Best Harnesses For Boston Terrier Adults and Puppies

Does your puppy or adult Boston terrier pull on the leash? Or just need a good harness for running errands? Find out which ones work best!

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Best Harness for Boston Terrier

The Gooby choke dog harness is probably your best bet for most mature Boston terriers, because it’s designed with smaller and stockier breeds in mind. It’s a no-pull harness that’s built around a patented choke-free device that the manufacturer calls the x-frame.

This frame consists of a series of fabric straps that wrap around the chest of your dog and point the leash ring directly behind the animal. That should give your dog the ability to walk with a certain degree of enthusiasm, but it won’t allow him or her the power to pull you along.

In spite of the fact that this version of Gooby harness is so secure, it’s still rather lightweight. Since most of the design is made from little more than durable polyester mesh, it’s able to keep your dog’s body cool and it can even be machine washed if necessary.

Smaller and lighter terriers tend to be extremely prone to neck injuries, and the Gooby harness is designed to deal with this issue. The comfortable front bands dramatically reduce the amount of stress placed on your dog’s neck and instead distributes the force around their chest and the backs of their shoulders.

Best Harness for Boston Terrier Puppy

The OneTigris tactical dog harness is great for smaller dogs, so it’s an ideal choice for those with young Boston terriers. It’s designed to have the overall fit and finish of a military dog vest, which should help it to hold up against even the worst abuses that a growing dog can throw at it.

A handle is included on the back for extra control, but you probably won’t have to use it outside of a training situation. The high-strength 1000D nylon construction and UTX-duraflex buckles are more than enough to help you control most dogs when you’re out for a walk.

Since the straps are flexible as well as adjustable, it’s suitable for use with very small dogs and should still fit as they grow. It comes with extra fleece padding on the front strap, so you won’t have to worry as much about chafing or any of the comfort issues that normally impact harnesses of this size.

Every buckle on the harness is designed in such a way that you can quickly release it if necessary. This is good not only in emergencies but also when your dog is excited to get his or her harness off after a long walk.

Nevertheless, they’ll strong enough to hold together if you ever have to pick your dog up by the handle to move them out of harm’s way.

Do Boston Terriers Need a Harness?

While Boston terriers don’t technically need a harness, they might benefit from them more than other dogs because of the fact that they’re naturally prone to neck injuries. Boston terriers, and most dogs of their size and shape, have most of their musculature positioned toward their front legs and their chest.

That means that they have less strength concentrated in their necks, and therefore they can’t handle as much pressure on them. In some cases, a smaller Boston terrier might either be unwilling or unable to walk with a collar.

Some pet owners have reported that collars have caused significant injuries to their terriers, especially if they pulled on their leashes. Others have said that their dogs got curious and tried to get away, thus causing them to get stuck somewhere as a result of wearing a collar that didn’t work with their anatomy.

Many of these concerns could theoretically be raised about almost any smaller dog, which has helped to illustrate the necessity of collars in a wide variety of situations.

What Size Harness Do I Need for My Boston Terrier?

You need to measure your dog the same way that you would no matter what breed he or she is. Owners of Boston terriers will have to take special care that they don’t buy a harness based exclusively on the weight numbers provided by pet supply companies.

Wrap a tape measure around the broadest part of your terrier’s chest and hold it snug. You don’t want it too tight because you’ll end up getting the wrong sized harness if you do.

Find harnesses that would roughly fit your dog’s weight and then check to see that they are large enough to fit your terrier’s chest based on this measurement. You’ll want something that will provide at least some give but not be so loose as to slip off your dog while walking.

What Size Harness Works Best for Boston Terrier Puppies?

Boston terrier puppies will probably need a harness that’s somewhere around 11-16½” along the broadest part of their neck. They’ll probably fit best into something that’s about 15-21½” around their chest.

Due to their relatively small size, it’s doubtful that they’ll need anything longer than 8½-9″ in terms of back size. However, you will want to make sure that your harness can accommodate up to a 21½” waist.

All dogs are different and they’re naturally going to grow at a different rate, so you’ll want to measure each of these metrics yourself. Use an accurate tape measure and gently hold it around each part of your dog’s body.

Some terriers won’t be very cooperative if you try this, so you might need to calmly pet them and talk to them while you do it. Don’t make them feel uncomfortable now, or they may not want to wear a harness in the future.

Where Should a Harness Sit on a Dog?

Front-facing harnesses should always fit in a way that allows the metal D-ring that connects to the leash to sit right in the center of a dog’s chest. The harness label should sit over the left shoulder.

Back-facing harnesses should fit somewhat snugly in such a way that you can clip a leash straight to the ring on the top of your dog’s back. In general, you should be able to put a couple of fingers underneath the sides of the harness if it’s sitting correctly.

Harnesses that require your dog to walk over them before you put them on are almost impossible to sit wrong, unless the harness is sized incorrectly. A properly fitted harness won’t pull or put any undue stress on your dog’s back or chest, so you’ll want to make some adjustments if either of these things appear to be the case.

Most harnesses allow you to adjust the straps to one side or the other. Speak softly and in a reassuring voice to your dog until you have the leash ring in a straight position.

Is a Harness Better than a Collar?

Many pet owners find that harnesses are better than collars since their dogs can’t choke with them. When a dog has a collar on, they can start to pull to the point where they might actually begin to choke.

Dogs who are wearing harnesses either can’t pull at all or are only able to pull in a way that puts pressure on their back or chest. This can significantly reduce the risk of injury.

Some dogs might find collars itchy and prefer to wear a harness for comfort reasons. This has made them especially popular with owners of dogs who have large necks.

Owners of Boston terriers and other stocky breeds have found harnesses useful because their dogs have less strength in their necks, which means they can’t take as much stress there. A harness allows them to relocate that stress to another part of their bodies.