Today, many pet owners are finding a wealth of benefits to using a leather dog harness over a dog collar. There are a variety of styles and collars available, as well as, in some cases, matching leashes.
A leather dog harness, unlike a dog collar that fits only around the dog’s neck, is fashioned to strap around the chest and undercarriage of a canine. With the straps positioned in this manner, the pressure exerted when the dog tugs and pulls on the leash is more widely distributed.
Leather dog harnesses are not only great for those dogs that tend to pull and tug during their walks, but it can be significantly useful when training a pup or dog
What is a Leather Dog Harness?
The main advantage of a leather dog harness over a leather dog collar is that it makes it significantly easier to manage and control your dog—even if its leashing manner is not the best.
Leather dog harnesses have other advantages as well. Primarily they are useful in the training of dogs when they are young puppies. When young and not used to being walked on a leash, your puppy will be less likely to get all tangled up in the leash and hurting itself.
For those breeds prone to pulling and tugging when being leashed, the use of a leather dog harness rather than a collar will prevent possible injury. By its very design, the leather dog harness will disperse pressure over a larger portion of the dog’s body, rather than solely on its back and neck areas.
Black Leather Dog Harness
What to Consider when Buying a Leather Dog Harness
Size
One of the most vital aspects when considering the purchase of a leather dog harness is that of comfort. As such, comfort is significantly related to making sure that you have the proper size for your dog.
It is vital that you measure your dog and, with those measurements, determine the size and thickness of the leather dog harness while also taking your dog’s age and breed into consideration.
With puppies, you must constantly check the harness’s fit, as puppies grow fast and will soon have outgrown their current leather dog harness and will need to be fitted with another.
Weight
Dogs come in various shapes, sizes, and weights. As a result, the leather dog harness that you choose should take these three areas into mind.
It only goes to say, the bigger the dog, the stronger and sturdier the leather dog harness needs to be constructed. No one wants to be leisurely walking their dog, only to have them tug really hard, the harness break, and off the dog goes into the wide blue yonder.
Durability
Unless you are fitting the leather dog harness for a puppy, you will need to regularly assess how the harness adjusts and moves with your dog.
You will also need to monitor how your dog reacts to wearing the harness and how it moves when you walk them with the harness on.
Material
The material that the harness is made from, in this case, leather, is essential. If you choose to go with cheap, non-leather material, it is most probable that it will begin to deteriorate and wear in a very short time.
Brown Leather Dog Harness
Types of Leather Dog Harnesses
Small Leather Dog Harness
A small leather dog harness is a harness geared toward the smaller breeds. These types of harnesses are generally made as lightweight as possible not to weigh down the smaller breeds.
The harness straps are also usually very slim, so that when the smaller breeds are wearing the leather dog harness, there is minimal discomfort, rubbing, and chaffing.
Handmade Leather Dog Harness
The advantage to purchasing a handmade leather dog harness is that it allows you to provide your dog with a harness that is unique and special to them.
When choosing handmade, the harness is typically custom made, to the buyer’s specifications, with the choice of several different additional adornments.
Leather Dog Harness With Spikes
A leather dog harness with spikes is typically worn by those larger, bigger breeds of dogs. Although some harnesses are offered for the small breeds, the reason is usually for the protection the spikes offer.
With larger dogs, the spikes are utilized for protection, but more in the vein if the dog gets into a fight with another large dog. With the spikes on the leather dog harness, the neck and body of the dog is protected.
Leather Dog Harness With Handle
Even with the use of a leash for those larger breeds, the dog may still be difficult to handle. For this reason, some harnesses offer a handle on the section of the harness that lays on the dogs back.
This handle can give the owner significantly more control at those times when the leash just doesn’t seem to be adequate enough.
Soft Leather Dog Harness
There are styles of leather dog harnesses available on the market, with comfort being the most crucial feature.
The harness’s backside, which is against the dog’s body, is padded or lined with either a cotton or suede material. This type of lining goes a long way to provide more comfort for the dog and keep down the possibility of skin irritation from possible rubbing and chaffing.
White and Tan Soft Leather Dog Harness on Dog
Leather Dog Harness And Leash
When purchasing a leather dog harness, some companies offer the option of also getting a matching leash.
The leash will also be made of leather, just as the dog harness is, and as such will be as strong and sturdy as the harness, it matches.
Heavy Duty Leather Dog Harness
As any owner of a larger breed of dog can tell you—they are strong! And when it is something they have set in their mind to do, they are even stronger.
Because of this strength, many owners feel that the use of a harness over a collar prevents any possible additional discomfort and pain and offers the owner more control over the dog.
Tactical K9 Leather Harnes
K9 tactical leather dog harnesses are made slightly different than the run of the mill dog harness. Due to the type of stress that the gear is exposed to, this type of harness is somewhat of a specialty.
