly for dogs...They said the best types are the ones that look like Y or H harness to me- they go around dogs sternum and around the bone around neck (sorry, english is not my first language).
However it is said that these harnesses should be fitted quite tightly (around 2 fingers) otherwise they slip and than cover the shoulder blades, which is not good... Now I know that fitting 2 fingers between harness/collar is a general rule but I ussually don't really follow it as I like it a bit more loose (my dog does not want to escape) - I ussually allow 3 fingers to fit under the collar/harness...
I am just so confused now. I have never used harnesses on my large dog before. But now he is older and has some issues I decided to invest in a harness...
The trouble is that now I have 3 harnesses at home for him right now and still on the look out for better ones/better fitting ones...
We have the ruffwear web master ( Ruffwear Web Master) - it is nice, although it covers too much of my dog for my liking. He also looks quite weird in it as he has a very dense and long fur...AND there is of course the thing that this harness has to go over the head (we don't like that...)
We also have XDog harness from Trixie. It is supposed to be a similar design to Julius K9. I don't know wether it is or not but...I don0t like it at all. For starters, if I want it to lay on my dogs back than I have to adjust the chest front strap so only half is velcroed (and the other half is just the velcro) because the darn thing is too small otherwise...(and this is the XL version) It also constantly turns around my dogs body plus he is sometimes behind me and than the harness moves forward like he would were some kind of strange collar or something....
I was thinking of maybe trying the julius K9 , Hunter ranger or ezzydog converter. But I don0t know if all of them would slip around and move forward on the dog so much...Plus I don't know wether this designed was meant as the one that covers the shoulderblades and is thus dangerous for larger dogs?
Than I bought the ferplast giotto harness. I really like it on my smaller dog and was very happy when I learned about the giotto (bigger) range. I ordered the XL version which was suppose to measure 95 cm around the girth - unfortunately it ONLY measures 91 cm which is too small for my dog. And it was quite expensive for now not being able to use it
So I am back here looking for yet another harness... I did send a pm to the person suggested to me by a forum member about custom made harness but did not get a reply. But I don't live in the UK, so maybe that is why...
Now I am not sure of what other harness to try (and I am on a budget of course). On one hand I want a harness that definitely won't harm my dog (ie restrict movement) but It also has to look at least half decent on a longhaired dog...It shouldn't have to be put over the dogs head (it can be if it is like Julius K9 style where the neck/chest part is really wide so it doesn't touch the dogs ears when put on/of)...
It should also be strong (of course) and preferiably not cover too much of the dogs body...
So....I am looking at these harnesses, if anyone has experience with any of them I would be gratefull for the input:
Julius K9 (, ezzydog converter or fusion pets raider : I am not quite sure of the design. They do go over the shoulders - do they restrict movement? Do they slip around the dog/slip infront of the dog if pulled from front?
Norwegian type harnesses: I don't have one in mind right now...though I have looked at the Comfort Flex harness (Clean Run: ComfortFlex Sport Harness). I like the fact they cover less body but I am not sure wether the chest part isn't too thin and also it doesn't seem to be adjustable at the chest part, only at girth...
And than there is the alpine outfitters harness Urban Trail Dog Harness - Ships Free - Animal Grace, Active Dog Outfitters which I think I like the most but it scares me that it was said that these types of harnesses are only OK of fitted tightly, otherwise they restrict the shoulderblades movement?
Than I have also lookd at the Eazydog chest plate harness EzyDog Chest Plate Dog Harness - Ships Free - Animal Grace, Active Dog Outfitters . I quite liked it but than I read some reviews that is always slips around the dogs body,no matter how tightly fitted. And that this is especially the problem with longhaired breeds (which my dog is)...
I have also looked at tempo fusion pets (Tempo - Dog Harness - Ships Free - Animal Grace, Active Dog Outfitters ): I like the fact that it looks to cover less body. I am not sure of the design tho...and the handle looks quite small...
Hm...decisions...decisions...I really do not want to spend any more money on harnesses....Would like to buy one that would just "do the job" as I really have spent too much on the harnesses I have already (for them to not work out the way they are supposed to)
And here is a pic of my dog, just so you know for whom the harness is intended

Thank you!