Hungarian Vizslas are a wonderful breed – friendly and loyal but very high energy. Though they’re fairly easy to train – walking them on a collar and lead can be frustrating, especially when they pull.
Harnesses can not only help with pulling behaviour but can take pressure away from your Vizsla’s throat. Having tested and researched a range of dog harnesses, our team has selected the Ruffwear All-Day Dog Front Range Harness to be the best harness for Vizslas.
Vizsla Male Harness Suggested Size
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 | RUFFWEAR Front Range Dog Harness, Adjustable Comfortable Padded Everyday Walking Harness, 2 Lead... | 8,241 Reviews | Buy on Amazon |
Vizsla Female Harness Suggested Size
Originating from Hungary, the Vizsla is a medium-sized, red-coated gundog breed. Highly trainable and with an excellent sense of smell, Vizslas have increased in popularity in both the UK and USA over the past few decades.
The singer Adele is a proud owner of a Hungarian Vizsla, it’s a very social and loyal breed you can’t help but love. The breed is described as being highly energetic, gentle-mannered, loyal, caring, and affectionate.
With their boundless energy, they can be a handful when out walking on their lead. If they are a puller on their leash, one solution to reduce the behaviour, take the impact away from your dog’s neck and aid with training would be a dog harness.
Dog harnesses are an excellent alternative to traditional collars and leads. Designed to be worn like a jacket over your Vizsla’s torso – they are comfortable and secure and can not only reduce the impact of pulling on their neck but help train them to reduce pulling.
This article will examine the best dog harnesses for Vizslas. It will discuss the types of harnesses available, how to measure your Vizsla for the perfect fit and offer some hints and tips on using a dog harness.
Contents
Best Harness for Vizslas – Our Top 6 Reviewed
1. 🏆 Ruffwear All-Day Dog Front Range Harness
- Recommended Male Vizsla Size – Large
- Female Vizsla Size – Medium
- Puppy (6 Months) Size – Small or Medium
Vizsla Male Harness Suggested Size
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| | RUFFWEAR Front Range Dog Harness, Adjustable Comfortable Padded Everyday Walking Harness, 2 Lead... | 8,241 Reviews | Buy on Amazon |
Vizsla Female Harness Suggested Size
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| | RUFFWEAR Front Range Dog Harness, Adjustable Comfortable Padded Everyday Walking Harness, 2 Lead... | Buy on Amazon |
The Ruffwear harness is an excellent no-pull front and back clip dog harness. It’s a strong, comfortable and well-designed harness made of a high-quality nylon material. It’s relatively water-resistant and easy to clean.
The harness is padded at the chest and belly area. This softens the impact if your Vizsla pulls on their lead.
The back clip is an aluminium V-ring at the top. This can be attached to a regular walking leash. When your dog pulls, the pressure is taken away from the neck and distributed across the chest and body.
There’s a reinforced webbing loop front clip attachment at the front (chest) of the harness.
To use both the front and back clips requires double-ended leash such as the Halti training lead. This can be used as a standard extendable lead or clipped to both parts of the harness. Using both clips gives you increased control of your Vizsla and helps train them to reduce their pulling behaviour.
Ruffwear has woven straps on their harnesses as well as multiple adjustment points for giving that perfect fit. The outer layer has reflective strips for better nighttime visibility.
It’s not the cheapest of harnesses, but it’s a wonderfully constructed accessory for your dog. We’ve had a lot of success with these dog harnesses on a variety of breeds from large to small.
Putting the harness on is relatively straight-forward.
Place it over your dog’s head, then have them step into the middle section. Close using the buckle, then use the adjustable straps to get the sizing right.
Overall, if you’re looking for a lightweight harness which will help with your Vizslas pulling behaviour – check out this classic.
2. Julius-K9, IDC Powerharness
Vizsla Male Harness Suggested Size
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Julius-K9, 16IDC-B-3, IDC Powerharness, dog harness, Size: 2XL/3, Blue | Buy on Amazon |
Vizsla Female Harness Suggested Size
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Julius-K9, 16IDC-B-2, IDC Powerharness, dog harness, Size: 2, Blue | Buy on Amazon |
Vizsla Puppy Harness Suggested Size
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Julius-K9, 16IDC-B-M, IDC Powerharness, dog harness, Size: S/Mini, Blue | Buy on Amazon |
Julius-K9 is a robust back-clip no-pull harness designed to last.
The outer layer is a durable waterproof material which is scratch-resistant.
There are also reflective trims at the chest and sides of the harness for better visibility in darker conditions.
The inner layer is soft, padded and comfortable using an OEKO-TEX skin-friendly breathable material.
Putting the harness on your Vizsla is easy with a large, heavy-duty, plastic buckle around the belly area.
As a back-clip harness, the lead is attached via a metal ring at the top. For better control, help with lifting and holding your dog in pace, there is also a closable handle at the top.
