5 Anti-Hairfall Best Harness For Long-Haired Dogs in 2024

Last Updated/Info Checked on January 10, 2024 by Linda Michaels

Over my years of working with dogs having long hair, I realized that hard nylon wasn’t the way to go forward. Hair strands would get stuck in it that broke off when I took it off. The discomfort to the wearer was an added inconvenience. 

Fortunately, your dog won’t have to experience that because the following list of harnesses made especially for long-haired dogs will not pull their hair.

In this article, I will be talking about the long-haired dog harnesses.

How Long Should The Dog Wear The Harness?

No matter the harness, you should limit the time your dog wears it, especially when it has long fur. The reasons are simple:

• Wearing for a longer period presses the fur beneath and causes mats.
• besides mats, hair growth may also be impacted, thus, leaving the dog scraggly as midglacial, a user on Reddit, noted.
• Despite being friendlier for the long hair, the harness’s constant or frequent movement may cause chafing underneath, thus, complicating the situation for you.

As for how long you should let it be on the dog’s body, the answer is about 3 to 4 hours. After each session, make it a habit to inspect the hair and the skin.

Best Harness for Long-Haired Dogs

Let’s look at the list. 

An Overview of The Products

Harness Name	Chest Girth	Neck Size	Dog Size	Adjustment Points	D-Rings
2 Hounds Design	36″ to 44″	Sizing based on chest girth	80 to 125+ lbs	4	2
rabbitgoo	31.5” to 41.3”	24.8” to 34.6”	70 lbs to 75+ lbs	5	2
Didog Soft Flannel	15″ to 18″	Sizing based on chest girth	10 to 20 lbs	1	2
Gooby Escape	14.25″ to 21.5″	Sizing based on chest girth	20 lbs to 35 lbs	4	1
PUPTECK	17.5 to 23″	Sizing based on chest girth	10 to 30 lbs	2	1

1. 2 Hounds Design Freedom No Pull Dog Harness

The 2 Hounds harness is made of soft nylon that goes easy on the dog’s hair. Its highlight is the two-connection leash that gives you solid control over your pet’s movements without jeopardizing their coat health.

Two-Connection Leash Test

Using the product with a Bearded Collie that had a knack for running away wasn’t easy at all. I tested the product’s resilience by letting the dog have its way around the yard. By occasionally pulling on the leash myself, I observed that the product stood its ground well.

Every time I did that, the leash’s dual connection stretched, thus distributing the stress of the pull equally and letting me control the dog without a problem. 

Hair Fall Test

The nylon is quite soft. Its benign treatment of the hair was evident from the fact that I found a strand or two stuck to the harness. The dog was evidently not frustrated, although it seemed relieved when I took off the harness. 
Strength

This is a nylon harness, so the strength is valid for dogs with a docile temperament. You could use it with stubborn dogs, but you have to be careful when doing so. 
When properly used, the harness can last a year without problems.

Why Do I Recommend It?

I recommend the 2 Hounds harness for its broad-chested piece that stretches a little when the dog pulls on the harness. This way, neither the dog itself nor the hair feels the brunt of the pull. 

What Makes It Different?

The nylon is thicker and better. 

Pros

• Great for leash pullers
• Most secure and comfortable in single-strap nylon harnesses
• Value for money

Cons

• No padding

2. Rabbitgoo Tactical Dog Harness for Large Dogs

Rabbitgoo is a tactical harness for large active dogs such as German Shepherds. Now you may say that the GSD hair isn’t long enough. It’s medium, I agree, but I’ve used the harness with Collies and Sheepdogs. The results were promising.

Hair Loss Test

The reason why I had considered the harness for non-military service breeds is its sheer size. It covers a lot of hair and body, therefore, giving less time for individual strands to get stuck in it. 

The velcro poses some hurdles. You may see a few strands stuck to it. But it boils down to how well you manage the harness when getting the dog to wear it or when removing it.

Strength Test

There’s no doubt that the harness is one of the toughest you’ll find out there. It’s military-grade, which means you’re getting cobra buckles and 1050D nylon.

Testing their strength was easy. I tied the harness to a pillar and pulled on it with great strength. The buckles didn’t budge. The harness passed all my strength tests.

Not For Summer

The only caveat I sensed was that it’s not for summer. Long-haired dogs already have a hard time cooling off themselves. This type of harness would be the last thing they’d want on their bodies in heat. You can use it indoors worry-free, though.

The product has mesh for air exchange, which can work in moderate temperatures. When I tell you to avoid using it for hot temperatures, I mean Florida or Texas.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

I recommend it for extra hairy and active breeds because of its toughness.

What Makes It Different Than Others? 

It’s built to last. The whole design supports this as well.

Pros

• Long-lasting 
• Military-grade nylon used
• Buckles withstand the test of time

Cons

• Breathable mesh but still hot for summer

What Do You Get In the Box?

Here’s a short unboxing video of the harness to see what you get straight out of the box.

Related Article: Harness for Senior/Elderly Dogs

3. Didog Soft Flannel Padded Dog Vest

The Didog Soft Flannel harness stood useful when I was training a Pomeranian/Mini Aussie mix. The breed has long hair, but the padded lining beneath the nylon proved to be harmless.

Hair Loss Test

Some owners complained about the D-ring pulling out their dog’s hair. However, I found that to be a purely size-related problem. Make sure that you measure your dog properly to buy the right size. With that, the ring stays where it should. It doesn’t intrude on the hair at all.

My test for the product’s hair-pulling capacity was to let it on the dog for a whole day and see how it goes. In the meanwhile, I did take it out on walks, and let it do what it could. 

