Dog harnesses are a great alternative to collars. Unlike a collar, a dog harness doesn’t apply any pressure to your dog’s trachea, making it ideal for brachiocephalic (pug-nosed) breeds, dogs with respiratory issues, or dogs that pull.

But there are many different types of dog harnesses – front clip, back clip, multi clip, Roman, step-in harnesses – what are they, and which kind is best for your dog? Read on to find out!

Front Clip Dog Harness

A front clip dog harness has the plastic or metal D-ring – where the leash attaches – on the front of the harness, at your dog’s chest.

A front clip dog harness gives you more control holding the leash. For that reason, it’s a good choice if you are training your dog to walk on a leash without pulling.  (we think a better solution is the multi-clip harness, which we explain below).

Back Clip Dog Harness

Back clip dog harnesses have the D-ring – that’s right – on the back!  This is usually seen with Step In Dog Harnesses and Roman Dog Harnesses.

This is a very popular style as it’s easy to use, suitable for most dogs, and comfortable to wear, too. The disadvantage is that it doesn’t provide as much control as a front clip harness. If your dog needs training to walk well on a leash, a front clip harness is probably a better choice.

Multi Clip Dog Harness

Dual clip harnesses have D-ring attachments on both the front and the back. Multi clip harnesses may have three of four D-rings in different places.

The big advantage of a multi clip harness is that you have more options. But multi clip dog harnesses generally cost more than the other kinds. Depending on your dog and your needs, a multi clip harness may not be worth the extra expense for you.

The Freedom Harness sits in the "multi clip" category - meaning you can clip to the front and back of it at the same time.  This gives you two points of contact with your dog and makes training easier.  The 2 clips also distribute the pulling force across a vector, which reduces the amount of pulling you experience on your arm.

Once your dog is fully trained, or if your dog already walks nicely on the leash, you can use just the back clip of the harness and enjoy your walks!

Take a look at the Freedom Harness today, it is a great tool for training your dog or for just every day walking.