3. Embark Pets Adventure Dog Harness
Vizsla Male Harness Suggested Size
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | Embark Pets Adventure Dog Harness, Easy On and Off with Front and Back Lead Attachments & Control... | Buy on Amazon |
Vizsla Female Harness Suggested Size
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
| | Embark Pets Adventure Dog Harness, Easy On and Off with Front and Back Lead Attachments & Control... | Buy on Amazon |
A nice alternative to the Ruffwear harness, this offers the ‘best of both worlds’. It has both a front clip and back clip lead attachment as well as a handle at the top.
The harness is made from a no-rip nylon material and anti-chafe padding. There are reflective trims on the outer layer for visibility when walking at night.
4. Truelove Dog Harness
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | TRUE LOVE Truelove Dog Harness With Handle Soft Padded Pet Harness Vest,Reflective... | Buy on Amazon |
We’ve had a few of these harnesses over the years and they have made an excellent second harness. The truelove is an affordable front and back clip harness. It is bright, lightweight and feature-rich.
The strong outer layer has reflective nylon webbing for better night-time visibility. Inside the harness is a soft mesh with sponge padding in the chest and belly.
5. Halti Dog Harness
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | HALTI No Pull Harness Size Medium, Professional Dog Harness to Stop Pulling on the Lead, Easy to... | Buy on Amazon |
The HALTI Dog Harness is a more affordable and alternative harness than the others in this list.
Like all HALTI harnesses and leads – the harness is designed to reduce pulling in your Vizsla. It also comes with a training guide to give you some useful tips on techniques and harness training.
6. PetSafe, Easy Walk Deluxe Harness
| Preview | Product | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|
 | PetSafe Easy Walk Deluxe Harness, No-Pull Walking Harness for Dogs, Padded Design, Includes 1.8m... | Buy on Amazon |
Collar or Harness for Vizslas?
It’s common for all dogs to wear a collar, at least when they are out and about. In some instances, these collars are used for attaching a lead for general walking outdoors.
An alternative to the traditional collar and lead is a dog harness. Harnesses are worn over the dog’s torso and offer more comfort and security than a standard collar.
Collars have two fundamental weaknesses – they put any pulling pressure directly onto your dog’s throat, and they can slip off if your dog pulls backwards.
Like many breeds, Hungarian Vizslas are full of energy and curiosity. One of the downsides to this is a tendency to pull on their lead when out walking or sudden darting when they see something desirable.
In addition to putting the pulling pressure on your dog’s neck, it can be a very frustrating experience for both you and your Vizsla.
Three main things can help with your dog’s pulling behaviour; training, patience and a good dog harness.
Harnesses move the pressure away from the dog’s neck and distribute it in the chest and belly areas. This absorbs more of the shock from a sudden pull. A well-designed harness should be not only comfortable, secure, lightweight and robust but also help reduce the pulling behaviour.
What Makes a Good Vizsla Harness?
What to watch out for when it comes to harnesses for your vizsla will depend on the function the harness needs to perform.
Comfort should be your first consideration. Your vizsla’s harness should not be causing them pain, pinching them in the armpit area or in any way making the walk unpleasant. I most situations, a light harness that is Y-shaped will be the best option and will allow proper movement of your dog’s shoulders.
If your vizsla pulls on walks, look for a harness that can help you overcome this issue in a pleasant way for you and your dog. Harnesses with a front clip, as well as a back clip, are usually regarded as non-aversive tools, highly recommended by most trainers for loose lead training. Some harnesses come with a side clip, instead of a front one. This can also be fine as long as there’s nothing preventing your dog’s natural shoulder movement.
Hungarian vizslas can be very crafty dogs, so it would be no surprise to have one with great escape skills. If you find yourself with an escape artist extraordinaire, you should look for harnesses that have multiple straps along the body.
For your regular daily walks, you can pick and choose what you want to use. A lightweight harness with a bit of colour or a pattern would be perfectly suitable.
If you plan on hiking with your vizsla, you might want to consider specialist hiking harnesses. Some of those covers more of your dog’s body and come with a handle or two above the dog’s spine. Handles can be useful, should you find yourself in a situation where you need to help your dog overcome an obstacle.
Apart from the handles, you can often find pockets for water or other supplied which you can store in the harness. Always remember to bring water for your dog if hiking, especially if the weather is hot, or you are unlikely to find a watering hole along the way.
Hungarian vizslas are certainly very sporty dogs and would enjoy having some sort of a job to do. If you’re thinking about doing scent training, a light plain harness will do just fine.
For agility, Y-shaped harnesses with few straps is recommended and doesn’t get in the way during movement. The situation is the same for flyball and some other sports. If you’re not sure about the type of harness, consult with your trainer or your sports club.
Types of Vizsla Harnesses
When first looking for Vizsla dog harnesses you will probably notice that there is a vast range of different types and styles. These are the most common type of Viszla harnesses you will encounter with a short description of what each one does.
Vest Harnesses
Affordable, comfortable and lightweight – vest harnesses are designed for your dog as an alternative to wearing a collar. They are relatively basic tend to be used for general walking with trained dogs, puppies and older dogs.
