Our Favorite Harness!!! - The Freedom Harness by 2 Hounds Design.

Over the course of many years working in the pet industry, we have trialed loads of different harnesses and have gravitated to the Freedom Harness being our primary favorite!

Each harness has its place and it is important you are taking into account your pet's breed and build to find what is best. Some tools are better than others. As we desire to equip you with tools and information that will help you elevate the care for your furry companion, our goal is to help provide you the resources we have found most beneficial.

Whenever ordering a harness, please be sure to measure your pet and select the appropriate size. If between sizes and you have the option to choose a thicker band (the width of a strap), always defer to a thicker width. For example, the Freedom Harness comes in both a 1-inch width and a 5/8 inch width. Select the 1-inch width.

Please let us know if there is anything we may help do. We are so thankful for you!

The DC Dog (and Cat) Sitter Team

❤️ ❤️ ❤️

Approved Dog Harnesses and Tools by the DCDS Team

➡️ FREEDOM HARNESS (#1 Harness on the market right now. Offers the best harness security as well as reinforces proper training when used correctly. This harness also allows our team to easily click into our pet-friendly seat belt restraints for dogs when traveling in a vehicle - for example on our Adventures when being picked up or dropped off. Purchase the Harness AND Leash Combination.)

If your pup is 15 pounds and smaller, or very low to the ground, there may be other harnesses that would work better. Please contact us for appropriate suggestions for your pet’s breed and size.

➡️ HERM SPRENGER PRONG COLLAR (Very effective and gentle collar when measured and fit appropriately. Popular among balanced trainers.) Please note, if you do opt to use a Herm Sprenger prong collar, please be sure you are introducing and using the collar appropriately. It needs to be sized appropriately, sit high on the neck, as well as NEVER be yanked. We would also highly encourage formal professional training to be sought to help you and your pup establish a greater bond and a more enjoyable walk. Do not purchase any other brand, knock-off, or a wanna-be version of a prong collar as you could cause significant harm to your dog. The Herm Sprenger Prong Collar has a metal plate that is situated in between the two directions of the prongs. Please reference this tik tok video by one of our favorite Trainers that explains the Herm Sprenger Prong Collar.

The Freedom Harness and the Herm Sprenger Prong collar are the two primary tools we prefer to use for most dogs. Please keep in mind there are a variety of tools available and other tools may work better in other situations. The following points outline a few of the considerations we use.

A Freedom Harness provides a greater amount of security, allows us to clip your dog in and out of a dog seat belt harness during transportation, is universal in fit for most dogs, and helps assist in reducing pulling as well as redirecting focus. These considerations apply to the bulk of the activities we do - Dog Adventures, Dog Walking, Pet Sitting, etc., and helping to ensure that pets are very secure in our care.

For those pups who are strong pullers, we prefer a Herm Sprenger prong collar. When used correctly, this is a very effective tool.

Other Dog Harnesses and Tools

DELUXE EASY WALK HARNESS (Used to be our preferred harness before Freedom Harness came out, however, the primary fault is that it can rub under the arms creating chafing. Additionally, the front has a tendency to become too loose and then drop down, which defeats the effectiveness and can cause pain for your dog. Many people utilize this harness incorrectly by putting the harness on wrong and then clipping to the back and not the front. When clipping to the back on most any harness, the criticism is that it can reinforce pulling behavior.)

GENTLE LEADER HARNESS (Very popular among purely positive-based trainers, some dogs may be resistant to the band rubbing on their nose, however, can be an effective harness for certain breeds. There are cases where the band over time has created a ridge line on the dog’s nose.)

RUFFWEAR HARNESS (A harness with good security. The harness has a seat belt type of clip on the back, which does work well for clipping into a dog seat belt. The harness may encourage pulling behavior as well as slides from side to side if not fit appropriately.)

MENDOTA SLIP LEAD (Popular among balanced trainers. The slip lead needs to be placed high on the neck - just behind the ears. When walking and training in a one-on-one setting, the Mendota Slip Lead can be a very effective tool. We do not allow them to be used when walking dogs in our pack. The reason is because the lead may slip down on the dog’s neck and the last thing we would ever want to happen is that there is pulling directly on the neck area, which could cause trachea damage. Slip leads have their respective place as an effective dog tool when walking and actively training in a one on one situation. They are not designed for dog adventures and pack walking.

SMALLER BREEDS AND LOW TO THE GROUND (Please note, if you have a pet under fifteen pounds, or your pet is super low to the ground such as a basset hound, dachshund, English bulldog, please contact us for an appropriate harness suggestion. Thank you!

While there are a variety of tools available, please know there is No perfect harness. A reputable trainer will tell you that most harnesses are actually encouraging pulling behavior. At the same time, we do not want to clip directly to a collar. Collars can slip off, place too much pressure on the neck, and may cause tracheal damage when pulled on. Science is showing us that pulling behavior and direct pressure on the tracheal area can have long-term negative consequences and even neurological damage. If you have any questions or need help selecting the best options for you and your dog, please let us know!