On in one step, before they change their mind.
Step in, lift, clip. One buckle and you are out of the door, which matters more than it sounds with a dog that objects to anything going over its head.
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Design: Black
Lead: Harness only
Size: XS
Why you'll love it
Most small dog harnesses go over the head, and a dog that has decided it does not like that will duck away every time. A step in asks for two front paws and nothing near the face, which is usually the difference between a fight and a walk.
The reflective binding runs around both leg openings and the chest panel rather than sitting as one strip on the back, so a car catches them side on as well as from behind.
Air mesh spreads the load over the chest and breathes on a warm day. Flat webbing concentrates the same pull onto two narrow lines, which is what leaves a mark under the front legs.
Good fit if
Look elsewhere if
A great many dogs dislike having something passed over the head, and puppies in particular will duck, back away and turn the whole thing into a negotiation. That daily friction matters, because a harness that is a fight to put on is one that gets skipped in favour of clipping the lead to a collar.
Lying the harness flat and asking the dog to step in removes the part it objects to. Two front feet into two openings, lift, one buckle across the back and it is done. Most dogs learn the position within a few days, and plenty will stand in it voluntarily once they associate it with a walk.
This is a back clip harness, which is the right choice for a dog that already walks reasonably and the wrong one for a dog that tows. A lead attached between the shoulders leaves the dog facing forward with its full strength behind the pull, so it will not discourage pulling and may make it slightly easier.
What it does do is keep the load off the throat, which is the main reason to use a harness at all with a small dog. Toy breeds and puppies have narrow tracheas, and repeated pressure from a collar is a genuine concern rather than a theoretical one. For a dog that pulls seriously, look for a harness with a front ring instead.
Padded air mesh spreads the load over a wider area than narrow webbing, which is why it suits short coated and thin skinned dogs that mark up under straps. It also breathes, so it is more comfortable in summer than a solid padded harness, and it dries quickly after a wet walk rather than staying damp against the skin.
The reflective binding runs right around both openings rather than sitting in one strip, so the dog is visible from more angles. The matching lead is optional and at 1.2 metres it is a sensible everyday length: long enough for a dog to move naturally, short enough to keep it out of the road without gathering slack.
In the box
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The details
| Size | Dog weight | Typical breeds |
|---|---|---|
| XS | up to 2.5 kg | Chihuahua, Yorkshire Terrier, young toy puppies |
| S | up to 6 kg | Pomeranian, Miniature Dachshund, small crossbreeds |
| M | up to 10 kg | Shih Tzu, Jack Russell, French Bulldog puppy |
| L | up to 15 kg | Cocker Spaniel, Beagle, small Border Collie |
Sizing is fixed rather than broadly adjustable, so measure the chest as well as weighing the dog. For a growing puppy, size up rather than buying to fit exactly today.
Loved by real pet parents
She learned to duck away from anything that came near her ears, so getting out of the door took five minutes and put both of us in a bad mood. Two front paws in, lift, one buckle and we are gone. It is the only harness we have owned that she walks towards.
Ours is 9 kg so the medium should have been right on paper, but he is deep in the chest and it was tight across the front. The large fits him with room to spare. Worth measuring rather than weighing, because the fixed sizing does not give you much to play with once it is in your hands.
Most small harnesses put one silver strip across the back, which is no use at all when a car is coming at you from the side. The binding here runs around both leg openings and the chest panel, so you catch it from any angle. On a five o'clock winter walk that is the whole reason I bought it.
The flat webbing one we had before left two pressed lines in his fur where the straps crossed, even on short walks. The padded air mesh spreads it out and there has been nothing like that since we swapped. He is also noticeably cooler in it on a warm day.
The 1.2m lead is the right length for pavements, short enough that he cannot get round a lamp post and long enough that he can sniff a wall. It matches the graffiti design, which I did not care about until it arrived and looked rather smart. One buckle to close and the back D ring sits centrally without twisting.
The single buckle is reassuringly solid but it shuts with a crack that made our nervous one flinch every time at first. She has got used to it over a couple of months. The step in design was the right call for her, she will not accept anything going over her head.
Puppy walks are muddy walks and this goes in a bowl of warm water, gets rinsed and is dry by breakfast. The mesh has not gone stiff or lost its shape after a dozen washes. The extra small was right for her at 2 kg and she has since moved up into the small.
For a calm walker it is comfortable and quick to fit and I have no criticism of the build at all. Ours is nine months old and still leans hard into it, and because the D ring is on the back it simply lets him pull more efficiently. My fault for not reading properly, but worth saying out loud for anyone in the same position.
Six months of daily walks and a lot of sun this summer and the grey is the same grey it was in March. The binding has not frayed at the leg openings either, which is where I expected it to go first. Still just the one buckle to do up and still nothing near her face.
Good questions
The supplier sizes by weight, not girth: XS suits anything under 2.5kg, S under 6kg, M under 10kg and L under 15kg. Weigh rather than guess, and if your dog is between two, take the larger, as this harness does not adjust in length.
It is harder to back out of than a collar because the load sits behind the shoulders, but no harness is escape proof on a determined dog. Check you can slide two fingers under the chest panel and no more.
No. Pick 'Harness only' and clip your own lead to the back D ring. The matching lead is 1.2m, which is a normal pavement length rather than a training lead.
The XS will fit a cat under 2.5kg, but it is cut for a dog's chest. For a cat, the Escape Proof Cat Harness is shaped properly around the shoulders.
It is secure on a correctly sized dog, but no back clip harness is escape proof for a determined backwards puller. Check that two fingers slide flat under the strap and no more, and that it does not shift when tugged upwards.
No, the harness is sold on its own as well. Any standard clip lead fits the back D ring, so use one you already have if it suits you.
It is not cut for one. Cats have far more shoulder mobility and reverse out of dog harnesses easily, so use a harness designed specifically for cats.
Last reviewed 30 August 2026
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