Retrievist / Reviews / Harnesses / Best Small Dog Harnesses | Dog Harnesses Designed for Small Breeds
Best Small Dog Harnesses | Dog Harnesses Designed for Small Breeds
Finding a harness to fit a small dog can be challenging; especially a harness that doesn’t rub and one your dog can’t escape from. Luckily, there are a range of small dog harnesses on the market, specifically designed with the needs of compact canines in mind. We did extensive research to find the best small dog harnesses, reviewing hundreds of products to find those that stood out. Read on to see what we found.
Overall Best Small Dog Harness
- Lightweight
- Breathable
- Soft
- Well Made
- Machine Washable
- Adjustable
The trouble with some small dog harnesses is that they aren't easily adjustable, but this one is adjustable around the girth and at the neck, which is ideal for deep-chested breeds or other body shapes that can affect harness fit. Although it's available in sizes small to x-large, this is relative since it's a harness for small dogs, so your canine companion...
The soft mesh is lightweight and doesn't rub, making this a comfortable harness to wear.
What Humans Love:Some similar harnesses are only adjustable around the girth, but this one can be adjusted slightly at the neck, too.
The trouble with some small dog harnesses is that they aren't easily adjustable, but this one is adjustable around the g...
Best Budget Small Dog Harness
- Breathable lining
- Soft material
- Well-made
- Looks good
- Matching leash
The soft mesh lining of this comfort harness helps prevent chafing, while the polyester outer layer comes in two adorable plaid prints, one red and one blue. You'll even receive a matching plaid leash to complete the look. The chest belt of the harness is adjustable for a more comfortable fit.
Although it's available in sizes x-small to large...
Although it's available in sizes x-small to large, even the largest of sizes is only suited to medium-size dogs at most, so be careful when choosing the correct size for your four-legged friend. It's average rating on Amazon is 4.4.
- Well-made
- Looks good
- Matching leash
- Breathable lining
- Soft material
The soft mesh lining of this comfort harness helps prevent chafing, while the polyester outer layer comes in two adorabl...
Although it's available in sizes x-small to large, even the largest of sizes is only suited to medium-size dogs at most, so be careful when choosing the correct size for your four-legged friend. It's average rating on Amazon is 4.4.
Most Durable Small Dog Harness
- Soft
- Comfortable
- Breathable
- Fits well
- Durable
- Affordable
This sturdy vest harness has excellent coverage around the chest and girth, which is great for making small dogs feel secure and also makes it more difficult for dogs to wriggle out of. It's made from a lightweight yet strong polyester mesh that helps dogs stay cooler on warm days.
It's available in sizes from x-small to x-large, but the large...
It's available in sizes from x-small to x-large, but the largest size only fits dogs up to 16 pounds, so the smaller sizes are for toy breeds and small breed puppies. There are 5 color options: pink, blue, black, red, and camouflage. This harness has a 4.6 rating with more than 1,000 Amazon reviews.
This harness doesn't rub or chafe thanks to the mesh material it's made from, plus it's highly breathable.
What Humans Love:The snug fit hugs dogs closely and is great for any dogs who are prone to escaping harnesses.
This sturdy vest harness has excellent coverage around the chest and girth, which is great for making small dogs feel se...
It's available in sizes from x-small to x-large, but the largest size only fits dogs up to 16 pounds, so the smaller sizes are for toy breeds and small breed puppies. There are 5 color options: pink, blue, black, red, and camouflage. This harness has a 4.6 rating with more than 1,000 Amazon reviews.
Our Other Favorites
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
- Nice color choices
- Low cost
- Free leash
Since this harness is designed for small dogs and cats, it's important to carefully check the size guide. You can buy it in sizes from xx-small to x-large, but the smallest are for kittens and small cats and are unlikely to fit even very small dogs. Once you do find the correct fit, however, this is a comfortable and breathable harness, and it comes with a l...
Choose from a wide range of colors, including bright orange, hot pink, and classic black. This harness has received more than 2,400 Amazon reviews, with an average rating of 4.2.
- Nice color choices
- Low cost
- Free leash
- Lightweight
- Comfortable
Since this harness is designed for small dogs and cats, it's important to carefully check the size guide. You can buy it...
Choose from a wide range of colors, including bright orange, hot pink, and classic black. This harness has received more than 2,400 Amazon reviews, with an average rating of 4.2.