The end result was satisfactory. There wasn’t a lot of hair pulled. The ones that were present on the harness were loose ones. You know how they shed.

Comfortable

Much like the 2 Hounds harness, this one also stretches a little to give your dog some time to adjust before it senses restriction. 

The comfort level, therefore, for long-haired dogs has been kept optimal. 

D-Ring Strength

At the price, I didn’t expect the D-ring along with the buckle to be the best. I was right. They are not the best.

For example, with the quality of the D-ring, the location could have been decided to be less intrusive. With that, the buckle should have been of good quality. It doesn’t give away when the dog pulls, but there’s plenty of room available for improvement. 

I’m saying that for small dogs like Pomeranians. They have improved this stuff for larger dogs. Again, you’ll have to be careful to find the right size for your pet.

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

Didog is one of the softest harnesses I’ve used for small and medium-sized dogs and I recommend it for the same. 

What Makes It Different From Others?

The company has made the harness as simple as possible. There are no overboard buckles or a plethora of D-rings. Although I wish there were, these surprisingly suffice.

Pros

• Extra comfortable
• Simple to use
• Perfect for small to medium dogs
• Covers small area

Cons

• D-rings need improvement

4. Gooby Escape Free Sport Harness

Gooby Escape’s selling point should be its adjustability. That, in turn, is a huge change in making escape a dream for the dog. 

Hair Loss Test

I used the product on an Australian Labradoodle. Its long hair used to get stuck in simple basic harnesses. Might I tell you how an escape artist it was? I noticed it had learned to escape from the front when I’d pull slightly to get it walking behind me. 

Previous harnesses’ toughness pulled the hair when he’d do that and hence, the hair loss. This one, however, did not. The design is such that the hair stays free even when the dog pulls on the leash from the front. You’ll find the bulk of the harness in the chest piece. 

Adjustability

There are two D-rings in the product that when you pull tighten the harness around the dog’s chest. It’s as easy as you can imagine, especially, when you haven’t attached the leash.

This gave me real-time adjustability. When the dog would get ruthless or try to escape from the harness, I’d just tighten it a little bit more. However, I didn’t do that at the expense of the dog’s freedom or safety. 

I recommend checking the pet’s hair and skin underneath after every 2 hours. In fact, letting it on for more than 4 hours is criminal negligence on the owner’s part. 

Comfort

Much like Didog, the Gooby harness is comfortable as well. The chest piece has padding that extends all the way from the chest to the shoulders, thus, giving your pet well-rounded comfort.

The dogs I used it with complained less as compared to their previous harnesses.

Why Do I Recommend The Harness?

It’s a beautiful harness with a perfect balance between comfort and adjustability.

What Makes It Different From Others?

The unique design makes it stand out. 

Pros

• Padded nylon for extra comfort
• Adjustable size
• Premium quality buckles and attachments
• Available in beautiful colors

Cons

• The harness is not available in an extra small size.

5. PUPTECK No Pull Dog Harness

The Pupteck harness works more or less like Gooby. The difference is in the padding. This product is a single strap of nylon running along the chest length, looping around the legs, and tying on the back. Despite that, it still does not pull any hair because of a small surface area.

Hair Loss Test

Letting a Goldie wear the harness for two hours with all possible activities, even swimming seemed like an ultimate test for the product. It was. Galdy though, it didn’t give away easily, and surprisingly for a single strap nylon, I saw less hair than anticipated. 

I also tried walking the dog back and forth through the street to see if the constant movement did anything. The dog was comfortable in the harness and again, I saw little to no hair on the harness.

Strength

This is a single-strap nylon harness. So, I didn’t expect it to be of superior strength, and neither should you. That’s the sole reason why I don’t recommend the product for extra stubborn dogs. 

Goldies, labradors, and family-oriented breeds are well-suited for the harness. It can withstand daily use but extra pulling and chewing will not go unnoticed.

Adjustability

Looks like Pupteck has derived its design from Gooby. Here too, you’ll see an inescapable harness that can be adjusted with the help of its dual D-rings. 

Related Post: Harness for Dogs with Back Problems

ID Tags

The feature that sets it apart from other products on the list is its ID tags. You can attach them without putting any strain on the dog. They don’t fall off. The Goldie I used the product with had a beautiful paw tag that stayed with it all the time. 

Why Do I Recommend The Product?

I recommend Pupteck for its easy one-step use. 

What Makes It Different From Others?

It’s a cheap alternative to Gooby with the same design and adjustability.

Pros

• Single strap lightweight design
• Double D-ring adjustability 
• Easy to use 
• Available in pretty colors

Cons

• Not long-lasting

FAQs

Do dog harnesses cause matting?

Yes, they do cause it. The underlying hair can get curled into a messy ball because of frequent friction from the harness. However, products with wider straps reduce the chances. Also, it’s up to the extent you use a harness on your dog. Using it for more than 4 hours or when the dog’s not on a leash will definitely cause matting. 

Can harness cause hair loss in dogs?

Harnesses that aren’t adjusted properly can cause hair loss. Loose fitting pulls on the hair strands when the movement causes friction between the harness straps and the hair. If your dog is a big puller, you may want to consider a highly adjustable harness.

Best Harness for Long-Haired Dogs – Conclusion

Lose harnesses can cause matting in the long-hair coat of a dog. However, it’s also the material that matters a lot in saving your dog from hair fall. Hard nylon is the number one enemy. I personally love grooming long-haired dogs like the Golden Retriever and Collie so I know how to care for them.

The list I shared above has a harness for everyone. My number one recommendation is the 2 Hounds Harness because of its soft nylon and dual-headed leash.

Also Read: Harness for Deep-Chested Dogs