How to get the best fit from your Adventure Harness

Getting the right fit is one of the most important parts of choosing a harness. A well-fitted harness should feel secure without restricting your dog's movement, allowing them to walk, explore and enjoy every adventure comfortably.

Every dog is built differently, even within the same breed, so it's completely normal to spend a few minutes adjusting a new harness before finding the best fit.

The Alpine Adventure Harness features four points of adjustment, allowing you to fine-tune the fit to suit your dog. This guide explains how to position the harness correctly, how the adjustments work together, and answers some of the most common fitting questions we receive.

The Adjustment Order Matters

One of the most common things we see isn't actually choosing the wrong size - it's adjusting the harness in the wrong order.

This may look like:

• You put the harness on and the neck feels a little loose, so you tighten it first.
• The harness now appears to sit closer to the front legs, whilst the girth strap underneath feels slightly loose.
• Naturally, it seems like the harness needs tightening even more.
• Before long, you're wondering whether you need to size up.

Because the Adventure Harness has four points of adjustment, each strap influences how the others sit. Tightening the neck before adjusting the rest of the harness can pull the harness further forward, making it appear closer to the front legs whilst leaving more movement elsewhere.

In many cases, a few small adjustments are all that's needed before considering a different size.

How We Recommend Adjusting the Harness

1. Start with the neck

Loosen both neck straps out so the harness has room to sit in its natural position. At this stage, it may feel a little looser than expected - that's perfectly normal.

2. Position the harness

Gently slide the harness into place so it sits comfortably around the base of your dog's neck, with the chest panel sitting centrally.

3. Adjust the girth strap

Next, tighten the girth strap behind the front legs until it feels secure.

As a guide, you should be able to fit two flat fingers underneath.

4. Finish with the neck

Finally, return to the neck straps and tighten them evenly until you can comfortably fit two fingers underneath.

5. Check the overall fit

Once all four adjustment points have been set, have another look at the overall fit.

If it's still sitting slightly forward or loose anywhere, go back to step 3 and repeat - it's normal to cycle through the girth and neck a couple of times before achieving the desired fit.

The Two-Finger Rule

Once everything has been adjusted, check the following:

• Neck: Two flat fingers should fit comfortably underneath.
• Girth strap: Two flat fingers should fit comfortably underneath.
• Chest panel: Should sit centrally on your dog's chest.
• Movement: Your dog's shoulders should move freely when walking.
• Stability: The harness should feel secure without excessive twisting or movement.

This is a general rule of thumb, and may differ between dogs. If you're unable to achieve a comfortable fit because the harness has reached the end of its adjustment range, it may be worth considering a different size.

Common Fitting Questions

"The harness feels close to my dog's front legs"

Before deciding to size up, we'd recommend checking:

• Is the neck opening sitting comfortably at the base of the neck?
• Is the girth strap sitting just behind the front legs?
• Is the harness sitting centrally?

Because all four adjustment points work together, small changes can noticeably alter how the harness sits. 

Because the Adventure Harness is a supportive vest-style harness, it will naturally sit a little closer to the front legs than many minimal strap harnesses.

Rather than focusing on the exact distance behind the elbow, we'd recommend looking at how your dog moves. If the harness is sitting comfortably, the shoulders have a full range of motion, and there's no rubbing during or after walks, then a closer fit can still be perfectly normal.

If you've worked through the adjustments above and you're still unsure, we're always happy to take a look.

For some dogs with particularly deep chests or unique body shapes, another harness style may simply provide a better overall fit - and if we genuinely think that's the case, we'll always be honest with you.

"Should I size up?"

Not necessarily.

If your dog's neck and chest measurements fall comfortably within one of our recommended size ranges, we'd usually recommend checking the fit and adjustments first.

Whilst a different size can sometimes improve the fit, it's worth making sure the harness has been adjusted correctly before deciding to exchange it.

Overall body shape plays just as important a role as measurements, which is why two dogs with very similar measurements can occasionally suit different sizes — or even different harness styles.

"The harness sits further forward than I expected"

The Adventure Harness is a supportive vest-style harness, so it naturally covers more of the chest than many strap-style harnesses.

Provided the harness is sitting comfortably around the base of the neck, the girth strap is positioned behind the front legs and your dog's shoulders can move freely, this is completely normal.

If, after adjusting the harness, it still feels like it's sitting unusually high or restricting movement, we'd be happy to check the fit with you.

"Will this harness suit every dog?"

Every dog has a unique build, and while the Adventure Harness works well for a wide range of breeds and shapes, no single harness style suits every dog perfectly. 

Our priority is always your dog's comfort. If we genuinely feel another harness style may be better suited to your dog's build, we'll always be honest and let you know.

We're continually working to expand our range so that we can offer more options for different shapes and sizes in the future.

Still Not Sure? We'll Check It For You

If you've worked through the steps above and you're still unsure about the fit, we'd be more than happy to take a look.

Simply email info@alpinepaws.co.uk with:

• Your dog's neck measurement.
• Your dog's chest measurement.
• A side-on photo of your dog wearing the harness.
• A front-on photo of your dog wearing the harness.

We'll review everything and let you know whether we think the harness is fitted correctly, whether trying a different size is worthwhile, or whether another harness style may be a better match for your dog's build.