Best harness for travel?
What's the best harness for travel. So many have been disproved through crash testing. Sleepy pod seems to be the best one but what does everything think?
3 Answers
I recently learned about Sleepypod and read the entire document by the non-profit unbiased organization, Center for Pet Safety (www.CenterForPetSafety.org). For car travel, it was the top performer of crash tests. That's what matters most to me for car travel. As for walking purposes, I use a variety of different harnesses that I had fitted at small pet boutiques. Gooby and Buddy Belt are my favorites.
No one harness is going to be the best for all dogs. You should take your dog to a pet store and talk to an employee and try a few on. Make sure that they can freely and comfortably move their front legs--that it doesn't cut up into their "arm-pits".
I agree that you should have your dog fitted. Go in with a list of brands with good ratings, but keep in mind that fit and comfort will dramatically impact how well a harness will work for your particular dog. If your preferred brand doesn't adjust well to fit your dogs proportions, it will not provide the level of safety that it would if it fit properly. Further, if the harness is uncomfortable for your dog, he/she may be less prone to relax in the car and might even try to escape the harness, putting them at higher risk for injury.