Dog Harness That Doesn't Go Over the Head: A Groomer's Guide
Dog LoveA dog harness that does not go over the head, from a groomer's chair
Some dogs duck, some reverse, and some shut down the moment anything comes towards their face. We see all three on the salon table every week, and it is almost never the harness that worries them. It is the loop coming over the eyes and ears.
The DogLove Pro No Pull Harness
- The neck strap unclips, wraps around and clips shut, so nothing passes over the eyes or ears
- It still slips over the head in one movement if your dog would rather have it that way
- Both buckles sit on the body, at the chest and the belly, well away from the face
- Four adjustment points, so the same harness fits a fresh groom and a grown out coat
- Front clip for a dog that pulls, back clip and a padded top handle for everything else
- Breathable padded mesh with open sides, 3M reflective trim, 13 colours
In this guide
Why some dogs hate a harness going over their head
If your dog backs away from the harness but loves the walk, the harness is not the problem. The loop coming at their face is.
- They lose sight of you for a second.A loop passing over the head covers the eyes on the way down. For a confident dog that second is nothing. For a cautious one it is the whole event, and after a few repeats they duck before the harness has even moved.
- The ears get dragged the wrong way.Long drop ears, heavy fringe and thick neck coat all catch on the way through. On a Cocker, a Spoodle or a Cavoodle the ear leather folds backwards under the strap, and that small pull is enough to make a patient dog turn away.
- Flat faced dogs feel it most.A French Bulldog, a Pug or a Boston Terrier has big round eyes set forward and no muzzle for a loop to clear, so there is nowhere for it to pass without brushing the eyes. These are the dogs we most often fit with the neck unclipped, and the change in their body language is immediate.
- Nervous dogs and puppies need the face left alone.Rescue dogs, dogs never taught to enjoy being handled, and puppies still deciding what gear means all share one rule: the less that happens around the head, the better. A puppy's first few fittings set the tone for years. If the harness arrives over the eyes, you spend months chasing them down the hallway.
Nine times out of ten the dog is not refusing the harness. They are refusing the two seconds where something passes over their eyes.
How a harness that does not go over the head actually works
Three buckles, no loop. The neck strap opens, goes around the neck and clips shut, then the chest and belly fasten on the body.
Most harnesses give you one way in: open the big neck loop, aim it at the dog and hope. The DogLove Pro No Pull Dog Harness gives you two, because the neck strap carries its own buckle. Unclip it and the harness opens out flat in your hands. Lay it on the dog, wrap the strap around under the ears and click. Nothing goes near the eyes, nothing folds an ear, and your dog spends most of it looking at the door.
- Open the neck buckle before you call your dog, and kneel beside them.An open harness goes on in five seconds. Reaching towards the face from the front is the position that worries dogs most, so work from beside the shoulder, both of you looking the same way.
- Lay the chest plate on the breastbone.The padded panel sits flat on the front of the chest, straight down the middle. Square it here and you adjust far less later.
- Wrap the neck strap around and clip it shut.Bring it around under the ears, lift any ear fringe clear with your free hand and click. On a long eared dog, run a finger around the strap afterwards so no ear leather is trapped underneath.
- Buckle the belly strap behind the front legs.Well back from the armpit crease, never wedged into it. That crease is where rubbing and knotting start on a fluffy coat.
- Set the four adjusters and check with two flat fingers.Two fingers should slide flat under every strap without forcing. Tighter rubs, looser lets a determined dog reverse out of it.
Make the harness boring
For a week, pick the harness up, click the neck buckle shut in the air, feed a treat and put it down. No fitting, no walk. Your dog learns the sound means something good and that nothing happens to their face. Then fit it and head out the door.
Over the head is still an option
Plenty of dogs genuinely do not mind, and one movement is quicker. Leave the neck clipped, slip the opening on and buckle the belly. Both methods end in the same fit, so use whichever one your dog shrugs at. Our harness fit guide has the full walk through.
Step in harnesses, over the head harnesses and an unclipping neck compared
Three ways to get a harness onto a dog. Each one asks something different of your dog, and of you on a wet morning.
Owners searching for a harness that does not go over the head usually land on step in styles first, and it is a reasonable idea. Your dog puts two front paws into two openings and you fasten it on the back. Nothing near the face. The catch is what the dog has to do instead: stand still while you place each paw. On a wriggling puppy or a stiff old dog that is harder than it sounds, and most step in designs have fewer adjusters and no front clip.
| Style | What the dog has to accept | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Over the head loop | A loop passing over the eyes and ears | Confident dogs, short coats, owners in a hurry | Ducking, ear dragging, flat faced dogs |
| Step in | Standing still while both front paws are placed | Patient dogs who are happy to have their legs handled | Paw shy dogs, fewer adjusters, usually no front clip |
| Unclipping neck Our pick | A strap wrapped around the neck and clipped | Nervous, flat faced, long eared, handling sensitive dogs and puppies | Check no ear fringe is caught under the strap |
- A head halter is a different tool entirely.It sits on the muzzle, so it is not a gentler option for a dog who dislikes things near their face. If pulling is the real problem, a front clip does that job without going near the head.
- Collars are not the shortcut.Slipping a collar over the head is the same problem in miniature, and a dog leaning into a collar puts all that force through the throat. Our comparison of harness versus collar covers the rest.