The K9 tactical harness is constructed of a high-quality type of leather that has been tanned to withstand the most extreme conditions. The leather used in the harness is resistant to water, sand, and the sun lending it to being unaffected by working conditions that present as extreme.
Personalized Leather Dog Harness
When looking at getting a personalized leather dog harness, several types and varieties can be chosen from.
There are harnesses with a metal plate, with the dog’s name etched into it, and riveted securely on each end to the harness. There are also those styles that offer the dogs name and even your phone number monogrammed onto the harness itself.
Bloodhound with Black Leather Track Harness
Pink Leather Dog Harness
For those owners who have what many call a “girly” dog, then there is a leather dog harness for them. Usually accompanied by a matching pink leash, when you and your dog step out, your dog will be stepping out with both chic and style in the pink leather dog harness.
Depending on the need for your dog harness, here is a video for which one might suit your dog the best for daily walks to professional training.
Leather Dog Harness French Bulldog
More often than not, a standard leather dog harness may present a problem when trying to fit one to a French bulldog. Most breeds of the bulldog are more barrel-chested than other breeds, and as such, a run of the mill harness will be somewhat uncomfortable.
Make sure when shopping for your leather dog harness that you are taking this into account, and search for those harnesses that are geared towards bulldog breeds.
White Leather Dog Harness
Along with different styles and varieties of leather dog harnesses, there are many colors available as well.
Although the most popular color of choice is that of the natural leather coloring, the next popular is the color white. Even though white is a clean fresh color initially, keep in mind that it will get dirty over time and lose its overall luster.
Leather Working Dog Harness
As mentioned above, a K9 is a working dog. But there are those dogs that are service animals for their owners.
There are certain types of breeds, and the services that they perform, that call for a leather working dog harness. This type of harness usually has some form of a patch on the harness that indicates the dog is a service animal or working dog and not to pet or touch.
A leather dog harness can be significantly useful when training a pup or dog.
Leather Dog harness For Rottweiler
Rottweilers tend to be huge dogs and are nothing but pure muscle and drive. If a Rottweiler gets it in their head that they will do something, well, it gets it done.
For this breed of dog, the leather dog harness you choose must be made to withstand the dog’s strength and assure you that it will hold up. If you are going to use a matching leash, the leash has to be just as strong, if not stronger, than its leather dog harness counterpart.
Leather Dog Harness For English Bull Terrier
Much like that of a Rottweiler, an English bull terrier is nothing but muscle on legs. They can exert a powerful amount of strength, and to be able to control that strength, you will need a reliable leather dog harness.
Because the English bull terrier is quite large in the chest, although not as barrel shaped as a bulldog, you will still need to make sure that the style of leather dog harness you purchase will fit your dog comfortably and securely.
Popular Leather Dog Harness Brands
| Popular Brand | Description |
| Filson Dog Harness | The Filson leather dog harness is a three-point bridle style of harness that will buckle around the dog’s chest and their undercarriage. The harness provides a slip-free and comfortable fit. The saddle grade leather it is constructed from is commonly sourced from North America and, to provide maximum durability, is tanned in the USA. |
| Logical Leather Adjustable Dog Harness | The Logical Leather adjustable dog harness is constructed of genuine full-grain leather with a heavy-duty quick release. Able to stand up to a lifetime of wear and heavy-duty use, its beautifully finished leather, and pristine stitching will aid in showing off your furry friend in style.
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| Dogline’s Unimax Multi-Purpose Harness | The Dogline Unimax multi-purpose harness offers a handle conveniently located on the back of the harness, which allows for better control without possible injury to the dog. The leather is both fast-drying and breathable, as a wet harness can cause irritation and sores on the dog’s skin. |
Where to Buy a Leather Dog Harness
CollarDirect
Collar Direct offers various styles of handmade pet products, including dog collars, leashes, and harnesses. They currently can be found on Amazon as well.
Chewy
Chewy is your online source for all things pet. From food to toys, to harnesses, to apparel, Chewy has it all.
Walmart
Walmart is the nation’s premier retailer and offers a wide variety of pet supplies at low prices.
Amazon
Amazon is the nations leading online retailer offering leather dog harnesses for small dogs, large dogs, and every size inbetween.
The main takeaway is that getting a proper fit is crucial when shopping for a leather dog harness. You will need to make sure that the harness is constructed to stand up to the strength and stress your dog will put on it. To find out more about leather fashion for dogs, click here for my guide to leather dog collars.
Related Topics
How do you make a dog harness out of leather?
There are various videos on YouTube that walk you through the process of constructing a handmade leather dog harness, here is a great one with pattern.
How long do leather dog harnesses last?
If properly fitted to the dog’s weight and size, a leather dog harness will outlast most collars. As with most anything else, the length of life is in relation to how well the harness is taken care of.