Best harness for small dogs: which ones go small enough

For a small dog the problem is the opposite of a big one: most harnesses are not made small enough. Below 29cm of chest, only one harness on the twelve charts on this site comes in a size — Ruffwear's XXXS, which starts at 23cm. By 30cm there are four, by 35cm ten. So for toy breeds the right first step is the tape, not the shop.

How this guide was made: we have not tested these harnesses on dogs. The figures come from each maker's own published size chart, with the date it was read; the percentages are where a chest measurement falls inside each size's range.

Where each brand starts

Harness	Smallest size	Starts at
Ruffwear	XXXS	23cm
Julius-K9 IDC Powerharness	Baby 1	29cm
Rabbitgoo ControlPro	XS	29.5cm
Kurgo Tru-Fit Smart	X-Small	30cm
PetSafe Easy Walk	Petite	30.5cm
Puppia RiteFit	S	33cm
PetSafe Easy Walk 3 in 1	X-Small	33cm
Top Paw Mesh Comfort	XX-Small	33cm
Blue-9 Balance	XS	34cm
Wonder Walker No-Pull	Toy	34.3cm
Dog Friendly Co No-Pull	XXS	39cm
PawSafe Steady+Style	XS	45.7cm

"Starts at" is the bottom of the smallest size — the straps pulled all the way in. A dog right on that number has nothing left to tighten, and small dogs are the ones that slip out of a harness that is a little loose. Treat each brand's floor as a couple of centimetres higher than printed.

Which ones fit, by chest measurement

Under 29cm

Ruffwear XXXS (23–33cm) is the only size on these charts. At 25cm it sits 20% of the way into its range; at 28cm, 50%. See Ruffwear in XXXS

Around 30cm

Four fit, but only one comfortably: Ruffwear XXXS at 70%. The Julius-K9 Baby 1 is at 14%, and the Kurgo X-Small and Rabbitgoo XS are at the very bottom of their ranges (0% and 3%) — pulled as tight as they go.

Around 32cm

The Julius-K9 Baby 1 (29–36cm) is now near the middle at 43%, and Ruffwear's XXXS at 90% is close to its limit. The PetSafe Easy Walk Petite joins, at 12%. See the Julius-K9 IDC in Baby 1

Around 35cm and up

Ten of the twelve fit. From here the choice is about which one puts your dog nearest the middle rather than whether one exists — at 35cm, for instance, the Kurgo X-Small (36%), PetSafe Easy Walk Petite (35%) and Rabbitgoo XS (31%) all sit well, while the Blue-9 XS (9%) and Wonder Walker Toy (6%) are pulled almost fully in. The size finder shows the position at every brand at once.

Toy breeds and the weight trap

Chihuahuas, Pomeranians, Yorkshire Terriers and Maltese mostly weigh 1.5–3kg. Several charts print weights at this end — the Julius-K9 Baby 1 is listed for 0.8–3kg, the Kurgo X-Small for 2–5kg — but on a toy dog a few hundred grams of coat or bone changes the chest by more than a weight band can describe. Use weight to narrow the search and the chest to choose.

Coat makes small dogs harder to measure than big ones. A Pomeranian measured with the tape pulled through its coat reads several centimetres small, and the harness then fits the dog it cannot see rather than the dog it has to close round. Measure snug against the coat as it lies.

The breed pages work through each breed's weight at every brand and flag where most charts do not go low enough: Chihuahua, Pomeranian, Yorkshire Terrier, Maltese, Papillon.

Miniature Dachshunds

A Miniature Dachshund weighs about 4–5kg but carries a deep chest on a long, low body, so it usually needs a larger size than its weight suggests. By weight alone, the charts point it at the Julius-K9 Baby 2 or Mini-Mini, the Kurgo X-Small or Small, or the PetSafe Easy Walk Petite/Small. Measure the chest at its deepest point, just behind the front legs, and go by that. A design whose neck and girth adjust separately helps, because the neck is small for the chest. Miniature Dachshund sizing and sizing a deep-chested dog go further.

What else matters on a small dog

• Protect the windpipe. Small breeds are prone to tracheal problems, which is the main reason to walk them on a harness rather than a collar. Harness or collar?
• Weight of the hardware. Buckles and rings that suit a 30kg dog are heavy on a 2kg one. Check the listing for the smallest size's hardware rather than assuming it scales down.
• Getting it on. Many small dogs dislike things going over their head. A step-in design, which fastens on the back, avoids that — though it has to be fitted carefully, because it relies on the girth strap alone to stay on.
• Escape margin. A small dog can back out through a gap of a couple of centimetres. Two flat fingers under every strap and a girth strap that does not slide forwards are the checks — why dogs back out of harnesses.

Start with the tape: how to measure, then the size finder for every brand's answer.