An essential piece of apparel for most tiny dogs is a harness. Paired with a leash, harnesses keep your pup safe and secure while enjoying the outdoors during such activities as walking or jogging. There are two styles of harnesses: step-in style and head-in style. The style you choose depends on you and your pup. A great dog harness for tiny dogs is critically important for a number of reasons. Because they are so little, a harness must fit securely to prevent escaping and needs to be lightweight. Also, a lot of our small dogs, my Toy Poodles especially, have very small delicate tracheas that can easily be damaged by an ill-fitting harness. A great dog harness for tiny dogs – head-in style can be difficult to find for our tiniest guys so I’ve put together a list of best-sellers based on personal experience, recommendations from family and friends, TONS of research, and product reviews.
Please remember to always measure your pet to ensure proper fit. Harnesses should be snug but comfortable. For our tiny guys, there should be about a finger’s width of space (two fingers for larger dogs) between harness and dog for ease of movement. (This post contains affiliate links. When you buy via these links, I may earn a commission at no cost to you).
As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
1. ComfortFlex Quick Fit Harness
Key Features
- Made in the USA
- Adjustable straps ensure perfect fit
- Fully padded nylon harness
- Securely fastens with Velcro and one click buckle
- Control handle
- Reflective stitching
- Tons of colors to choose from
- Slips easily over dog’s head and buckles around chest
- Leash attachment on pet’s back
- Minimum girth 12.5″
- Harness weight 0.35 oz (P)
Comfortflex is an American company designing products specifically for your active dog. They have great customer service and have replied to my emails quickly. I like that this minimalist harness is fully padded to prevent chafing. Comfortflex also recognizes the tracheal and respiratory issues our small guys are prone to and designed this harness to direct pressure exerted from leash pullers to the chest not throat area.
2. Lucky Love Dog Harness
Key Features
- Made in the USA
- Padded breathable mesh
- Securely fastens with two buckles
- Leash attachment on pet’s back AND front chest (dual leash)
- Harness slips over pet’s head for placement
- Control handle
- Reflective trim
- Adjustable straps
- Beautiful vibrant colors and patterns
- Portion of purchase donated to help save a shelter dog
- Girth 17″
- Harness weight 4.3 oz (XS)
I love this harness for a number of reasons-cute patterns, nicely padded, adjustable. You can also coordinate their vests and collars with matching leashes. Lucky Love makes a reversible lightweight harness vest as well. The fact that you’re helping shelter dogs feels great too. Unfortunately, this harness was a bit too big for my tiny guys.
3. Gooby Comfort X Head In Harness
Key Features
- Patented Choke Free X-Frame Design
- Padded breathable mesh
- Securely fastens around pet’s chest with strap and one-click buckle and D-ring for leash
- Padded leg holes and harness trim to prevent chafing
- Leash attachment on pet’s back
- Adjustable strap
- Multiple colors to choose from
- Portion of purchase donated to help save a shelter dog
- Minimum chest girth 11.75″
- Harness weight 0.99 oz (S)
Gooby creates simple, functional products for our tiny furry family members. They have been around for over 20yrs producing well-made highly rated apparel and accessories. This harness is soft and breathable and comes in lots of great colors. The design keeps the throat area free of pressure even when your dog is pulling. This is extremely important for our little dogs with delicate tracheas. Somewhat easy to put on and take off. The buckle is way down on the side, rather than on pet’s back where it would be easier to access, and it might be difficult for some to have to thread the strap through back portion of harness when putting it on and taking it off. Some complained that the harness rubbed in their pet’s armpit area. I did not have any issues with this when the harness was on my Toy Poodle, Fred. However, the harness did rub against my other Toy Poodle, Charlie. Charlie is shorter and….. well fat. Fred is thin and taller. So, it probably isn’t so much a design issue but dog build issue. Most complaints centered around sizing discrepancies and lower quality versus models bought previously. The neck girth on the small is approximately 11″ (I measured). I ordered a small and it fit both my Toy Poodles fine.
4. 2 Hounds Design Freedom No Pull Dog Harness
Key Features
- Made in the USA
- Chew warranty
- Martingale style leash connection discourages pulling
- Leash attachment on pet’s back AND front chest (dual leash)
- Harness slips loosely over pet’s head and fastens around chest with one-click buckles for placement
- 4 points of adjustment on nylon straps
- Lots of vibrant colors to choose from
- Minimum chest girth 14″
- Harness weight 3.0 oz (XS)
If your dog is a leash puller, this may be the harness for you. It is designed with a martingale loop on the back of the harness that gently tightens the harness around your pet’s chest to discourage leash pulling. 2 Hounds Design is a U.S. company that offers great customer service and quality dog harnesses, collars, and leashes. This harness has thousands of 5-star reviews many commenting on how well-made it is and how it discouraged leash pulling. Some negative comments did not agree and felt it didn’t help with leash pulling at all. Many negative comments stated this harness was not chew proof.
