Has anyone got any links to pictures of well-made dog harnesses? I'm particularly interested in the sled dog type harnesses, I figured as they have to be worn for quite some time and often, they would be made to rub/irritate little if at all.  I'm planning to make my own harnesses for my dogs - the ones to buy near me are pretty crappy, badly designed.

i think cullpeppers make the sled dog harnesses.
carol

I have just ordered a custom fit leather one from America, it is built for strength and comfort. Pm me if you want their website address. They build harnesses for working dogs for tracking etc so they are extremely well built and very very strong. The police force use them out there too. They are not expensive if you can pay via paypal in US$, mine cost me roughly £20 and it is hand stitched and custom built. Not received it yet but I will let you know when I do :-)

http://www.culpeppers.co.uk/   Have nosey here, sells sled harnesses to walking harnesses :D

:)

culpeppers was good, thanks - had a decent picture showing how it's put together there.  I'd buy one already made, but am slightly skint at the moment!!  Luckily I already have some good strong nylon (salvaging one of my 50ft longlines for this) to use for it, and some foam and fake fur (cowprint :)) for the padding.

The walking harness at the bottom fo the page is the one I used to use - it is not pleasant, when it's on my dobe the way it sits causes the horrible rubbing on his armpits, poor guy :(

Thanks again!

Just a thought, Nikita, but if it's a x-back harness you are making then you need to be aware these are designed for pulling a sled/rig and not really for walking in. The angle from the tag at the back of the harness to the lines attached to the sled isn't very steep whereas if you have it clipped to a normal lead or walking belt then it will pull the harness up at a funny angle pulling on the wrong part of the dog.

The other thing is a lot of dogs can very easily undress themselves. Walking harnesses tend to have a catch underneath the dog whereas x-backs are simply stepped into. When a dog is working, (s)he is pulling forwards (or should be) but if - as on a walk - the dog whips round then these harnesses can easily come over their head. One of my siberians can get out of her harness in about a minute flat and needs to have it put on at the last minute as she's being hooked up for a run.

Hope this helps. If this wasn't the type of harness you were looking at then please accept my apologies and disregard!!!

I agree, they can get out of an X-back fairly easily (if they want to). You may have to incorporate a belly band into the design. I'd be very careful making them yourself as if you get the fit wrong it could end up rubbing badly.

For hiking (or jogging) with my dogs, I use the guard harnesses made by Manmat. They only come halfway down the dog's back and the lead hooks on at a better angle to clip to a walking or skijor belt. The padding is good but not over the top and they've been tested in long distance events. You can see them online at www.howlingdogalaska.com but I know someone in the UK sells Manmat products and he might have these too - try Snopeak (www.snopeak.net).

Cheers

Any saddler will make you a beautiful harness from best quality, hand stitched bridle leather with brass or stainless steel fittings and NO rivets.

Alternatively there are several people in the UK that make fabulous quality leather harnesses; I still use one that someone made for me in 1990.