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There are a lot of harnesses that promise to discourage pulling, and the PetSafe Easy Walk Harness is one of the most popular. It boasts a handful of nice features: a front leash loop that gently tightens across your dog’s chest when you need to redirect them from pulling, padded straps to prevent chafing, multiple adjustment points, and reflective threading for low-light visibility.
With the help of test pup Pepper, we review the Easy Walk harness to see how it lives up to its no-pull features.
PetSafe Easy Walk Harness: A Martingale-Style H-Shape
The Easy Walk harness was designed by a veterinary behaviorist in two styles: the standard Easy Walk, and the Deluxe Easy Walk, which adds padded neoprene straps and reflector strips to the basic model for about $5 more.
Key features include:
- An adjustable chest strap, sometimes called an H strap, that applies gentle pressure across the chest when a dog pulls
- A front-facing D-ring with a Martingale loop to keep the straps from twisting
- Snap buckles on the belly (colored differently to make distinguishing between top and bottom easy)
- Four adjustment points to alter the size for a range of body types
- Sizes in petite, petite/small, small, small/medium, medium, medium/large, large, and extra-large
Are H-shaped harnesses safe?
H-shaped harnesses, sometimes called Norwegian harnesses, have come under scrutiny in recent years, with vets and trainers weighing the pros and cons. On one hand, these harnesses avoid putting pressure on the delicate throat area, which is especially important for small breeds and dogs at risk of tracheal collapse.
On the other hand, an H-shaped harness’s chest band cuts across a dog’s shoulders. The Martingale effect this enables is especially effective when leash training—but some worry this restriction could impact a dog’s joints over time if the harness isn’t properly fitted.
To make sure you’re using an H-shaped harness correctly, the chest band should sit above your dog’s shoulders in a way that doesn’t restrict or alter your dog’s natural gait. Some pet parents choose to limit use of H-shaped no-pull harnesses to leash training and switch to a Y-shaped harness for everyday use.
Your veterinarian can help you know whether an H-shaped harness is a good choice for your dog—and whether it’s fitting properly to avoid gait problems.
Testing the PetSafe Easy Walk Harness
What test pup Pepper and her human like best about the Easy Walk harness, especially the deluxe padded version, is that it prioritizes comfort—something conventional no-pull harnesses struggle with.
When your dog pulls, they feel a light tug on their torso—not their neck—that reminds them to stay close. Daily walks with a PetSafe Easy Walk Harness, combined with consistent training, gave us great results.
We measured Pepper and used PetSafe’s sizing guide, which put her in between a medium and a medium/large. The company recommends that you size up if your dog is in between sizes, but we realized quickly that the smaller harness would have given us a better fit across the chest.
The chest strap on this harness should sit higher up.
We took some time to adjust the harness, keeping the shoulder rings above the shoulder and tightening all around so we could still fit two fingers under the straps.
The harness was noticeably helpful when Pepper started tugging ahead on the leash so she could get a closer look (SQUIRREL!). The beauty of the fabric loop in the Easy Walk harness design is how it cinches in like a martingale collar so a tug results in gentle pressure.
That control is something you can’t get when your leash is connected to the back of a harness. The Easy Walk’s loop also makes it so that there’s less twisting around of the rest of the harness straps when your dog does pull, unlike other similar styles that have the loop fixed in the chest strap.
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Pepper found this harness solid for no-pull walking.
After a few days of using the harness, we didn’t have any chafing issues under Pepper’s doggie armpits either—something we had been wary of with the close behind-the-arms fit. The padding in the Deluxe version did its job well for sensitive pup skin, making it worth the extra $5 in Pepper’s book.
We did, however, miss the option of a back leash ring, which other no-pull harnesses incorporate. We find a back ring useful on hikes and decompression walks or to tether Pepper somewhere, as it gives her a bit more freedom of movement.
PetSafe Easy Walk Harness Review Recommendation
After reviewing the Easy Walk for a few weeks, we think it’s a solid choice for many dogs, but particularly for pet parents looking to gently train their dogs to pull less. Their harness sizing recommendations could use some work, so you might consider trying two sizes if your dog runs somewhere in between to get a perfect fit.
Who we think would like this harness:
- Pet parents who want a tool to help with leash walking training
- Pet parents whose dogs pull
- Dogs who prefer a harness that does not go over their heads—this one buckles around the back and chest
Who wouldn’t like it:
- Dogs who easily chafe in their armpits (they might like the 3-in-1, or another similar style, that offers more space between the armpit and girth strap instead)
- Pet parents who want a harness that also has a back ring, which is useful for more relaxed walks
- Dog parents who aren’t confident about their ability to fit an H-harness