5. Kurgo Dog Harness
Key Features
- Made in the USA
- Lifetime warranty
- Can be used as a car harness (seatbelt tether included)
- Padded breathable mesh
- Harness slips over pet’s head for placement and securely fastens with two buckles
- Leash attachment on pet’s back AND front chest (dual leash)
- Control handle
- Reflective trim
- 5 point adjustable straps
- Minimum chest girth 12″ and neck girth 9″
- Harness weight 5 oz (XS)
Kurgo is a family-run U.S. company that has made dog safety their business. The craftmanship on this harness is great, it looks solid and secure with all the double stitching and stainless-steel hardware. It has a nicely padded chest plate, and the straps are a high-quality nylon with no noticeable rough edges. There are so many points of adjustment that it looks pretty escape proof. I love that it doubles as a car harness. The buckle design is unique but not practical when you’ve got a wiggle worm for a pet. I really wanted to love this harness, it’s quite beautiful, but it is heavy, and the adjustments were an issue for me. No one has ever accused me of being patient and I lost interest in trying to adjust this after the second of five adjustment points. I beat my Poodle though; he lost interest when he saw me coming at him with this new harness.
6. Rabbitgoo Dog Harness
Key Features
- Soft breathable mesh cushion
- Harness slips over pet’s head and buckles around lower chest
- Adjustable straps
- Lots of colors to choose from
- Reflective material strips
- Buckle closure
- Leash attachment on pet’s back AND front chest (dual leash)
- Control handle
- Minimum neck girth 13″ and chest girth 13″
- Harness weight 3.80 oz (XS)
This harness has thousands of 5-star reviews, many commenting on its durable quality. Negative reviews commented that the harness is not chew proof or is difficult to adjust. I too had some difficulty adjusting this harness, but after the initial adjustment it got a little easier. Definitely a learning curve to adjusting the straps. I ordered the XS Black and my tiny Poodle Fred looks like he’s geared up in a tactical vest getting ready for a drug bust. Its padded and durable for sure. My Poodle feels secure and did not experience any chafing because all the hard plastic pieces were kept away from his skin with the padding. I will say the buckle closures are a little stiff which might be an issue for arthritic hands. The reflective material works really really well, the harness sits safely below trachea area, and I LOVE the little control handle for times when I need to pick up my Poodle quickly. Unfortunately, as much as I loved the harness, Fred did not. I ended up having to return it because you have to loosen then readjust the straps every time you put the harness over your pet’s head. Fred is a good boy but there is a limit to his patience and waiting for me to fiddle with the straps when he’s got to pee is not his strong suit.
7. Ruffwear Hi & Light Harness
Key Features
- Durable nylon material
- Harness slips over pet’s head for placement and fastens around pet’s belly with one-click buckles
- 4 points of adjustment on straps
- Reflective trim
- Tiny pocket for storing ID tags and poop bags
- Leash attachment on pet’s back AND front chest (dual leash)
- Minimum girth 9″
- Harness weight 2.24 oz (XXS)
Ruffwear has a loyal following and for good reason. They make great quality products specifically for dogs and their business model is all about sustainability. Every time I’ve reached out to them I’ve received excellent customer service, they are always friendly and reply to my questions quickly. I also love their Flagline Harness because it has a control handle, but it’s heavier (3.84 oz), so I opted for Hi & Light as recommended by their customer support and am very happy with the choice! Ruffwear’s Hi & Light Collection caters specifically to tiny dogs. The harness is pricey, but it is reflected in the quality and attention to detail. The harness sits a bit high in the front, but it is designed in a way that pressure isn’t put on the throat area when a dog pulls. I like that all the hard plastic areas (buckles and cinches) are padded so no extra pressure points on my Poodles. Some commented that the fit and sizing are wrong, but the XXS was recommended per sizing chart, and it fits my Poodles that are 14″ and 14.5″ chest girth.
8. PetSafe Easy Walk Dog Harness
Key Features
- Specifically designed to help stop pulling and teach your dog better leash manners
- Nylon strap harness
- Adjustable straps
- Securely fastens with One click buckles
- Leash attachment on pet’s chest
- Goes over pet’s head loosely for placement
- Martingale loop gently tightens across pet’s chest (not throat) to discourage light to moderate pullers
- Minimum girth 12″
- Harness weight 2.89 oz (P)
Ok, not going to lie, it definitely took me a hot minute to figure out how to properly fit this on my squirmy Toy Poodle. My boyfriend used a phrase to describe my attempt, let’s just say it involved a monkey and a football. Anyway, after a few adjustments and a ton of treats for my pup, I figured it out and after that, the harness was easy to use. Minimal harness coverage does not mean less control of your pet. This harness is designed to discourage pulling, allowing both you and your pet to enjoy walks more. It gets super hot and muggy here in Texas so a minimal coverage harness may help to keep your pup cooler too. Negative comments seem to be largely centered around durability of nylon straps and chafing caused by these straps so check for proper placement on your pet frequently. The deluxe harness is the same great design but includes reflective stitching and padded straps (please note, the smallest size for deluxe is a small).
Conclusion
A great dog harness for tiny dogs is such an important piece of equipment when walking your dogs. They keep your dog safe, secure and protected so you and your pup can enjoy the outdoors. Sometimes though it’s hard to find a dog harness for tiny dogs that actually fits our tiniest pups. They weigh too much, are too big, or don’t have a choke-free design so important for their delicate tracheas. All of the harnesses featured here are head-in style. If you prefer a step-in style, please read my step-in style harness post. Do you have a style that works best for your dog? Do you have a favorite “go to” harness? I’d love to hear your comments.