What size DogLove Pro to order, and how to measure the chest
Measure, never guess. Breed and weight get you close, the chest measurement gets you right.
- Wrap a soft tape around the widest part of the chest.Just behind the front legs, snug but not pulled tight, with the coat lying flat rather than fluffed up. That number is the one that matters.
- Between two sizes? Size up.Take the larger one and bring it in on the adjusters. A harness that is slightly generous and tuned down is kind to a coat. One that is slightly tight never stops rubbing.
- Check the fit with two flat fingers.Two fingers should slide under every strap, the chest plate should sit on the breastbone, and the belly strap well clear of the armpits.
| Size | Chest | Typical dog | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| XS | 33 to 43cm | Puppies and the smallest toy breeds | $59.95 |
| S | 43 to 56cm | Small dogs, roughly 5 to 9kg | $61.95 |
| M Most common | 56 to 69cm | Most medium dogs, roughly 9 to 16kg, and most flat faced breeds | $64.95 |
| L | 69 to 81cm | Larger dogs, roughly 16 to 30kg | $69.95 |
| XL | 81 to 107cm | Big, deep chested dogs | $74.95 |
Weights are a rough guide only; the chest measurement decides. Growing puppy? Fit the chest they have today and recheck the straps every couple of weeks. Our harness fit guide has the full step by step.
The harness we fit on dogs who hate things over their head
We compared six harness brands in our Tranmere salon and used the DogLove Pro on our own dogs for two years before we put it on our shelves. It is the only harness we stock.
The unclipping neck is the feature we talk about most at the counter, because it solves a problem owners have usually given up on. A dog who has spent a year dodging the harness does not need retraining so much as a harness that arrives from a different direction. Add a front clip for the pulling and four adjusters for a growing puppy, and one harness covers it.
Nothing over the face
Unclip the neck, wrap it around under the ears and click. The eyes and ears are left alone.
Front clip, back clip, handle
Front clip for dogs that pull, back clip for relaxed walks, padded handle for kerbs and car boots.
Breathable padded mesh
Open sides let air move, so warmth and damp are not trapped against the skin or a long coat.
Four adjustment points
Fits a fresh trim and a grown out coat. Loosen or tighten in seconds as a puppy grows.
Built to last, in 13 colours
Two years on our own dogs before we stocked it, through salt water, sand and Adelaide summers, with no fading and no softening. 3M reflective trim, matching lead.
Two ways to put it on
- Your dog ducks, reverses or freezes when the harness comes near their face.
- You have a flat faced dog, a long eared dog or one with a thick neck coat.
- You are starting a puppy off and want harness time to stay easy.
- You want one harness for walks, beach days and lifting into the car.
- It is a walking harness. For the car, use a restraint built and tested for travel.
- Between sizes, go up one and bring it in on the adjusters.
- Growing puppy? Fit the chest they have today and recheck it often.
- Little escape artist? Fit it snug and read our guide to stopping a dog backing out of a harness.
We sell the DogLove Pro, so we are not neutral. We stock it because it is the harness that gets onto difficult dogs without a fight.
Wondering if it is worth the money? Read our comparison of cheap versus expensive dog harnesses, or browse all our harnesses.
No overhead harness questions we hear in the salon
Is there a dog harness that does not go over the head?
Yes. The DogLove Pro No Pull Dog Harness has a buckle on the neck strap, so you unclip it, lay the harness on your dog, wrap the strap around under the ears and clip it shut. Nothing passes over the eyes or ears. It still slips over the head in one movement if your dog prefers that.
Why does my dog hate the harness going over his head?
Because for a second or two it covers his eyes and drags on his ears. Dogs who dodge the harness are usually happy once it is on and thrilled about the walk, which tells you the loop is the problem, not the harness. Wrapping the strap around removes the part he objects to.
Is a step in harness better for a dog that hates things over its head?
It keeps the face clear, which is a real advantage, but it asks your dog to stand still while you place both front paws. Paw shy dogs, wriggly puppies and stiff older dogs often find that harder than a strap wrapped around the neck. Step in designs also tend to have fewer adjusters and no front clip, so pulling stays unsolved.
How do you put on a harness with an unclipping neck strap?
Open the neck buckle before you call your dog. Kneel beside their shoulder, lay the padded chest plate on the breastbone, bring the neck strap around under the ears and click it shut, then buckle the belly strap behind the front legs. Set the four adjusters so two flat fingers slide under every strap.
Which harness is best for a French Bulldog or a Pug?
One that never goes near the face. Flat faced breeds have forward set eyes and no muzzle for a loop to clear, so the unclipping neck is the kindest way on. Most adult French Bulldogs and Pugs measure into M (56 to 69cm), and a broad, deep chested Frenchie can reach L. Measure the chest and let the number decide.
Will the harness catch my dog's ears when I put it on?
Not if you wrap rather than loop. Lift the ear fringe clear with your free hand as the strap comes around, then run a finger around it to check no ear leather is folded underneath. We do that check every time in the salon and it takes two seconds.
What size harness does my dog need?
Measure the chest at its widest point, just behind the front legs, with the coat flat. XS covers 33 to 43cm, S 43 to 56cm, M 56 to 69cm, L 69 to 81cm and XL 81 to 107cm. Between two sizes, take the larger one and bring it in on the adjusters.