Pros:

* Easy to put on your dog

* Very durable and well made

* Attractive (See our About Us page for a picture of the harness on Cooper)

Cons

* Somewhat Expensive (about $50.00)

Cooper, our big 85 pound golden retriever loves his daily walks whatever the weather. Usually he heels very well. However, once, when he was younger and we were on a walk, a dog ran out of a garage and ran up to us. Initially, we thought this new dog was coming to greet us, but instead he aggressively bit Cooper!

To this day Cooper gets very nervous when we approach other dogs -- even if there is another dog just sitting in a yard that we are walking by. Cooper wants to race by the dog as fast possible. On a normal leash connected to a flat collar, Cooper’s pulling to get away results in that dreaded gagging cough, and makes it difficult to control him due to his size.

Even after our walks, Cooper sometimes coughed when he would try to bark. We think the pulling and the flat collar were straining his windpipe.

We knew we needed to try something different to keep Cooper from being injured. Our son recommended to us the Ruffwear harness, which he uses on his strong pulling dogs. Thank you, Son! The Ruffwear Harness is durable and well made. It stands up to Cooper’s strength and puts us in a position to control him without hurting him. I am not a large person, but with the harness, I am able to control him and arrest his forward movement. When Cooper pulls us, or we pull him on the leash, the action of the harness prevents his front paws from getting the traction they need to create real resistance and the harness alters the direction of his path. This enables us to better keep him safe.

We highly recommend the Ruffwear Harness for any dogs that tend to pull hard. It allows owners to keep control without putting strain on the neck and throat, and helps maintain the long term health and safety of the dog in any situation.