10/25/2025
🦴 Therapy Thursday: Let’s Talk Harness Fit (Because It Matters!)
👉 Front-clip harnesses or “no-pull” styles that cross the chest and scapula only increase structural stress—especially in active dogs.
That means more strain on your dog… and more work for veterinary medical manipulators (equivalent to chiropractor) and rehabilitation teams like ours.
PLEASE use only harnesses with true ergonomic design, especially if your dog is athletic, aging, recovering from injury, or just loves to move!
Here’s why (credit to animalhealthvips and the “Canine Movement Study” at the University of Jena):
🦴 A dog’s shoulder blade (scapula) needs to move freely for normal, healthy stride length.
🟠Harnesses that cross over the chest or restrict the scapular area can interfere with this critical movement—just like you trying to hike with a resistance band strapped across your arms.
📉 That restriction reduces range of motion, affects joint health, and increases compensatory stress on the spine and limbs.
đź’ˇ From a biomechanics and physio perspective, avoid harnesses with:
• Straps that run laterally across the chest
• Straps that sit over or apply pressure to the scapula
✅ Instead, choose ergonomic harnesses that allow full, natural movement of the front limbs. It’s a small change that can make a huge difference in your dog’s comfort, performance, and long-term mobility.
Thanks again to Animal Health VIPS for continuing to push out thoughtful, evidence-based content we can all learn from!
