Specialized Harnesses
Harnesses for Mobility Dogs
Service dogs frequently work wearing a harness or vest for visibility and public recognition, as well as to help their partner to successfully navigate various environments with confidence and precision. Harnesses designed for Mobility Dogs are highly specialized and when designed, fitted, and used correctly, an assistance harness can provide stability, balance support, and enhanced communication between the dog and handler.
Assistance harnesses are unique in that they feature a handle to connect a Mobility Dog to its partner as both a means of communication and to facilitate physical mobility assistance tasks. While some pet dog harnesses have a handle to manage a dog, hold them back, or even lift them up, handles on assistance dog harnesses are made to support and assist the disabled person.
Mobility Dogs should always wear an appropriate assistance harness to safely perform tasks including leading/guiding, pulling, counterbalance, or bracing. An appropriate harness is one that is specifically designed to ensure that weight/pressure is evenly distributed, and the attachment point for handles are safe for both the dog and the person.
First, consider the dog
Research suggests that harness design, proper individualized fit, minimizing restriction of movement, and the reduction of pressure loads is an animal welfare issue. We have a responsibility to be kind and fair to the dogs we ask to do this demanding work.
An appropriate assistance harness:
- is considerably safer than placing a hand directly on the dog
- distributes any load or pressure applied to the handle to avoid high-pressure points and avoid sensitive areas
- is designed to accommodate and support the assistance handle in a manner to reduce impact on the dog
- allows for good range of motion and has minimal restriction of the dog’s natural gait (biomechanically correct)
- is individually fitted comfortable for the dog
- does not put direct pressure on the dog’s shoulders, spine, or pelvis
. . . then consider the human
People with balance, gait, and mobility impairments represent a wide array of diagnosis, and individual needs. Thoughtful consideration about how the person expects their dog to assist them will inform the type of harness to consider. For example, for people looking to have their Mobility Dog help with pulling, select a harness and handle designed to allow the dog to pull into the harness with minimal effort. On the other hand, a harness with a brace handle is not necessary for someone who does not need the dog to brace.
Accessibility considerations are important. If someone wants to be more independent, the harness should obviously be easy for them to use. For example, can they operate the buckles to put the harness on the dog without assistance? For someone with hand or shoulder pain, selecting a handle that is at the right angle for them to hold without pain would be important.
Factors to consider when selecting a harness:
- Type of assistance needed
- How the human uses the handle
- The dog’s physiology and proportions
- Biomechanics of how the human and dog interact
- Quality and durability of the equipment
- Safety for human and canine
- Adaptability, including adjustments for fitting,
- There is no one-size-fits-all approach
Purposeful Harness Design
Well-designed gear allows the dog to offer physical assistance with less effort and lowers chance of strain or injury
An appropriate and and correctly fitted harness will have minimal impact on the dog’s gait and range of movement
Because confirmation and size vary tremendously, it’s important to select a harness that works for the individual dog’s body type; this requires accurate measurements to ensure the harness is sized and adjusted to fit correctly
Buyer beware: few harness makers have invested the time and money to research canine physiology, structure and movement or keep up to date on the latest working dog science
Buyer beware: There are no standards or regulations for dog equipment. It’s best to do your homework to find sellers that are trustworthy and understand the details of the product they offer.
Whenever possible, select a harness that has been developed with veterinary specialists in orthopedics, sports medicine rehab and/or working dog experts that understand the biomechanics of dogs working in harness
Because force is exerted via the handle, special attention should be paid to the handle’s form, rigidity, attachment location and style for suitability to the desired application
Consult with veterinary experts to ensure the equipment you choose is appropriate for the individual dog (especially if the harness was not developed with experts)
Guidelines to a well-fitted harness
Click the image below to open the document.
Dogs have a wide variety of shapes and proportions; a harness that fits one dog well may not work for a different body type
Straps on the front of the dog’s chest should rest above the point of the shoulder joint. This goes for BOTH straight and Y-shaped chest straps. If the strap covers or drops below the front of the shoulder it may restrict shoulder extension when walking–especially if it’s too loose.
Breastplates and chest straps (front of the dog’s chest) should make contact with the breastbone (prosternum)
Shoulder straps may be one way a harness is stabilized. Ideally, shoulder straps rest above/in front of the shoulder blade.
The girth strap(s) should sit vertically, going around the deepest part of the dog’s ribcage, behind the “arm pits.”
Straps should be wide enough to be sturdy and allow for pressure distribution (if too narrow, there is more pressure per square inch)
Straps should not be so wide that they cover too much surface area or cross a moving joint
A harness saddle (the widest part that goes over the dog’s shoulders/back or down the sides) should not be so long that it prevents the dog from bending laterally
Some dogs benefit from a “martingale” strap that connects the chest strap to the girth strap (between the front legs). In some dogs, this strap may cause the girth strap to sit too far forward and pinch the “arm pits”
Girth straps should well behind the dog’s elbows to avoid pinching the sensitive “armpits” or limit the elbow when walking
The girth strap should be adjusted so it is not sagging, but also not so tight girth it restricts expansion of the ribs while breathing. Check the fit guidelines for the harness you have.
The primary girth strap that goes around the dog’s chest should go under the dog’s sternum so handle pressure is supported by the dog’s bones.
A second strap may go under the softer part of the belly to stabilize a harness if there is no direct load when the handle is used. Avoid straps that put pressure behind the ribs in the dog’s soft belly or flank areas.
