The Front Range Harness is one of the most popular harnesses we sell here at Mountain Dog
Ruffwear's diverse range of harnesses offer solutions for a variety of purposes - from everyday use for a domestic pet, to lift-and-assist for rescue dogs.
With such a wide range of colours, designs and uses, it's no wonder Ruffwear is one of our best-selling brands! However, what makes these harnesses truly stand out is their adjustability, meaning the vast majority of dog breeds will get a great fit.
This handy guide will help you measure and fit a Ruffwear Front Range Harness.
Getting Accurate Measurements & Size Chart
Ruffwear's sizing charts are 100% accurate and factual. They have high adjustability, so the size ranges are based on the harness size at the loosest and tightest settings.
The most important step to getting the best size for your dog is establishing the girth measurement. You can do this by looping a tape measure just behind the dog's front legs. Ensure that this is is measured at the widest point of your dog's chest.
Once you have this measurement, compare this to the size chart on the next page to establish the likely size. All Ruffwear harnesses have the same size banding. For example, if you measure the girth at 75cm, you can expect a Medium to be the size you should try first.
If your dog is on a sizing border, we recommend choosing the larger of the two sizes, or buying both and returning the harness that doesn't fit for a refund.
For puppies, we advise waiting until the pup is near fully grown before investing in a harness. The best time to buy is when your pup is near the bottom of the sizing bracket. If you purchase when the pup is small, you will likely have to replace the harness.
Familiarising Yourself With Your New Front Range Harness
The harness will come adjusted so that it fits on the backing card. This will usually mean that the neck is set quite wide and the girth straps are on a small setting and fully doubled over.
These can be a little intimidating at first - especially if this is your first harness - so it's important to familiarise yourself with the webbing straps and how they adjust. Just like a rucksack, there is a rectangle-shaped plastic slider that, when moved towards the male buckle, loosens the strapping to allow it to be fed further through the buckle.
When fully adjusted out, it will be mostly a single strap with the rectangle slider virtually on top of the male buckle.
When adjusted smaller, the straps will be doubled over and you can keep adjusting down if needed.
Adjusting the Girth Straps
^ The girth strap at the smaller setting
^ The girth strap at the larger setting
Adjusting the Neckline
Top Tip for Neck Straps: when the slider is near the body of the harness (the bit with the Ruffwear logo on) - it is at its smallest setting. When the slider is near the chest plate (the bit with the fabric loop on it), it is at its largest aperture.
^ The neck at the smaller setting
^ The neck at the larger setting
Fitting Your New Front Range Harness
Step One: Loosen all the straps
As with all Ruffwear harnesses, we would recommend loosening all of the straps. You can begin opening up the neck by sliding the adjusters towards the chest piece/reinforced webbing loop. For the girth straps, simply unbuckle and loosen by sliding the adjuster towards the male buckle.
Step Two: Place the harness over the dog's head
After fully loosening off the harness, place this over the dog's head. This should be positioned onto the dog with the Ruffwear logo on the dog's back, and the reinforced webbing loop at the dog's chest.
Step Three: Tightening the straps
Once your dog is buckled in, you can begin adjusting the girth strap. As above, you can adjust this by moving the slider towards the top piece of the harness, feeding the webbing through as you go. Ideally, the straps will be a reasonable from the dog's armpits. Try to balance the adjustment so that the straps are similarly set on each side, ie. avoid one being longer than the other.
The goal here is to have the straps fitted but not too tight.
Step Four: Final neck adjustments
At this stage, the neck area will likely be too loose on your pup; this can be remedied by making adjustments to the neck straps. You can tighten these by moving the adjusters towards the top piece of the harness.
Step Five: Ensure your dog is comfortable
The harness should be a snug fit, but with enough room to fit one to two fingers between the dog and the straps. Both loose straps or tight straps can cause discomfort to your pooch, so ensuring a good fit is key.
Your first fitting is done!
As you start to use the harness in every day situations you may need to tweak its sizing a little bit. Getting those adjustments set 100% right first time is rare, so adjust as you go.