Dog Harness Sizing and Clip Types
Size a harness by chest girth, measured around the widest part of the chest behind the front legs; front clips help with pulling, back clips suit calm walkers.
By Jennifer HunterContributing writer.
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The short answer
Harnesses are sized by the chest, not the neck. Measure your dog's chest girth with a soft tape, compare it with the chart of the harness you want, and treat the weight column only as a rough guide. PetSafe says that if your dog falls between two sizes, choose the larger one.
How to measure a dog for a harness
PetSafe's Easy Walk sizing uses two measurements:
- Girth: wrap a soft tape around the widest part of the chest, right behind the front legs.
- Chest width: run the tape across the front of the chest, from side to side, to about an inch past the front legs.
No soft tape? PetSafe suggests wrapping the leash around the chest, then measuring the leash.
Harness size chart (PetSafe Easy Walk)
| Size | Chest width | Girth | Approximate weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Petite | 7 to 8 in | 12 to 17 in | Under 10 lb |
| Petite / Small | 8 to 9 in | 13 to 18 in | 10 to 15 lb |
| Small | 9 to 12 in | 15 to 21 in | 15 to 25 lb |
| Small / Medium | 11 to 13 in | 19 to 26 in | 20 to 30 lb |
| Medium | 12 to 15 in | 22 to 32 in | 25 to 50 lb |
| Medium / Large | 14 to 18 in | 24 to 34 in | 40 to 65 lb |
| Large | 16 to 21 in | 27 to 40 in | 65 to 95 lb |
| Extra large | 17 to 24 in | 32 to 49 in | 90 lb and up |
The ranges overlap, and other brands cut them differently, so always check the chart for the exact model. Once it is on, VCA Animal Hospitals says a well-fitted harness should not limit the front legs or rub behind the elbow.
Front clip vs back clip harness
| Front clip | Back clip | |
|---|---|---|
| Where the leash attaches | Center of the chest | Between the shoulder blades |
| What it does | Turns the dog back toward you when it surges ahead | Comfortable and easy to put on |
| Fits | Dogs that pull | Calm, loose-leash walkers |
| Drawback | Must fit well to work | Does little to stop pulling |
PetSafe's walking-gear guide notes that a back-clip harness can even give a strong dog something to lean into. Some harnesses, such as PetSafe's 3 in 1, offer both rings so you can switch.
Harness vs collar for dogs
A collar puts leash pressure on the neck; a harness spreads it across the chest and shoulders. PetSafe and VCA both point to a harness for dogs that pull hard, small and short-nosed breeds, and dogs with a collapsing trachea or neck pain. A collar still has a job: it carries ID and license tags, so PetSafe suggests many dogs wear a flat collar for tags plus a harness for walks.
VCA advises taking a harness off when your dog is unsupervised, since it can get caught.
How we count
Sizes, weights and measuring steps are from PetSafe's product pages; clip and fit guidance is from PetSafe's guide and VCA, all linked under Sources.
Shopping on Wiki Shopping
Harnesses sit in the pet supplies department. For neck sizing, see our guide to dog collar sizes.