Product Review: Ruffwear Web Master Harness

The Ruffwear Webmaster is a harness designed to help safely lift a dog in a variety of situations. It features a handle placed at the back of the harness to help lift the entire dog and not just the front end. It comes in two colors and five sizes to fit dogs 13-42" around the chest.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love the Webmaster harness because it has so many different uses. It's original intention is for hiking, and it works great for helping Brisbane get up and over obstacles. Unlike every other harness I have ever seen, the Webmaster has a second belly strap well behind the first one. The handle is also well behind the shoulders, allowing me to lift Brisbane and carry him like a suitcase. When I try that maneuver with a typical short harness, like the Kurgo Go-Tech Adventure Harness, it only lifts the front of the dog and slides forward immediately.

Photo by Pawz in Action

The handle and lifting ability of the Webmaster also make it a fantastic mobility harness. Josie wore it for a while before I got her Go-Tech. I have also used it for helping Briz when he has a foot injury. It is ridiculously comfortable for the dog, padded all over the place so it doesn't rub or chafe at all. I also use it to tote Brisbane around when he is sedated, or too excited to walk. It is his preferred attire for lure coursing.

Pros: Comfy, well-padded. Supportive enough to lift the entire dog. Makes steering and aiding geriatric dogs very easy. Provides a good fit even on my oddly-shaped dog. Ours has been through the washing machine several times. Also durable enough to put on my friend's enormous Asian water monitor lizard and drag him around on pavement. Seriously, we've had this thing for at least five years and have done some ridiculous things with it and it still looks brand new.

Cons: At ~$60 this is a pretty expensive harness. I paid a lot more for this one because it came with the Ruffwear Palisades backpack. Tired Dog Good Dog Lure Coursing informs me that dogs can get their feet caught in the back strap when running all-out, though Brisbane doesn't have this problem because he has a long back and a short stride.

Bottom Line: This is an amazing harness that has seen some pretty serious use, and it still looks great. It was well worth the price and I expect it to last through multiple dogs. I used to loan it out, but ours has extra clips for attaching the backpack on top, and I worry about having to replace the entire $130 set if anything happened to the harness. I wish other companies made such functional and durable products.