Small Dog Harnesses

[Mijo]

Here are two harnesses that I made for my 9 pound chihuahua. The first one is based off of a standard walking harness design that's widely used. I like the design of this harness but i've gotten a lot of feed back from people indicating that it's too complicated and has too much hardware. Most people that have tried it on their dog can't seem to figure out how to put it on, but i have made a couple for some people and once they figure it out they really seem to like it.

the second harness is a revision of the first harness, i tried to address the issues people seemed to have with the first harness. there are two less buckles on this version and the bottom section that connects the neck and chest straps is not fixed and can slide about freely. I have since removed the leather bow on this harness, i put it on there just to see how it would hold up during normal use. the bow worked out well, as i was looking for ways to use scrap leather, and the only reason I removed it was b/c people were mistaking my dog for a bitch. This harness is a lot easier to make but since there is only one buckle per strap, i feel it's slightly unbalanced when compared to the first harness. In addition to two less buckles this harness also requires nine less brass eyelets, which reduces the overall weight (slightly). I'm still testing this harness but overall I don't like the asymetrical look of it, but my intention was to offer a harness that was more user friendly.

Both harnesses are made from the same 10 - 11 oz latigo leather and everything is held together with custom screws (machined in CA). the first harness was made over a year ago and the edges were finished with just trag and a drill mounted wood burnisher. the second harness is a couple of months old and the edges are finished using Hidepounder's posted techique (thank you very much, Bob!).

Any feedback (negative or positive) is greatly appreciated. Thanks for looking...

[LeatherLori]

I think they look great! so cute to... I've been asked to make a harness for a little guy. The owner didnt want me to make it out of latigo (that is what i use to make my collars from) Do you think its comfortable for your little dog? no padding? Lori

[Mijo]

I think they look great! so cute to... I've been asked to make a harness for a little guy. The owner didnt want me to make it out of latigo (that is what i use to make my collars from) Do you think its comfortable for your little dog? no padding? Lori

Thanks for the comment. my dogs don't appear uncomfortable in their latigo, upadded harnesses. I've made a smaller versions of the posted harnesses for my 3.5 lb and 5 lb chihuahuas, but I'll elminate the lower strap that connects the chest and neck strap. My 5 lb chihuahua is almost hairless and she does not appear to be suffering from irritation from the straps. I was also concerned that the screws might cause some discomfort, due to rubbing, but that hasn't been the case either. I figured that if my hairless chihuahua isn't bothered by the unpadded / unlined harness, than it should be fine for other dogs.