The 6 Best Dog Harnesses With Handle: Tested & Evaluated 2023

Finding the best dog harness is no easy feat. But finding one with handle? That's where we come in.

A handle on a dog harness is a helpful feature. While most dog owners will rarely use it, for others, it can be a necessity. There are a variety of harnesses with handles that can help you perform various tasks, from grabbing your dog quickly to lifting a disabled dog.

No matter what kind of dog harness with handle you are looking for, this guide is here to help you find it. To help you on your quest, we teamed up with veterinarians, canine behaviourists and dog parents to research dog harnesses with handles available in Australia. This independent team of experts then spent months testing out the most popular options with our own doggos, before finally agreeing on the contents of the guide ahead.

Let's get to it.

Australia's Best Dog Harnessed With Handles Reviewed

Now you know the composition of dog harnesses with handles and what you might use them for. Next, we share our top picks for the best dog harnesses with handles in Australia.

These are the harnesses that impressed our team of independent experts with their excellent design, the comfort they brought our dogs, and the fair price point. 

This harness from Truelove is one of the most popular harness models of all time. The reason? Versatility and convenience.

This harness is tough and durable but also comfy and lightweight, like our Truelove backpack harness in our number six place below. It will work well in almost any situation.

When I wanted to take my dog for a short walk around the block, I was happy to find out that this harness was ready to go in a matter of seconds. If you need to teach your dog leash manners, you’ll find that the front lead attachment works great. There is also a lead attachment point on the back for regular walking. Finally, thanks to the soft padding on the inside, this harness is incredibly comfortable and can be worn for long periods.

Most importantly, there is also a handle on the back, which is sturdy and allows you to grab your dog quickly and take control when necessary. If your dog is small enough, it can also help when lifting your dog.

The only area we would change is adding padding on the handle to make it more comfortable for us dog mums and dads, but the lack of it is not a significant issue. Many options on this list have handles without padding, save our second choice next.

This harness from COODEO is the right choice for those pet parents that need to lift their dog using the harness handle. All dogs with mobility issues can benefit from this type of harness, whether old age, injuries, or something else cause their problems. When your dog needs help moving, I can say firsthand that this harness can help.

The harness wraps the body, ensuring the pressure is distributed evenly when you lift your pup and making the process both safe and comfortable. The harness comes with a long, adjustable handle that connects to the harness with quick-release buckles. Unlike our number one choice, the handle on this harness is padded for your comfort.

There are six buckles on the back, however you don’t need to use them all to attach the handle. In fact, our panel of experts recommend experimenting with different configurations to see what works best for your dog.

Service dogs can have a multitude of jobs, so the type of harness that works best is not always the same. A regular handle harness is often enough, but when a dog functions as a guide dog, for example, a longer handle is often necessary to give the human better control.

This harness from Activedog allows you to set it up in differently to find what works best for your needs. For starters, the harness has a built-in handle on the back. It’s made from webbing and reinforced with rubber to make it more durable and comfortable. However, the harness also includes a bridge handle that you can clip onto the back and if you find that handle too short, you can purchase an additional extended version from Activedog. This makes it one of the most versatile options on this list.

The harness itself is well-made. It’s lightweight but durable, with Cordura fabric on the outside and mesh padding on the inside. The harness also features reflective stitching to make your dog more visible in the dark.

The only problematic part of this harness our team of independent experts could find is that the hardware is plastic. While metal parts would certainly be more durable, the plastic ones also work.

Some dogs, like mine, are so energetic and excitable that it's difficult to rein them in. If that’s the case with you too, then a harness with a handle can allow you to take control of your dog before the situation gets out of hand.

This Rabbitgoo harness features a convenient handle on the back and straps made of bungee cord around the neck that help absorb the impact when your dog suddenly pulls.

Both the chest plate and back support are solid with extra plush padding on the inside. At the same time, the harness is completely adjustable. This is due to the configuration of the connecting straps, meaning you can adjust both the neck strap and the chest strap, as well as the length of the front section connecting the two. It's similar to our number one pick in that regard, and in short, offers the perfect fit!

