Few things are more English than the beloved Whippet. They’ve very popular in the UK. However like its cousins the Greyhound and Lurcher, finding the best harness isn’t simply a case of picking any harness off the shelf and going for walkies. This is due to the Whipper’s deep chest and long neck which means harnesses should firstly fit well and second not slip off when they tug too hard.
We’ve collected the five best Whippet harnesses tried and tested by our friends and colleagues. If you have any other suggestions for your Whippet, please comment below this article or start a post on our Facebook page.
🏆 Ruffwear Web Master Harness
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![]() | Ruffwear Web Master Harness, Medium, Red Currant | Buy on Amazon |
Ruffwear harnesses feature several times on this site, they have quite the impressive range for many breeds and scenarios. However why is the Web Master range often mentioned when discussing Whippets? The simple answer is it’s all do do with the Whippet’s crafty ability to escape from harnesses (often called Houdini escapes). The Web Master’s shape is ideal for the Whippet’s frame which makes escaping incredibly difficult.
The harness also has two great features for training and reducing pulling from your Whippet; the front range clip and the top handle.
What is a front range dog harness?
A front range harness has two clips for attaching a dog lead. The main clip located at the back, made from an anodized aluminium V-ring, is used for normal walking. Attach a normal lead and take your Whippet for a walk. The second clip is actually a webbing loop located at the lower chest area at the front. This is designed to turn the harness into a no-pull harness or can be used for training. Using a double-ended lead like a HALTI, both ends of the lead are attached to the two clips.
The Web Master harness also has a padded handle at the top designed for both holding your Whippet in place as well as helping to lift them when out trekking.
The harness straps have five main points (buckles) of adjustment making it a better harness for a Whippet’s frame. The underside of the straps are padded for enhanced comfort. The harness also has reflective trims (high visibility) to better see your dog whilst out walking in dark conditions.
Overall this is a great harness for a Whippet. It not only covers the aspects of training and reducing pulling on the lead – it is also well designed to prevent any Houdini escapes when out and about.
CosyDogs Fleece Dog Harness
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![]() | CosyDogs Fleece Dog Harness in Black: Size 4 | Buy on Amazon |
On the surface this appears a very odd looking harness. However it’s another harness that’s often associated with greyhounds, lurchers and whippets.
Unfortunately the size designed for Whippets, size 4, is rather difficult to find. We found some on ebay, but seem to be out of stock in most places. This is a shame as it’s a strong contender and hopefully will make a revival soon.
Haqihana Multicolor Dog Harness
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![]() | Haqihana Multicolor Dog Harness M | Buy on Amazon |
We hadn’t heard of these harnesses until recently as they are not designed with standard sizing in mind. They are instead designed for a special niche, dogs with non standard frames such as the deep chest frame of the Whippet. These beautiful harnesses can be difficult to find in stores, however they’re well regarded and endorsed by author and dog trainer Turid Rugaas.
fiE FIT INTO EVERYWAY Range
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![]() | fiE FIT INTO EVERYWAY Range Of Front Side No Pull Dog Harness Outdoor Adventure 3M Reflective Pet... | Buy on Amazon |
Although not as good overall, this is a more inexpensive alternative to the Ruffwear harness. Like the ruffwear, this is a front range harness meaning you can attach a double ended training lead to the front and back clips to reduce pulling.
Webbing on the harness is nylon and there are 3M Reflective material strips for better visibility of your dog at night. The harnesses outer layer is made of a durable, scratch-resistant oxford material. There is also a lot of comfortable padding on this harness.
The one major criticism of this harness is the adjustability. To prevent the Whippet from escaping, it is important that the harness can be adjusted well. As we saw with the Web Master harness, there were five points of correction – the fiE however simply does not have this functionality.
PetSafe EasySport Harness
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![]() | PetSafe EasySport Harness, Walking Harness for Dogs, Adjustable, Padded, Medium-Black | Buy on Amazon |
A fairly basic but fairly inexpensive harness for your Whippet.
Best Whippet Harness : A Summary
We hope you enjoyed our coverage and it has helped find a suitable harness for your Whippet. To summarise we tended to find that harnesses either designed or could be adjusted for the whippet frame performed best. In addition the ability to use the harness for training and to reduce pulling in your dog should also be considered. Although we loved the Web Master harness, you may have preferences based on your situation. If you have any alternative suggestions, don’t forget to comment below.
Is it possible that you are referring to an incorrect harness model for the Nr 1 harness? You are mentioning a webbing loop on the chest area but I can’t find this on any of the product pictures or in the technical specifications of the Web Master harness. The webbing loop is also not visible in the image that you posted here. Ruffwear does have a model called “Front Range” which has such a webbing loop.
I’m considering a whippet harness for my Bedlington terrier. This breed inherits the enormously deep “boat” shaped chest from its whippet heritage and mine has a deep chest even for a Bedlington. I tried a general purpose harness and it was hopeless. Not that dog could wriggle out of it but it was a complete misfit. Other problem – and this will apply to any harness – is that the harness scrubbed the soft fur off as dog ran, leaving the coat in a bad state. Most of the time we therefore stick with a collar, but there are times when only a harness will do.