Cybi's Hurtta Harness

The Oldies Club (a wonderful charity, highlighting older dogs looking for new homes) recently did a fundraising "harness grab", during which there were lots of Hurtta harnesses available at a discount. There wasn't a "Y" harness available in Cybi's size but I did manage to get my hands on an 80cm Padded Pro in an interesting shade of lime green.

We've spent the last few days trying it out.

The good: Any concerns I had about the harness moving on the dog are completely unfounded, and it does a good job of distributing the pressure across his chest if Cybi pulls. As with when I tried a harness on Daisy, he instantly started to behave himself on a lead, stopped pulling out in front of me,  and walked nicely. I'm not sure if I've just got two dogs that are sensitive to pressure on their necks, or if it's typical that dogs pull less against a collar than they do a harness.

The point of attachment to the lead is actually a ring that can float freely along the strap on the dog's back. That doesn't seem like such a big deal until you've got two excited dogs bouncing about, both on leads and both wearing harnesses. Having a single (static) point of attachment means that the lead gets wrapped around the dog as soon as the dog changes direction, whereas having that float increases the amount the dog has to turn before the lead begins to tangle. Obviously it doesn't remove the wrap problem completely as the attachment point is still behind the dog and won't spin (compared to a collar moving on a dog's neck so that the point of attachment to the lead is always closest to the person holding the other end) but it does help somewhat.

Floating ring on the strap on the left (Hurtta), static ring on the right (Perfect Fit)

The colour is actually really cool. I was dubious, as off the dog the colour is pretty hideous, but once he's wearing it it works on his black coat, and it stands out and is highly visible. The reflective taping is also very effective in twilight and later as it catches car headlights well. The harness is made from slightly padded material, and while it isn't fleece, and the straps aren't so wide as on Daisy's harness, I would have no concerns about chafing if he wore it for a long time. The belly band stays pretty secure, and gives enough clearance behind the armpits that there's no worry about it ending up under Cybi's forelegs.

The not so good:
Putting is on is a colossal, enormous pain. The single clip doesn't undo completely (it just "loosens"), so putting the thing on in the first place requires an obliging dog and a certain degree of dexterity. The dog has to be ok with having his forelegs threaded through a strap into place, and the smaller the dog around the girth, the tighter the harness is adjusted and the less space there is to get the dog's legs through. Cybi is slight for a collie, and just sat there in bemusement as I manhandled his legs into position, involving quite a tight bend at the knee.

Even once unclipped, it still only gives an extra couple of inches of wiggle room to put the harness on the dog

Adjusting it to fit causes the invention of new swear words. I can see why the adjustment needs to be as it is, but it sure isn't easy to get right. It's not possible on the dog (this may be because the harness was brand new and stiff, but that'll be true of most people buying harnesses), so you have to try it, take it off, curse your way through adjusting the belly band tightness by moving the position of the clip buckle, put it back on the dog and repeat as needed. Though once it's done, it's hopefully done forever.

So would I buy another one? At this point, probably not. I'm planning to have Daisy and Cybi try working trials at some point, as I love the balance between obedience, agility and independent working in the scent exercises, and I suspect the Hurtta harness will be great for use while tracking because the dog can work into the chest strap. But for every day going for a walk, not having to manhandle the dog into the harness at the start and end wins, and so I'll most likely revert to plan "A" and acquire a second Perfect Fit. Or possibly look at the Hurtta Y harness - if the clips undo completely it stays in contention, but if there's any dog limbo involved then not so much.