I also appreciated that the harness is available in three different colours and several sizes from S to XL.

This harness from Excellent Elite Spanker is designed for dogs that mean business. With hook & loop sections across the back and on the chest, this harness allows you to easily attach any patch your dog needs (or wants) to wear with ease.

Moreover, the same hook & loop sections are MOLLE-compatible, so you can attach MOLLE pouches (not included) and let your canine companion carry some gear or even their food.

The handle on the back of the harness is made of reinforced webbing and is quite comfortable to hold (although not padded, like how our second choice is). Unlike most other harnesses that have the handle positioned horizontally on the dog’s back, this one has a handle that follows the line of the spine. The different position of the handle did not work for everyone on our team of independent experts, but I actually found it to be more comfortable.

Related: The Best Tactical Dog Harness.

The harness is very lightweight and relatively thin but also resistant to wear and tear, thanks to the quality nylon fabric used. The straps around the belly and the neck are adjustable, but the length of the vertical section that connects them on the chest is not. For this reason, finding the right size might be tricky if your dog has a non-standard body shape.

This harness-backpack combo for Truelove is excellent for all canine adventurers. If you are on a hike with your dog, you might want to let them roam free (depending on where you are). At the same time, you want the ability to take control of your dog quickly. The handle on this harness allows you to do just that.

The harness part of this combo looks just like a regular (albeit sporty) harness. A chest strap and two belly straps effectively make the harness escape-proof. So far, so good.

Then, you can also add the backpack part on top. This consists of two pouches on each side of the dog which you can use to let your dog carry some of the load too, almost like our tactical harness in spot number five. I really liked how the handle on the back remains reachable while the backpack is on, and so does the leash buckle.

Why Are There Handles On Dog Harnesses

Are you looking for a harness with a handle? Well, the right choice will depend on the reasons for your search. Regular harnesses with a handle allow you to quickly grab your dog, and these are relatively easy to find. Then, there are other harnesses with handles designed for a specific purpose, such as lifting a dog with mobility issues or helping a guide dog lead their owner.

During our research phase, our team of independent experts quickly learnt that these are the basic types of harnesses with handles:

Simple Handle

Regular dog harnesses with built-in handles on the back are quite common. The harness you use for daily walks with your dog can also have a handle on the back. This handle has no other purpose besides letting you grab your dog by the harness. This can be a handy feature when trying to maintain control over hyperactive dogs or pullers.

Handle for Lifting

A standard walking harness with a handle will not work for dogs with mobility issues that need help moving around. Most harnesses don’t allow you to lift your dog. This is due to the way straps are arranged, meaning an attempt to lift can be incredibly uncomfortable.

However, there are special harnesses designed to distribute weight evenly and allow you to safely lift your dog. These can be of great help for dogs dealing with severe impairments and help them lead normal lives (1).

These harnesses usually have a long, adjustable handle, or even multiple handles, to help you lift your dog with ease.

Guide Dog Handle

Assistance animals (the legal term in Australia) or service dogs (as many call them) can have various roles. One of those roles is guiding people with vision impairment or other disabilities (2).

In such cases, the dog often needs a unique, long and rigid handle, often called a bar handle. This type of handle allows the dog and the human to communicate effectively.

A quality harness that includes this type of handle can be challenging to find, but we have included one option on our list.

My Final Verdict

The type of harness with a handle that will work for you will depend on your situation. Our team of independent experts could all agree that the Truelove Adventurer No Pull Dog Harness is a great everyday harness that happens to have a handle.

On the other hand, if you want a harness that allows you to lift your dog using the handle, try the COODEO Dog Lift Harness.

References

1. Batchiyska, Ellie. December 14, 2021. “IVDD In Dogs: How To Manage Back Pain Naturally”. Dogs Naturally. Retrieved February 6, 2023. https://www.dogsnaturallymagazine.com/managing-ivdd-and-back-pain-in-dogs-naturally/
2. “What is an assistance animal?”. RSPCA Knowledge Base. Retrieved February 6, 2023. https://kb.rspca.org.au/knowledge-base/what-is-an-assistance-animal/