The April 2017 issue of the online Whole Dog Journal rated various dog harnesses currently on the market. In an article entitled “The 2017 Best Dog Harnesses Review,” the Balance Harness offered by the Karen Pryor Clicker Training (KPCT) store was declared a top harness (4 Paws!) for “safety, comfort, and effectiveness.”
Citing many positive trainers’ shared preference for non-aversive, force-free harnesses over head halters—and, of course, over choke, prong, and shock collars—the article discusses the advantages of front-clip harnesses. Those advantages include “allowing a small or physically challenged person to safely walk a hard-pulling do” and avoiding pressure on a dog’s trachea. Assuming a careful and proper fit, a front-clip harness is considered the ideal training tool to teach polite leash-walking.
In the ratings section of the piece, comfort, slippage and sagging, a back-clip option, ease of use, and effectiveness in reducing pulling were all considered. Whole Dog Journal’s top choices all featured a Y-shaped chest piece instead of a horizontal shoulder strap. The Balance Harness in particular was hailed for its two attachment points, six adjustment areas that provide for great fit, high-quality materials, and a simple/easy design. In awarding the Balance Harness a 4 Paws rating (“As good as it gets. We strongly endorse this product.”), Whole Dog Journal could find no cons to the product. “Seriously, we were hard-pressed to find anything to criticize one [sic] this harness; none.”
Read the full review.
