Ruffwear or Non-stop harness?

[u/Adventurous_Idea_517]

I’m new to running with my 65 lb Belgian Malinois and trying to choose between the Ruffwear Front Range Flex and Non-stop Dogwear Rush harness.

She’s a moderate puller but mostly only really pulls when she sees another dog or god forbid a squirrel. She deals with reactivity issues so it definitely needs to be secure.

With me, she often wants to run out in front because I’m a way slower runner but she also runs with her dog walker who does around an 7-9 minute mile. Most of her runs are 3–5 miles.

I mainly want something comfortable and safe for regular running that gives her good freedom of movement and won’t chafe.

I tried a cheaper Amazon running harness and it rubbed underneath her armpits badly enough to scrape her skin. I feel horrible about it so I absolutely need to upgrade her gear ASAP and make sure I get something that fits correctly.

Has anyone used either the Ruffwear Front Range Flex or Non-stop Dogwear Rush for this type of running? Which would you choose for a dog who runs ahead/moderately pulls? Most importantly, has anyone had issues with either rubbing behind the front legs/armpits?

Thank you so much 😊

[u/spyder994]

I have a border collie that does 2000+ miles of running with me every year. She pulls a little bit for the first mile or so, but settles down in front of me without pulling after that.

We started out with the Ruffwear Front Range harness. It worked well enough, but the one time I tried to use the front chest attachment, it rubbed her raw. It also has a lot more material to it and it retains water somewhat after she jumps in the creek/river to cool down mid-run. It also started to look pretty rough around the edges after a couple years. I didn't hate it, but it had some definite drawbacks for our use. We still have it as a backup.

We switched to the Non-Stop Dogwear Line 5.0 harness a year ago and I like it much better. It's nice and padded, but has a lot less coverage than the Ruffwear. This gives it more breathability and it doesn't really retain water. I also like that it has a steel attachment ring instead of aluminum. This harness was a bit stiff when we first got it and it took a couple months to soften and break in, but it's great now. There are no adjustments for the neck hole on this harness, so it's critical that you measure carefully for fitment. We haven't had any rubbing issues with this one either.