Mantrailing, i.e. searching for people with dogs, is an interesting hobby. Mantrailing harnesses must allow the dog a lot of freedom of movement and must not impede breathing under any circumstances.
The requirements sound banal at first, but anyone who has ever been on the lookout for a mantrailing harness will quickly realize that it is not that easy to find a good harness.
In this article I will introduce you to four trailing harnesses, explain what is important when mantrailing and what else needs to be considered.
My mantrailing harness favorites
The big mantrailing harness test
Niggeloh Follow Trail dog harness
The mantrailing harness from Niggeloh is characterized by its very good fit on the dog. The chest plate is wide and optimally distributes the pressure without getting in the way between the front legs.
The adjustable waist belt pulled far back leaves the armpits free and restricts your four-legged friend as little as possible. This way your dog can develop a good pull forward.
The leash attachment point is at the very back of the back, so your dog doesn’t get tangled in the leash and can get on with their work undisturbed. The swivel, which prevents the line from twisting, is particularly practical.
To ensure safety and visibility when mantrailing, the harness is available in signal colors.
Niggeloh dog harness Follow
This harness also comes from the company Niggeloh and is characterized by its good fit. This means that the harness sits very close to the dog without restricting it in its task.
The harness is relatively rigid, which ensures a stable fit without slipping and a long service life. However, the material is sometimes too firm for small and medium-sized dogs.
As with the Niggeloh Follow Trail harness, the line is also hung in a holder equipped with a swivel. This way the leash cannot twist or get caught.
What is also particularly practical about this harness is that the dog can be released by opening just one buckle.
The product is very easy to care for.
EXCELLENT ELITE SPANKER dog harness
By far the cheapest harness in our test comes from the company Excellent Elite Spanker and costs only around 36 euros.
The material is very high quality and durable. Soft padding prevents chafing. The harness is very compact, which is why there are no long straps that could hang down and interfere with the search.
From a purely visual point of view, the harness is not the ideal trailing harness, which was unfortunately also confirmed in the test. The waist belt lies directly behind the armpits, which restricts the dog’s movement. Likewise, attaching the leash directly between the shoulders is not ideal.
Overall, the harness is more suitable for guard and security dogs. The integrated release buckles for a quick release of the dog confirm this impression.
Dingo Gear Harness
The Dingo Gear K9 mantrailing harness is equipped with freely adjustable straps. So you can adapt the harness perfectly to your dog. The special cobra buckles ensure a good hold. The harness is even approved for climbing tours. A handle on the back of the harness provides additional control and safety.
Each harness is made of durable material that is weather-resistant. The soft padding prevents pressure points and chafing and ensures a comfortable fit.
The manufacturer offers a special service: Each harness is embroidered with the name and phone number of the dog owner and additional text if required. So your dog is identifiable for everyone even when running free.
Due to the short back strap, which means that the waist strap is close to the armpits, and the line attachment between the shoulders, the harness is not ideal for mantrailing.
Purchase advice
What is special about a mantrailing harness and what should you look out for when buying one?
Chest harnesses are usually used for mantrailing. So that your dog is disturbed as little as possible while he is working, it is particularly important that the harness fits well and does not rub or pinch anywhere.
The requirements for a mantrailing harness are simple. It must allow the dog to pull forward without restricting it. Because that could quickly spoil the joy of searching, especially for newcomers to this field.
When choosing tableware, you should take your time and try out different products until you find something that suits you. It’s about your dog’s work clothes, which should be perfect. After all, you don’t want to walk around in unsuitable, oppressive or baggy clothes at work.
A mantrailing harness should never wobble, slip or constrict your dog, even when pulled from the side. In this case, a safety harness can also be of interest to you. A split chest bar can help with some dog breeds, especially those with deep chests and narrow physiques.
Also, pressure should never be applied to the throat or neck. Since mantrailing dogs often run with a deep nose when sniffing and have a natural forward pull, you should also test the harness in this position. In most cases, the ideal is a neckline that is as low as possible without restricting the shoulders. The shoulders should be able to move as freely as possible.
A good mantrailing harness has a chest plate that optimally distributes the force over the body. However, make sure that the plate fits the physique of your four-legged friend and does not restrict it between the front legs.
Unlike classic dog walking harnesses, the back strap of a mantrailing harness should be on the back rib. There it is least annoying and the risk of a belt rubbing against the armpit is minimized. At the same time, the buckle point for the leash should be as far back as possible so as not to restrict your dog.
So that your darling cannot get tangled up, all unnecessary loose loops and straps should be avoided.
As you can see, when choosing a mantrailing harness, the main thing is to let your dog do its work as undisturbed as possible without unnecessarily restricting it. This is the only way you can keep your dog’s fun and motivation high when looking for people.
Please consider that the search position is often different than when trying on the dishes. That’s why you should always test a mantrailing harness under operating conditions, i.e. with a high and low nose, with a forward pull, on a trail line.
Also interesting: Do you already know the dog breeds that are perfect for mantrailing? Then take a look at our article on mantrailing dog breeds!
Conclusion
The Niggeloh Follow Trail dog harness won the test. This product is best suited as a mantrailing harness, as the long back strap offers ideal strength ratios and does not restrict the dog. The signal colors ensure better visibility.
It should be noted that mantrailing harnesses, which must have a perfect fit, often do not fit every type of dog. That’s completely normal, it’s just a matter of trying it out.