- Highly breathable
- Light9
- Soft
- Affordable
- Well-made
- Good fit
This soft mesh harness provides great coverage and a secure fit for small and medium dogs with chest girth measurements between 9 and 29 inches. Select between sizes from x-small to large, with each adjustable around the girth to fine tune the fit.
The 6 available colors are enough to please most dog owners. On Amazon, this harness has a resp...
The 6 available colors are enough to please most dog owners. On Amazon, this harness has a respectable 4.2 rating from more than 1,100 reviewers.
- Affordable
- Well-made
- Good fit
- Highly breathable
- Light9
- Soft
This soft mesh harness provides great coverage and a secure fit for small and medium dogs with chest girth measurements ...
The 6 available colors are enough to please most dog owners. On Amazon, this harness has a respectable 4.2 rating from more than 1,100 reviewers.
- Lightweight
- Breathable mesh material
- Looks cute
- Machine washable
- Well-made
This frilly gingham harness may be a little too cute for the taste of some dog owners, but others might love it. You can buy it in pink, purple, and red, with each hue sporting matching gingham frills and edging. It’s made of 100 percent polyester that’s machine washable.
You have a choice between 4 sizes from x-small to large, and, althou...
You have a choice between 4 sizes from x-small to large, and, although it's marketed as a puppy harness, it will fit most small dogs, too. Just check the size guide to be safe. Its 4.2 rating shows that it's not just style over substance.
- Looks cute
- Machine washable
- Well-made
- Lightweight
- Breathable mesh material
This frilly gingham harness may be a little too cute for the taste of some dog owners, but others might love it. You can...
You have a choice between 4 sizes from x-small to large, and, although it's marketed as a puppy harness, it will fit most small dogs, too. Just check the size guide to be safe. Its 4.2 rating shows that it's not just style over substance.
- Soft Mesh
- Breathable
- Range of Colors
- Easily Adjustable
This soft, lightweight comfort harness is perfect for small dogs and small puppies, and it also fits medium dogs and some large dogs up to about 60 pounds. It's available in a wide array of colors and prints, including camo, purple, and beige, so there's something to suit all tastes. The quick-release buckle makes it easy to take off, and it's easily adjusta...
- Range of Colors
- Easily Adjustable
- Soft Mesh
- Breathable
This soft, lightweight comfort harness is perfect for small dogs and small puppies, and it also fits medium dogs and som...
- Simple
- Lightweight
- Convenient
- Durable
This lightweight, one-click harness comes in a variety of sizes, and is a solid option for a small dog harness. It's designed to minimize pinching and chafing, and includes features like reflective stitching for visibility, and a convenient ID tag holder. The rust-resistant secure steel ring is designed for durability too.
- Convenient
- Durable
- Simple
- Lightweight
This lightweight, one-click harness comes in a variety of sizes, and is a solid option for a small dog harness. It's des...
- Comfortable
- Soft
- Highly Visible
- Adjustable
This reflective harness combines comfort, security, and style, making it a winning option for dog owners. Features like reflective strips and a triangle on top increase visibility, while the design of the vest aids in weight distribution and cuts down on pulling. 4 adjustable straps means a good fit on any size dog.
- Highly Visible
- Adjustable
- Comfortable
- Soft
This reflective harness combines comfort, security, and style, making it a winning option for dog owners. Features like ...
- Breathable
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
- Affordable
- Durable
- Machine Washable
This might not be the best choice if you want a harness with a lot of reflective material, but if a little reflective glint will suffice, it's a great option. The reflective strips are carefully placed to be visible to oncoming lights. The vest is made with a soft, breathable mesh fabric.
- Affordable
- Durable
- Machine Washable
- Breathable
- Comfortable
- Lightweight
This might not be the best choice if you want a harness with a lot of reflective material, but if a little reflective gl...
What Is Special About a Small Dog Harness?
A small dog harness is a harness designed for small dogs to keep them safe when they’re out and about with you. Some aren't much different from larger dog harnesses, just smaller, but others are specifically tailored to the requirements of small dogs or to better fit small bodies. And all of those small bodies aren’t the same -- a Pug and a Dachshund have very different fit requirements.
Yes, harnesses are good for small dogs (as well as dogs of all other sizes). They're particularly good for small dogs who pull on the leash as they reduce the amount of pressure on the neck.
This entirely depends on the type of harness. Check the instructions if you're not sure how to put on your dog's new harness.
You'll usually need to measure your dog around the neck and around the chest girth (a little behind the front legs), but double-check before measuring as some harnesses require different measurements to find the right fit.
