Harnesses for your Greyhound

HARNESS SAFETY FOR GREYHOUNDS

Harnesses are becoming increasingly popular among retired Greyhound owners, but it is very important to choose one that is the correct fit for your Greyhound’s body shape.

There are many harness options available, but we always recommend 3-strap harnesses for Greyhounds as they are generally the most secure style for this breed.

2-strap harnesses

Fleece Cosydog-style harnesses are very popular, and we do like them for certain dogs. However, they are not escape proof, as they are only a 2-strap design.

If a Greyhound panics or pulls backwards, they can often wriggle free from this style of harness.

For this reason, we recommend 2-strap harnesses only for calm, well-behaved dogs, or ideally when used alongside a fishtail or martingale collar, with a lead attached to both the collar and harness for added security.

3-strap harnesses

In our experience, 3-strap harnesses are the safest and most secure option for Greyhounds. When correctly fitted, the additional belly strap is specifically designed to prevent dogs from backing out, making them a highly secure option for Greyhounds.

Some 3-strap harnesses we recommend include:

Snootiful Hound Harness
A secure 3-strap option designed specifically with sighthounds in mind. Features include:

Amazing colour choices (including purple!)
Y-shaped front
Top handle
2 lead attachment points
Lightweight summer version available

DryDogs Harness
Another harness we highly recommend. Features include:

Secure 3-strap design
Y-shaped front
Top handle
2 lead attachment points
Various colour choices

Both Snootiful Hound and DryDogs also have a wide selection of other sighthound items, including fishtail collars, martingale collars, leads, coats and other accessories. Please see their individual websites for more details:

Snootiful Hound – A Brand for Sighthounds & Lurchers
DryDogs – Greyhound, Whippet and other dog coats & accessories

Harness styles to avoid

Harnesses with a straight chest strap across the front should generally be avoided, as they can restrict natural shoulder movement and are not usually a secure fit for Greyhounds.

Harnesses with a Y-shaped front are generally the better choice.

Using a harness safely

Always remember that using a harness alone gives you no control over your Greyhound’s head. This may be fine for calm dogs who walk nicely on lead, but for nervous dogs or those with a high prey drive, we strongly recommend using both:

a harness
a fishtail or martingale collar

A lead (or double-ended lead) attached to both provides better overall control of both the dog’s body and head.

Greyhounds should also wear a separate house collar with an ID tag attached whenever out in public (this is a legal requirement in the UK). Many owners also leave a house collar on indoors, as it can be useful for safely holding onto your dog if visitors arrive or doors are opened.

Important: Martingale collars should never be left on an unattended dog in the home, as if the collar becomes caught on something it can tighten around the neck and cause devastating consequences.

Choosing the right equipment can make a huge difference to your Greyhound’s safety and security 🖤