An example would be when you have a well-trained Vizslas who doesn’t pull on their lead. It could also be used on a puppy who is getting used to wearing a dog harness for the first time.
These are often made from mesh, plastic or nylon and can be very stylish depending on your preference. They do not help much in reducing pulling – but if you’re looking for something to quickly attach a lead on and go, vest harnesses are a good choice.
Front and Back Clip No-Pull Harness
These are the most common types of harnesses you’ll find on Vizslas. They will either be one of the following:
- Back Clip Dog Harness
- Front Clip Dog Harness
- Front and Back Clip Dog Harness
The primary purposes of these are to walk your dog safely, comfortably and to reduce pulling behaviour in dogs.
Back clip dog harnesses are the most frequent; they have a lead attachment point at the back which a standard leash can attach to.
There are also more specialist front clip harnesses, such as the SENSE-ation, where the attachment point resides at the harness front; the chest area.
These harnesses are quite specialist are noticeably different from back-clip harnesses. The lead will only attach to the front – which may seem unusual – however, they are often recommended by trainers and seasoned owners as an excellent way to reduce pulling.
These harnesses have been known to restrict shoulder movements in some breeds – so you may want to investigate if other harnesses have not worked for your Vizsla.
Front and Back clip harnesses have lead attachment points at both the top (back) and front (chest) of the harness. This front attachment point requires a special training leash, like a HALTI, that is double-ended.
This offers increased control of your Vizsla, similar to the reins used on a horse.
A no-pull harness is made to reduce the impact of the dog pulling on their lead, takes pressure away from your dog’s throat, as well as help in training.
Tightening or Control Harness
These may look harmless but work by pinching your Vizsla or tightening around the armpit or the belly area when they pull.
Misused or without experienced trainers can cause pain and discomfort for your dog. Though they may result in a reduction in pulling, the unpleasant stimuli can have the opposite effect and lead to your dog resenting the harness.
Vizsla Harness Sizes and Measurement
As you’ve probably noticed as a Vizsla owner – there is a bit of a difference in weight and height between a male and female Vizsla.
On average a male Vizsla will have a height of 23–27 in (58–69 cm) and weight 45–66 lb (20–30 kg). Females, on the other hand, often have a height of 21–24 in (53–61 cm) and a weight of 40–55 lb (18–25 kg).
Generally, this places female Vizsla’s with average medium-sized dog harnesses and males with larger sizes. It can vary, however, and most manufacturers do not have universal sizes – so it’s essential to measure your dog before buying.
You can read more about measuring your dog for a harness here, but check out the quick guide below.
If you do find your Vizsla measures between two different sizes of dog harness, it is recommended to get the larger of the two and adjust the straps for a better fit.
- Measure the Chest: Use a tape measure and wrap it around the widest part of your Vizsla’s chest. The widest part is usually a few inches behind the front legs. Note down the number.
- Measure the Neck: This may not be needed, but it is worth checking. Use the tape measure and measure the widest part of the neck, often around the base of the neck.
- Add a few inches to the total: It’s best if you add a few numbers to the measured size. Adding a bit of slack allows for weight changes,
- Check the Weight: This may be required – it’s probably worth having this anyway next time you’re at the vet.
Tips for Harness Training for Vizslas
- Be sure to pick out a Y-shaped harness in the correct size for your vizsla
- You want to allow a proper movement of your vizsla’s shoulders, and Y-shaped harnesses do that
- If your vizsla pulls, a harness with a front clip as well as a back clip will provide you with better control and foundation for training
- Pair the harness with a double-ended lead for best effect
- Avoid harnesses that tighten around your dog’s armpits when they pull; they cause pain and can easily damage the relationship you have with your vizsla
- Be sure to measure your vizsla and compare the measurements to the manufacturer’s guidelines to get the right size
- Most harnesses are placed over your vizsla’s head. Some dogs aren’t keen on that, so look for one that’s placed around the legs or has multiple buckles so you can avoid scaring your dog. In addition to that, you can spend some time getting your dog used to the experience of having a harness pulled over their head, so that you are not creating negative associations with the harness
- Although uncommon, some dogs might need desensitisation to the lead being attached to the front-clip as well. Watch your dog’s body language and if they look uneasy, spend some time attaching and detaching the lead followed by lots of treats
- Once you have the correct equipment ready and fitted on your vizsla, you can start loose lead training
- You can start your training at home and in the garden. It’s best to practice a lot at home without any distractions as it sets good foundations for when you’re on the street
- Once on the street, remember not to rush your vizsla. If you need to get somewhere fast before you had the chance to train with your dog, you might want to leave them at home and make some time specifically for training
Summary
We hope you’ve found our guide to the best Vizsla harness helpful. When choosing a dog harness it’s important to find one that works best for your dog, both their size and temperament.
If your Vizsla is a puller, look for a no-pull harness which can help with this – but remember that training and patience are also important.
If you have any Vizsla dog harness recommendations or experiences – don’t forget to share in the comments section below or on our Facebook page.
