If this sounds familiar
He walks happily all spring and by June he's lying down halfway round the block.
You've got a harness, a lead and a collar and none of them match, which bothers you more than it should.
His current harness is padded nylon and he comes back from every summer walk soaked underneath it.
Why you'll love it
Most harnesses are built like body armour. Your dog has to wear it in August too.
The lead comes with it
A matching 120cm lead, 2cm wide, in the box. Most harnesses at this price are the harness and nothing else.
Sandwich mesh breathes
Three-layer spacer fabric with air held inside the material, rather than a closed pad sitting against the chest. The same stuff decent sports kit is made from.
Nothing on the throat
Lead pressure goes through the chest and shoulders instead of a narrow band over the windpipe - which is the whole argument for a harness over a collar.
Seven colours
Pink, purple, light blue, red, blue, orange or black, with the lead to match. Something you would actually pick rather than whatever was in stock.
Dogs don't sweat. Everything they wear has to let heat out.
A dog loses heat by panting and through the thin skin of the chest and belly — the exact area a harness covers. Solid webbing or padded nylon over that area traps it, which is why so many dogs who walk happily in March start lagging and lying down by June. Three-layer spacer mesh moves air through instead of sitting against the skin.
How it works
Why mesh and not webbing
Will it fit
matching colour
three-layer spacer fabric
spreads the load
harness and lead match
Simple to use
Measure, fit to two fingers, then walk.
Measure before you order
Soft tape right round the widest part of the ribcage, just behind the front legs, snug but not tight. Breed and weight tell you very little - two dogs of the same weight can be twenty centimetres apart in the chest. Between sizes, take the larger.
Fit it to two fingers
Two flat fingers should slide under any strap, and no more. Looser and he reverses straight out of it; tighter and the straps rub the thin skin behind the front legs. Re-check after the first couple of walks, because every harness settles.
Short walks first
Ten minutes the first few times, then look under the front legs and across the chest for redness. Rubbing shows up early and is almost always fixed by moving one strap a notch.
Great for
- Summer walks and short-coated dogs who overheat
- Anyone who wants the harness and lead to match
- Dogs who fuss about having a harness put on - less fabric, quicker on
- Walkers who want a complete set without buying two things
- Switching from a collar for the first time
- Small and medium dogs who walk reasonably on the lead
Not ideal for
- Dark walks. There are no reflective strips on this one - our no-pull reflective harness has them on both sides.
- Heavy pullers and lungers. Less coverage means less area to spread a hard pull.
- Dogs who chew their own harness. Mesh will not survive it.
- Tie-outs or tethering. A harness is for walking with you holding the lead.
- Ordering without measuring. There is no reliable way to guess a chest size.
Not sure? Send us your pet's measurements and we'll tell you.
Harness fabric, fit and summer walks
What sandwich mesh actually is
Two open mesh faces held apart by a springy yarn, so the fabric itself contains a layer of air. It compresses and springs back, which means it spreads pressure without going flat, and air passes straight through it. It's the material in good running kit and ventilated car seats, chosen for exactly the same reasons.
Dogs don't sweat
Apart from a little through the paw pads, dogs shed heat by panting and by radiating it from the thinly furred chest and belly. A padded harness sits directly over that area. It's a small thing in March and a real one in July, and it's a large part of why a dog who walked happily in spring starts flagging in summer.
The two-finger rule
Two flat fingers under any strap, no more. Too loose and a determined dog backs out of it, usually at the worst possible moment. Too tight and the straps rub the thin skin behind the front legs raw within a couple of long walks. Check the fit again after a week - they all settle.
Which of our two harnesses
This one for summer, for colour, and because the lead comes with it. Our no-pull reflective harness for dark mornings and evenings, for a dog who pulls hard, or when you want published chest measurements before ordering. They cost within a pound of each other and they're genuinely for different walks.
Product details
What's included
1 x mesh harness in your chosen size and colour
1 x matching lead, 120cm long and 2cm wide
Care & maintenance
Hand wash in cool water with a little mild detergent, then air dry — machine washing warps the buckles and crushes the mesh so it stops breathing. Rinse the salt out after a beach walk. Check the stitching around the D-ring and the buckle webbing every few weeks and retire it the moment either frays.
Shipping
Free on every US order. Most arrive within 7-12 days. Tracking by email as soon as it ships.
Returns
Damaged, faulty or wrong item - tell us within 7 days and we'll replace or refund in full. We can't take change-of-mind returns, which is why every page says who it isn't for.
Ask before you buy
Send your pet's measurements, breed and age and we'll tell you honestly whether this suits - including when it doesn't.
Questions
Before you order
Does the lead come with it?
Yes - a matching 120cm lead, 2cm wide, in the same colour. That's the main reason to pick this one over our reflective no-pull harness, which is the harness only.
How do I know which size to order?
[SIZE CHART REQUIRED FROM SUPPLIER - do not publish until added]
Does it have reflective strips?
No. If you walk in the dark, our no-pull reflective harness has them on both sides and costs about the same.
Will it stop him pulling?
It keeps the pressure off his throat, which matters on any dog who pulls. It won't reduce the pulling itself - that's training, and a chest-clip harness helps while you do it. For a heavy puller, something with more coverage spreads the load better.
Is the mesh strong enough?
220g sandwich mesh is substantial - it's the same class of fabric used in sports kit and car seats, and the 2cm straps carry the load. It's not for a dog who chews his own harness off, and nothing is.
Can he back out of it?
Not if it's fitted properly - two flat fingers under any strap and no more. Nearly every escape is a harness left too loose. Check the fit again after the first week.
How do I wash it?
Hand wash in cool water with mild detergent and air dry. A machine wash crushes the mesh so it stops breathing, which is the entire point of it, and warps the buckles.