*I was provided with puppia harnesses from Doggie Couture Shop. All opinions are my own.

The day that we brought Frank & Beans home Ryan ran out to the store to purchase two harnesses. I had read up on pugs for 2+ years before we got them, so I knew that most pugs had bigger necks than heads, so you shouldn’t use collars on them as they will pop off easily. I also knew that most pugs weigh around 18-22lbs. Ryan said that the stores size small harnesses said for dogs up to 30lbs so he bought two. It was obvious from looking at them that Frank was bigger than Beans, so I was pretty surprised when I tried the harness on Beans and it didn’t fit. Could she really weigh more than 30lbs? Frank is clearly bigger than her – if she is 30lbs, he must be the world’s biggest pug??

Of course, we hadn’t weighed them yet but it just didn’t seem right. They definitely weren’t petite pugs, but they weren’t huge. We went back to the store and bought two mediums, despite their claim to be for dogs 30-50lbs. The medium adjusted to Frank’s size but within a few days we realized it was rubbing his legs. For Beans, the “girth” area (behind her front legs) adjusted okay but the neck area didn’t adjust small enough so it gapped away from her body. So, our hunt for harnesses continued for months. Eventually I learned that Pugs are just shaped so disproportionately compared to other dogs. While they are smaller dogs overall, they have big chests and big necks in comparison to their height, length, and weight. So most dog clothing or harnesses made for dogs of a similar length or neck size, is going to be way too small in the chest. Whenever I did find products that we could at least adjust enough to not have slack in the material, they always seemed to rub the pugs in some area or another.

A couple of months ago I joined Instagram and started seeing all of these dogs wearing Puppia brand harnesses. I asked someone about them and learned that they are really popular because they are made out of a breathable mesh material. They spread over a wide area of the chest so that they don’t rub or pull in one area. They aren’t sold in most stores, so you have to find them at dog boutiques.

I had worked with Doggie Couture Shop back in December on a 3-in-1 snuggle pup dog bed/sleeping bag review. So I was familiar with the boutique and knew that they carried quality items. I was thrilled to find that they have a ton of Puppia Dog Products available online. Yet, I was quickly saddened when I realized that most Puppia harnesses have an adjustable waist, but a fixed neck size. I thought there was no way that a fixed neck size could possibly fit the pugs. For some reason, I kept browsing the Puppia section and I’m glad I did because I found two Puppia Harnesses with adjustable neck measurements. The first was the Puppia Superior Harness. All Puppia products are on the small side because they cater to toy dog breeds. So I wasn’t surprised that Beans’ measurements (15 inch neck, 22 inch girth) put her at a size Large for the superior harness. The Puppia Superior comes in purple, red, yellow, blue and black.

Beans was sent the purple harness. It’s easy to remember how to put it on because the Puppia logo goes on the chest. The sides of the neck are a fabric have strips of velcro tabs on them that you loop through metal rings that come up across the back. The neck area is adjustable with velcro, while the waist area has an adjustable strap and secures with a plastic buckle. The strap that runs up Beans’ back has two D rings so you can attach a leash on one and put an ID tag on the other. Beans over-heats very easily (another common pug problem) and although she does get warm quicker with the harness on than without a harness, her fur doesn’t get warm to the touch like it does in other harnesses that cover large areas of her body so I think the mesh truly is pretty breathable. With other harnesses, Beans would hesitate to jump up onto the couch or would even act funny when walking down steps or would avoid going potty with them on. With her Puppia Superior, she goes potty, walks, jumps and plays without hesitation so I am pretty confident that it doesn’t leave her feeling constricted in any way.

Frank has a 16 inch neck and 25 inch girth so he is too big for the Superior harness which comes in sizes small through large. So I kept looking and found the Puppia Ritefit Harness which has an adjustable neck and came in a Puppia size XL. The size chart didn’t include XL, so I had to gamble a bit. I knew the size large went up to a 15.7 inch neck (Frank’s is 16″) and a girth of 26 inches (Franks is 25). So I thought it was a safe guess that the Puppia Ritefit XL would fit and it does! The Ritefit harness’ waist is just like the Superior – it has an adjustable strap with a buckle. The neck area is what makes the Ritefit different. The Ritefit is on the left, superior is on the right in the pictures below.

It has mesh fabric that comes up either side of the neck, and then velcro across the backside of the neck. There is a separate piece of mesh material that comes down across this velcro area and is also held on by buckles on either side of the back of the neck. Unlike the superior harness, the Ritefit harness causes the neck to be completely surrounded with mesh material.

The waist adjustment is at the smaller end of the range for frank but it fits just fine. Compared to pictures that I see of other pugs, Frank has a VERY big chest. I would say that even Beans is “barrel chested” but she seems small compared to frank. So I was thrilled to find that the Ritefit XL harness fits him so well. If you have a pug or another dog that is from an oddly proportioned or “chesty” breed such as a french bulldog, I highly recommend that you give the Puppia Ritefit a try.

Both of the harnesses feel to be well made and the dogs don’t seem to mind having them on too much. I am once again very happy with my experience with Doggie Couture Shop. I will definitely be returning for future doggy purchases.

Do you have a hard time finding harnesses or other products that fit your dog? Which brands have you found fit your dog best?

Emily

Hi there! I am Emily Evert, the owner of Emily Reviews. I am 28 and live in a small town in Michigan with my boyfriend Ryan and our two pugs. I have a large family and I adore my nieces and nephews. I love reading memoirs, and learning about child development and psychology. I love watching The Game of Thrones, Teen Mom, Sister Wives and Veep. I like listening to Jason Isbell, John Prine, and other alt-country or Americana music. I created Emily Reviews as a creative outlet to share my life and the products that I love with others.

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