Wow you guys are awesome! And britster, pics and everything! Thank you!
:hug::notworthy

I agree about the buckle. It is so easy to put on over a thick coat or without a coat with no adjusting necessary. I didn't think I would like the buckle at first but after using it I love it.

Daisy jumped off of a wall and into a lake when we were on vacation and it was easy to pull her out of the water with her harness on, and she weighs 17 lbs.

Oh wow, how scary! The harness is so strong, I don't think there's anyway they could slip out of it. Glad it worked out for you and Miss Daisy the Diver!

I've never had to do the helicopter move on Baby, thank God! Whew that must have been scary!

Jackson has slipped out of his regular nylon step-in too! That's why I typically only use it when it's not a big deal if he's not on leash or slips out of it (like our farmfields, etc).

You know those carnival rides with the chairs hanging on chains that are spun on a central axis? I had to do that with Max and Teddy when we encountered a large, angry dachshund. The boys were almost 2 feet off of the ground as I swung them round and round, one in each hand, with the doxy chasing them. We looked like a circus, lol!

I do like the looks of Puppia and the fancy Susan Lanci designs.

Ha, ha, maybe you should go on the road with your act!

The harness was the right size & fit, I just think it's a bad design for dogs with large chests.

I'll explain what happened & hopefully it makes sense: There was no problem as long as ZoE was in front of me, facing forward. The problem occurred when she was sniffing things & turned around. With her turned to face me & the leash taught, she backed up and the harness slipped right over her head and off her legs, and she was free! This happened in our front yard & we live on a main road, so I was freaking!!! Like I said, I thought maybe it was my fault in how I fastened it, so the next time, I paid special attention, and then took her in the back yard and she was able to easily escape again, doing the same turning & facing me & backing up thing. Once she figured it out how to get it off, she just kept doing it. I threw the harness (and another just like it) away!

I love your "helicopter" terminology :) That's what I want to be able to do too in case of emergency. Could you imagine getting her halfway up and slipping out the harness??? So glad I threw them out!

I'm so glad nothing happened to ZoE!

My boys know the word "helicopter" because when they are into something naughty on the side of the road, I warn them, "You're gonna get helicoptered" and they move along. :p

The first thing I look for is a step-in harness. I don't like for anything to go around my little man's neck. He pulls if he sees something exciting like a squirrel, and I dislike any pressure around his neck.

I also prefer a lightweight harness without a lot of bulk. Honestly, our favorite harness is just a simple lightweight nylon one. Goes great under clothes that have the pull-through for a D-ring, and also fits over clothes that don't allow for the harness to come through.

Also, comfort. Could Levi wear it for an extended period of time, if necessary? I feel comfortable enough leaving the house with Levi in our favorite harness without worrying that it will get caught on something, or that he will be uncomfortable.

I don't like harnesses that velcro, and I don't like harnesses that are hard to put on.

I like a harness that is okay for it to get wet or muddy, and is easily washed up.

Buckle in on that snap - in attachment

Front legs are very free to move

Easily adjustable to go over clothes and wrapping jacket.

I would like to find one with reflector strips on it.

It was so scary. We were walking an an unlit walkway in Branson and we wouldn't have been able to see her in the dark if we had to try to save her. Daisy jumped up on a small wall that was about a foot high and fell right over it and into the lake. I dread to think of the outcome if she hadn't had the harness on. You just never know what might happen when you least expect it. She had barely hit the water when we yanked her right out. I about had a heart attack.

Here are the reviews of the harnesses we have had. We have had several other harnesses step-ins and standard harnesses from PetCo, but these are my favorite harnesses:

1. Buddy Belt

I just got my Buddy Belts in the mail, so I do not have too much to say about them.

Positives: Very attractive, made of leather (so it should be durable), buckle enclosure is easy to take on/off

Negatives: stiff when first purchased, sits differently than other harnesses

2. Bessie and Barnie Harness


I ordered these online from Poochieheaven, and I LOVE the look of them. They are absolutely adorable and you can customize the piping and fabric on them for your dog. They have held up amazingly well and still look brand new after over a year.

Positives: Very cute, soft, size can be adjusted around the ribs,

Negatives: Goes around the neck more than I'd like, not easy to take off/on, has to go over the head to be put on.

3. Chattiesmom Step In Harness


I got Couver a step-in harness from Chattiesmom and it was great! I loved how lightweight it was and it was easy to take everywhere. However, he got ahold of it one day and chewed it up... so we no longer have it :(

Positives: Easy to take on/off, very light, easy to clean, inexpensive

Negatives: Easy for dog to chew (lol Couver ripped his up)

4. Mesh Harness (Wal-Mart)


This was the first harness I ever purchased. They were inexpensive and came in various colors. They are a good fallback harness to have around the house in case you can't find the others :p They seem comfy and light, but would be good for escape artist dogs. They have plastic snaps and velcro.

Positives: Very light, easy to clean, inexpensive

Negatives: Not super secure (wouldn't be good for escape artists), not particularly attractive

Overall, I look for security, something that is easy to take on and off, and something that looks nice. I want something that they can wear with and without clothes because they are always wearing something during the winter.

Here are the rest of the pictures :)

Thanks Couver's mom for all that info and the pics! So cute! My aunt loves the Chattie's mom's harnesses. Zoie never chewed them off. I haven't been able to get a hold of her, though.