Our Harnesses Explained
Benefits of using a harness
Improved Safety
- Harnesses are simply the safest, most secure, and most comfortable way to hook your dog up to their leash.
- Using a harness distributes the force exerted on the leash across a larger area of the dog’s body, as opposed to the neck area which may cause choking or discomfort.
- Small dogs that suffer from trachael collapse or breeds that are prone to this issue will benefit from using a harness. They are also ideal for flat-faced, brachycephalic breeds, like French Bulldogs and Pugs, that can be prone to respiratory problems.
Better Control
- A good harness will reduce pulling, increase your control over your pup, and decrease stress on his neck and joints.
- Harnesses provide better control over large or strong dogs. It also doesn’t reinforce pulling behavior, since the forward action is halted by your continued pressure on the harness.
- As the leash is attached at a point closer to the dog’s center of gravity, a harness will help to avoid the leash getting tangled.
Harness comparison
What’s the difference?
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Step 'n Go
DESIGN
Our Step ’n Go harness features a soft step-in vest design, secured with Velcro straps and a sturdy buckle across the back.
It has a heavy-duty metal D-ring on the back for attaching your lead.
MATERIALS
Made from durable, water-repellent neoprene with breathable mesh padding underneath for added comfort.
The neoprene is soft, flexible and lightweight, making this our least bulky harness style.
WHY CHOOSE THIS STYLE?
- The Step ’n Go is ideal for smaller dogs, puppies and teacup breeds. It can also be suitable for other pets, including cats and ferrets.
- It is particularly useful for pets who do not like harnesses being pulled over their head. Simply step in, secure the Velcro and buckle, attach the lead and you are ready to go.
- Reflective piping helps improve visibility during darker walks.
- Compared with the Ruff ’n Ready, this harness is softer, lighter and more flexible, making it a comfortable everyday choice for smaller pets.
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Original Harness
DESIGN
Our Original Adjustable Harness is an overhead style with a soft fabric chest panel underneath and adjustable straps across the back.
It has two heavy-duty metal D-rings, one on the chest and one on the back, for attaching a lead, tag or charm.
MATERIALS
Made from durable, water-repellent neoprene with breathable mesh padding underneath for added comfort.
The soft neoprene construction makes this harness flexible and less structured than the Ruff ’n Ready.
WHY CHOOSE THIS STYLE?
- The Original Harness is a lightweight and versatile everyday option for small to medium-sized dogs, particularly those who are comfortable with an overhead harness.
- The adjustable straps allow you to tighten or loosen the fit around your dog’s body.
- The front and back D-rings give you the option to attach your lead in the position that works best for your dog.
- Our Original Harness sizing runs smaller than the Ruff ’n Ready range, allowing it to accommodate many smaller breeds.
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Ruff 'n Ready Harness
DESIGN
Our Ruff ’n Ready Harness has three buckles, allowing it to be fitted without pulling it over your dog’s head.
It features structured panels across both the chest and back, with a locking feature on one buckle for an additional layer of security.
It has two heavy-duty metal D-rings, one on the chest and one on the back, for attaching a lead, tag or charm.
MATERIALS
Made from durable, water-repellent Oxford fabric with breathable mesh padding underneath.
The Oxford outer has a firmer, more structured feel than the softer neoprene used on our Step ’n Go and Original Harnesses.
WHY CHOOSE THIS STYLE?
- The Ruff ’n Ready is our most supportive and structured harness, making it particularly suitable for larger or stronger dogs and dogs who tend to pull on walks.
- Its three-buckle design is also a good choice for dogs who do not like harnesses going over their head.
- Reflective piping helps improve visibility during darker walks, while the handle on the back gives you additional control when needed. It is also useful for lifting adventurous pups out of puddles and other messy situations.
- With patterned panels across both the chest and back, this style shows off more of your chosen Messi Pups design.
- Our Ruff ’n Ready sizing runs larger than our other harness styles, allowing it to accommodate bigger dogs
Measuring for a harness
Neck
Measure around your dogs neck, where their collar would normally sit. Leave a little extra space, 2 fingers should fit comfortably under the tape measure
Chest
Measure around the widest part of your dogs chest. Again leave a little wiggle room! You may also want to take jumpers/jackets fitting under the harness into consideration.
- We recommend sizing up if your dog is at the very edge of a size bracket.
- The chest is the most important fit: i.e. if the neck measurement is in the S bracket, but the chest size is in the M bracket, always go for the chest size.
Size Chart Comparison
We offer a few different styles of harnesses, each designed with different pups (and their humans) in mind. Be sure to check the sizing chart that matches the style you’re ordering as sizing varies between them!
For example our Ruff ‘n Ready harnesses are a great fit for bigger, stronger dogs or those who like to take their humans for a walk rather than the other way round. On the other end of the scale, our Step ‘n Go harness is the perfect solution for smaller dogs, with sizing that runs extra small for the tiniest of adventurers.
Harness How-To with Dougal
Need a hand putting on your pup’s new harness? Let Dougal show you how it’s done. In this quick video, he’ll walk you through fitting both our Original and Ruff ‘n Ready styles. Easy peasy and walk-ready in no time.
Original Harness
Please remember when fitting your OG style harness you want to make sure the fabric part sits on their chest with the straps on their back. This is the safest and comfiest way for them to strut their stuff in their new harness.
Ruff 'n Ready Harness
For our Ruff ‘n Ready style harness, place the shortest piece of fabric on their back and the longest piece on their chest.
Here you can see our lovely model Dougal showing you how it’s done. 😎
Using extra accessories with your harness
When attaching accessories such as leads or charms to your harness, they can be attached via the d-ring located on the back or chest area of your harness.
We advise against connecting accessories together, such as connecting a poop bag holder to the d-ring, then attaching a lead to the lobster clasp of the poop bag holder. It is recommended that each accessory have its own connection directly to the d-ring.
Care Instructions
How to wash your harness
We recommend first shaking of any dirt or debris from accessories and hand washing in warm water with a mild detergent. Rinse thoroughly and air dry.
Check out our awesome rep Corrie and how she gets her accessories sparkling clean! She uses the Coco and Lola Stain and Odour Remover* to tackle those stubborn stains on the harness, then gently dabs the harness with the Paw Buddy* to loosen the dirt. Finally, she rinses it off with warm water and voila – good as new! You won’t believe the fantastic results!
*We are not affiliated with these companies, just passing on some neat products that work a treat!
Disclaimer
When washing your harness, please be sure to do your own research when using different products and don’t use anything too abrasive as you may damage it. Messi Pups is not liable for any damages due to cleaning.
Please take care if you decide to machine wash your accessories, as this could damage the drum in your machine and may lower the life span of accessories. We recommend placing accessories into a mesh washing machine bag if you choose machine wash to avoid any damage. If you do decide to machine wash your accessories, we are not liable for any damages and will not accept any returns.
No pet accessory is indestructible. Make sure you check your pets accessories regularly for signs of wear and tear. It is the customers responsibility to check the usability of the product.
