It’s been over a month ago now that Kurgo asked me to review their new Tru-Fit Smart Harness, that doubles as both a walking harness and auto harness.
So why am I just now getting around to writing about it?
Fear.
I was all about giving the harness a try, until it came time to use it. Is this thing really going to be strong enough to hold Rumpy when he decides it would be a good idea to chase a squirrel up a tree, or stop and sniff the road while we’re crossing the street?
And is this harness secure enough to remain in place when we’re outside walking? I sure don’t want it to suddenly give way as we’re on our walk.
Silly, I know. Kurgo has a reputation for quality products. Still and all, fearful I was. But all was for naught.
This is actually a great harness for Rumpy! The old harness was one of those he had to step in, but this one simply goes around his neck, under his chest and then fastens on his back. It’s easy on and easy off, yet hold securely. There have been no problems with it not staying secure while we’re out on our adventures.
This harness doesn’t slide around like the other one either. It stays in place, so no worries about rubbing or chafing against the insides of his legs.
Whether you’re headed to the dog park or on vacation, you want to be sure your dogs remain securely in place during the ride. Simply connect the seat belt tether, thread through your seat belt, and all is well. My old harness required I thread the seat belt under the harness straps, which made it awkward and easy for Rumpy to get tangled up. ARGHHHH!
Rumpy has the XL harness. It has several points of adjustment to ensure he stays secure in his harness while we’re out, then once we’re back home, it easily comes right off.
Of the big box pet retailers, I found this product at Petco.com. Amazon.com also carries it, and of course you can check out Kurgo.com. They have all kinds of cool stuff, including seat covers and outdoor gear designed to make both you and your dog happy!
So, worry worts, ready to give a new harness a try? You can’t go wrong with this one!
Dogpaddling Through Life 
I am so glad you liked the harness. I was offered one to review and after two sets of emails back and forth, I have yet to receive it. I was really excited about trying it out. So glad someone got one to review.
I may just buy it. We shall see.
I really do like it. And to be honest, I wasn’t sure I would.
Yes, Rumpy looks so cool with this new harness!!!! I’m glad you and he love it! Wow! It sounds really usefull one! Our Kevin had a similar one that Rumpy used to have, but like you said , sometimes it was hard to let him step in….
It’s much easier to get on and off this way.
wow Rumpy that super harness has a touch of iditarod… and I bet it’s strong enough even for the great race, right?
I dunno, but I’ll sure give it a run for the money!
Bet he enjoys it more than a plain old leash!
He does like how this harness fits!
Great timing. I’m looking for a new harness for Honey.
Curious about the hardware. We had plastic hardware on our Kurgo Hammock break (but they will replace it under the warranty). I’m looking for a harness that is strong enough that in an emergency, I could yank Honey out of the water wearing it.
She’s only 50 pounds dry. And I suspect Rumpy pulls with that much force given enough motivation.
Any advice?
There are no plastic pieces on this harness. The metal fasteners hook into place. I worried the hooks would easily come undone, but no, they remain secure. I need to make a video to demonstrate.
As for force, try holding onto a Malamute when he sees a squirrel. I wanted to be sure the harness remained in place whether pulled forward or backward (if Rumpy pulled away while facing me) and it passed the test.
Thanks. It’s always good to have a review from a person I can trust. (Sometimes companies have a shill.)
I’ve had a car harness since I got BJ and it’s harder to put on. Every time I use it I get it tangled and BJ gets impatient. You don’t want to be around when he gets impatient. Plus, BJ is part terrier and can be stubborn.
I’ll go my local PetCo and take a look. I only have a two-seater and having him stay on his side is sometimes a problem. I hope I can shorten the tether so it would prevent this.
If your front seat has one of those car seat hooks, you could secure the tether to that.
We love Kurgo. Every single item we have from them has always been great quality! We just reviewed this harness a while back as well and my favorite part of it was the many different adjustments it has in order to fit our dogs better. Love this! Well done Rumpy, you look paw-some!
ღ husky hugz ღ frum our pack at Love is being owned by a husky!
It really is a good harness for an active dog!!
Great review all I need now is a dog! 🙂
I wonder if they make them for cats?
No doubt they do 🙂
Thanks for the review! I need new harnesses for both dogs – the Vizsla because he’s tangling himself up repeatedly in the back seat and the beagle because when he collapses his shoulders, he can get out of any harness I put on him.
I agree with you about tethering the dogs in the car, but I gave up on Vizsla when he wouldn’t stop choking himself with the seat belt. As a result, he no longer gets walks at the park, but only around the house. It’s like having bratty children on some days.
Nancy
Rumpy’s gotten out of a harness before too. You should have seen me in the yard with him testing this harness in all directions to see if he could wiggle his way out. I’m surprised the neighbors didn’t call me in for abuse. LOL
Yeah, I thought the same about animal control getting called when I was screaming at a beagle in the middle of the street for getting out of his harness. Thankfully he just sat there and let me put it back on, and the streets are pretty slow in our subdivision, but it only takes one idiot to kill a dog that got away.
It looks like a good secure harness on Rumpy. I wouldn’t call your resistance to trying it fear, sounds intelligent to me. No loving dog owner, especially of a larger and stronger one, wants to have their dog come off leash and run away. I’d be cautious also. If you want to call it “fear” then I’d switch that out for “healthy anxiety” lol. BTW, that photo of Rumpy is terrific. Such a handsome boy. 🙂
One spoiled dog and one over-protective human. We make quite a couple, don’t we? LOL
Sounds very familiar, lol! ❤
I have never tried a harness.
My Granny voice seems to do the trick. 🙂
If only Rumpy would respond to my voice like that. But no, he’s got a mind of his own, and if I didn’t have him on a harness and leash, he’d tear off and I’d probably never see him again.
Looks great one Rumpy too! We’re using the freedom easy walk harness with Hunter at the moment, but I’m always looking for any product that is better!
How responsive is Rumpy to this harness?
He’s responding better than he did with our old harness.
I totally empathize with your fear. I used to use a harness with Cupcake when she worked at her therapy sites, but I stopped when I heard that my friend’s dog squiggled out of her harness in front of their groomer’s shop, and he ended up chasing her down THE SHOULDER OF THE HIGHWAY. That was Cupcake’s last day wearing a harness. When she gets scared of something squiggling is her first go-to to get away. I’m afraid to take a chance. 😦
That’s why I use both a harness and a collar.
I totally understand your worry! I loved the step in harnesses because they were easier to put on (I’m harness challenged), but two of the dogs wriggled out of them! We have this Tru Fit harness for Luke too, and I really like it.
What I didn’t like about the step-in harness was convincing Rumpy to step in. He can be stubborn when he wants to be. That’s what I like best about this Kurgo harness- we no longer have to have those difficult conversations.. LOL
We have a similar harness and while I won’t say that Sam loves it, he keeps him AND me safe and is easy to hitch him up. 😉
That looks like a good harness. I’m always worried too because Bella and Beary both feel like sled-dogs when we walk … still!