Why Can My Dog Back Out of Their Harness?

It can happen incredibly fast. Your dog gets startled, stops suddenly and begins backing away from you. You move forward to reassure them, they pull backwards even harder, and suddenly the harness that seemed perfectly secure is halfway over their shoulders.

Does this look familiar just before you are chasing them down the street?

So, why can a dog back out of a harness?

The obvious answer is that the harness is too loose, and sometimes that’s exactly the problem. But escaping from a harness can also have a lot to do with your dog’s body shape, the design of the harness and what happens when pressure is applied in the opposite direction from normal walking.

Dogs Are Very Good at Going in Reverse

Most harnesses are fitted and tested while the dog is standing or moving forward. When a frightened or determined dog backs away, however, the direction of pressure completely changes. The leash begins pulling the harness toward the dog’s head rather than back toward their body.

At the same time, the dog may lower their head, tuck their shoulders and pull their front legs backwards. Suddenly the widest parts of the dog’s body aren’t quite as wide as they were a moment ago. If the neck opening or body straps allow enough movement, the harness can begin sliding forward and over the shoulders.

Check the Fit, Not Just the Size

A harness can be the correct size according to the label and still not be properly adjusted for your dog. There should be enough room for comfortable movement, but not so much that the harness can easily rotate, slide forward or lift away from the body. Each adjustment point should be checked rather than assuming that getting the chest measurement right means everything else will automatically fit.

This is particularly important with dogs whose neck and chest measurements are very different. Deep-chested dogs, narrow dogs and dogs with relatively small heads can sometimes be surprisingly talented escape artists. Their proportions simply make harness fit more important.

Try the Reverse Test

Once you’ve adjusted the harness, there’s a simple check you can do before heading out. With your dog standing calmly, attach the leash and apply gentle pressure toward the front of the dog, similar to what would happen if they started backing away. We’re not trying to pull the harness off, we’re watching how it reacts.

Does the harness remain reasonably secure, or does it immediately begin travelling forward over the shoulders? Does the neck opening suddenly look much larger? If you see significant movement while applying only gentle pressure, take another look at the adjustment before your walk.

More Straps Aren’t Always the Answer

It’s tempting to think that an escape-proof harness simply needs more material wrapped around the dog. In reality, positioning and adjustment are just as important. A complicated harness that doesn’t fit the dog’s proportions can still move when pressure is applied.

This is one reason we use multiple adjustment points on our Fluid Motion Harness. They allow the harness to be adjusted around the individual dog rather than relying on one measurement to determine the entire fit. Even then, no harness design should be treated as absolutely escape-proof.

Pay Attention to Why They’re Backing Up

There’s another part of this that has nothing to do with equipment.

Dogs often back away because they’re frightened, uncertain or trying to create distance from something. If your dog suddenly begins reversing, continuing to pull toward them can actually increase the pressure that’s helping the harness move forward. When it’s safe to do so, reducing that opposing tension can help prevent the situation from becoming a tug-of-war.

For dogs with a known history of escaping equipment, consider using a properly fitted backup connection in addition to the primary harness. A Safety Leash, with a secondary connection to the dog, can provide that extra layer of security and give you some peace of mind while you work on understanding and reducing the escape attempts.

Equipment alone won’t solve why a dog is trying to back away or escape, particularly when fear or uncertainty is involved. But having that backup connection means that if the primary harness does slip, you still have another point of contact with your dog.

A harness should fit the dog standing in front of you, not simply the measurements printed on the package.

About Todd

Todd Caverly is the founder of JettaJacks & Co., a Canadian dog gear company founded in 2016. His experience comes from designing and manufacturing dog walking equipment, fitting dogs of countless shapes and sizes, working directly with dog owners and, perhaps most importantly, living with dogs who don’t always read the instruction manual.