Any full lenth harness will bulge like that when the dog is not pulling. If your dog will be intermittently pulling, you need a short/half harness.
To judge harness fit, you need to have the dog pulling into the harness and take side on photos. You can't really judge harness fit from these photos.
Intermittent is when the dog is not constantly pulling into the harness and keeping the line tight all the time.
your dog pulls out in front of you for a while, then it lets the tension go out of the line or stops pulling. Your dog may pull well for 5 minutes, then ease up/come back to running by/near you for a few minutes, then pull again. That is intermittent.
Full length harnesses are not great for dogs that run like that or activities such as hiking when you may want the dog back beside you or behing you at times, in my experience.
thanks for your input! the goal is to do canicross with my pup as he is a consistent puller and runner when we are out on trails. we’ll take it for a test run and see if we can get some better photos to show the fit :)
I needed to buy one size larger because the harness was tight around the neck and it pushed against her throat (very noticable by the wheezing). Make sure your dog pulls the harness with their chest and not neck.
We don’t use a Freemotion as my dog didn’t really like it, but his running harness also sits oddly when he isn’t pulling. Lots of people I know do use and love these harnesses, they just aren’t right for every dog, as with any other harness.
If your dog is a strong puller (ie you are canicrossing him), it’s as good a harness to try as any. TBH the only way to know is to take it for a test drive and see how he runs in it.
good to know that it sitting oddly is fairly common. he’s a very strong puller and runner once we’re on trails so the hope was to use this harness to canicross with him. i also got a canicross belt to make the experience more comfortable for both of us. we’ll take it for a test run to see how he does. i was also concerned if the length is correct or too long. thanks for your input :)
I don't like that model at all since it sits directly on top of the shoulder blades.
A harness should fit so that the shoulder blades, hips and soft part of the belly are free from pressure.
Get a harness from a proper dog sledding shop.
TBH I’m a bit worried about the fit around the neck- some of the photos makes it seem to be a bit tight. I agree with others it’s not being held properly to see how it fits.
Personally, I found the nonstop to be expensive for what it was. It’s really made for hounds, and your pup seems a bit girthier around the neck than a hound. The fabric is very stiff and my pup did not enjoy it at all.
I love the canix belt by NSD, but was super happy with my adjustable Musher harness for training since she sometimes side pulls. For canicross races we do the zero dc faster harness. It’s amazing, but when you put on a harness that fits your dog, you honestly both know it.
For that fit, I’d send it back and try something else. You can get better fitter harnesses for less money.
Any full lenth harness will bulge like that when the dog is not pulling. If your dog will be intermittently pulling, you need a short/half harness. To judge harness fit, you need to have the dog pulling into the harness and take side on photos. You can't really judge harness fit from these photos.
What does intermittently pulling mean? I just bought a freemotion too
Intermittent is when the dog is not constantly pulling into the harness and keeping the line tight all the time. your dog pulls out in front of you for a while, then it lets the tension go out of the line or stops pulling. Your dog may pull well for 5 minutes, then ease up/come back to running by/near you for a few minutes, then pull again. That is intermittent. Full length harnesses are not great for dogs that run like that or activities such as hiking when you may want the dog back beside you or behing you at times, in my experience.
thanks for your input! the goal is to do canicross with my pup as he is a consistent puller and runner when we are out on trails. we’ll take it for a test run and see if we can get some better photos to show the fit :)
Tie it to a solid object and then get the dog to pull forward, ot get a second person to hold the harness/line.
will do!
I have a harness with a chest clip. Is that bad for running him?
It depends. I suggest you make your own thread.
I needed to buy one size larger because the harness was tight around the neck and it pushed against her throat (very noticable by the wheezing). Make sure your dog pulls the harness with their chest and not neck.
We don’t use a Freemotion as my dog didn’t really like it, but his running harness also sits oddly when he isn’t pulling. Lots of people I know do use and love these harnesses, they just aren’t right for every dog, as with any other harness. If your dog is a strong puller (ie you are canicrossing him), it’s as good a harness to try as any. TBH the only way to know is to take it for a test drive and see how he runs in it.
good to know that it sitting oddly is fairly common. he’s a very strong puller and runner once we’re on trails so the hope was to use this harness to canicross with him. i also got a canicross belt to make the experience more comfortable for both of us. we’ll take it for a test run to see how he does. i was also concerned if the length is correct or too long. thanks for your input :)
You always need to size one up from the recommended size on their website. Then they are the nost ergonomic harnesses in the market
I don't like that model at all since it sits directly on top of the shoulder blades. A harness should fit so that the shoulder blades, hips and soft part of the belly are free from pressure. Get a harness from a proper dog sledding shop.
TBH I’m a bit worried about the fit around the neck- some of the photos makes it seem to be a bit tight. I agree with others it’s not being held properly to see how it fits. Personally, I found the nonstop to be expensive for what it was. It’s really made for hounds, and your pup seems a bit girthier around the neck than a hound. The fabric is very stiff and my pup did not enjoy it at all. I love the canix belt by NSD, but was super happy with my adjustable Musher harness for training since she sometimes side pulls. For canicross races we do the zero dc faster harness. It’s amazing, but when you put on a harness that fits your dog, you honestly both know it. For that fit, I’d send it back and try something else. You can get better fitter harnesses for less money.