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Many people consider their service dogs to be lifesavers. They perform various duties, with the intention of helping make our lives a little bit easier. This is why we ought to reward them with a nice service dog vest that they can wear while on duty.
But with all the service dog vests available in the market, it can be tricky to choose one. The following list makes our quest easier thanks to the generous reviews of pet parents and professionals alike.
7 Best Service Dog Vests
Choose the best service dog vest for your pooch from our list!
- Best Overall: RuffWear All-Day Harness
- Runner-Up: Fairwin Service Vest Dog Harness
- Best Value: Industrial Puppy Harness
- Best Tactical Vest: OneTigris Dog Vest
- Best for Emotional Support Dogs: voopet Emotional Support Dog Harness
- Best Budget: Vovodog Service Dog Harness
- Best Pulling Harness: YOGADOG Heavy Duty Dog Harness
Best Overall: RuffWear All-Day Harness
Key Features:
- With 2 attachment points
- 4 adjustment points
- Durable shell fabric comes with reflective trim
- Comes in 5 sizes and 16 colors
Made for long-lasting and everyday wear, the RuffWear All-Day Harness is a lightweight and durable service dog vest beloved by pet parents. It is easily adjustable thanks to its convenient points, has an easy access ID pocket, and visible fabric with reflective trim perfect for day and nighttime trips. It comes in many colors and sizes, making it an ideal vest for pet parents of service dogs.
Runner-Up: Fairwin Service Vest Dog Harness
Key Features:
- Padded neck and back straps
- Breathable mesh lining
- Stainless steel D-ring
- Upgraded top-mounted standing handle
- Sturdy nylon construction
- Removable patches
- Comes in 6 sizes and 2 colors
Sturdy, comfortable, and reliable are the 3 best ways to describe the Fairwin Service Vest Dog Harness. It comes in different sizes, desirable features, and a hassle-free true policy. All these make pet parents choose this over other service dog vests in the market. When it comes to durability and comfort, this is definitely a winner.
Best Value: Industrial Puppy Harness
Key Features:
- Removable patches
- Easy-to-use belly buckle
- Fast-drying, breathable nylon
- Welded D-ring
- Reflective patches and safety band
- Comfortable mesh lining
- Easy swap parachute clasp
- Comes in 8 sizes and 6 colors
The Industrial Puppy Harness prides itself on being the service vest that can accommodate backpacks for medications, food, or bowls. It has a sturdy handle, removable patches, comfortable mesh lining, and reflective features giving us the bank for our buck. It has everything we might need for a service dog vest, plus a few more features we can enjoy for an additional fee.
Best Tactical Vest: OneTigris Dog Vest
Key Features:
- 1000D Nylon construction
- With 2 rows of MOLLE straps
- Multiple pouches
- 2 grab handles
- Widely adjustable size
The OneTigris Dog Vest has 3 detachable and reachable pouches and more room for custom attachments. The harness is made with mesh materials, offering great ventilation for our pooch. We love how heavy-duty and functional this service vest is, making it the go-to tactical service vest for most pet owners.
Best for Emotional Support Dogs: voopet Emotional Support Dog Harness
Key Features:
- Reflective design
- No-pull and choke-free
- Adjustable slide straps
- Made from oxford fabric and 100% polyester
- Dog tag included
- Comes in 6 sizes and 14 colors
The voopet Emotional Support Dog Harness is the best support dog vest for dogs tagged as emotional support animals. This vest equally distributes leash pressure on our fur baby, giving us peace of mind he won’t choke in case he suddenly pulls during training. It delivers as promised in terms of quality, functionality, and style.
Best Budget: Vovodog Service Dog Harness
Key Features:
- No-pull and choke-free design
- Made of high-quality nylon material
- Adjustable length and width
- Easy-to-read signage
- Rubber-coated handle
- Comes in 6 colors and 6 sizes
The Vovodog Service Dog Harness is a budget-friendly service dog vest that offers durability, flexibility, and convenience. We are sure to get the most value of our money since it already has everything we might need for a service dog best. It is durable, adjustable, easy-to-handle, and won’t break our bank.
Best Pulling Harness: YOGADOG Heavy Duty Dog Harness
Key Features:
- Made with super durable Nylon
- Extensible elastic leash
- Comfortable breast padding
- Reflective stitching
- Adjustable straps
- Comes in 3 sizes
When looking for a service dog vest for training service dogs or those who need to pull a wheelchair, then the YOGADOG Heavy Duty Dog Harness is one of our top choices. It is durable, water-resistant, weatherproof, and perfect for pulling instinct inhibition. The vest itself is comfortable to wear, giving our pooch an easier time and reducing his risk of injury while on duty.
Who Should Buy a Service Dog Vest
If we have a service dog, then it only makes sense to invest in a service dog vest. It does more than just to make other people understand that our dog is currently working. This enables us to prevent him from getting unwanted attention since the vest typically tells people not to disturb our pooch.
Another reason a service dog vest makes sense is that it gives our pooch the signal that tells him he is supposed to be working while wearing the vest. Once we take his vest off, that is the time he can play and unwind.
Things to Consider When Buying the Best Service Dog Vests
Strong Lease Attachment Point
The last thing we want is for the vest to easily tear where the attachment point begins. We must find a service dog vest with a strong lease attachment point to ensure he won’t be needing another vest any time soon. This is also for our own convenience and his safety.
Breathability
Dogs tend to overheat especially during warm weather. It is crucial that we find a service dog vest made from breathable materials. This will keep him cool and comfortable even if he needs to wear the vest most hours of the day.
Fit
We need to make sure that the vest we are buying fits snuggly on his front and back. It helps to invest in one that has multiple adjustment points and one that fits the size of our pooch. This way, we can ensure his comfort while using the vest.
Padding
Our best buddy works hard in ensuring our comfort and safety. It only makes sense that we do the same by finding him a vest with excellent padding. This will ensure he won’t be uncomfortable wearing the vest overtime.
Strong Handle
A vest with a strong handle enables us to have better control over our pooch. This can also help us get back up in case we fall.
Weight Distribution
Some vests have pockets. We don’t want one that only has one pocket on one side. We need to make sure the weight he carries around is distributed on both sides to make it easier for them to move while on duty.
Molle Attachments
Some pet parents like tactical vests thanks to their customizable features. The Molle strap will weave through the mesh webbing and is secured via a fastening button. If we are after a vest where we can attach certain items, then we ought to find one with a D-ring attachment.
Number of Adjustment Points
Multiple adjustment points ensure we can adjust his vest to find that comfortable fit. It would be nice if the straps are elastic to ensure a better fit while ensuring his comfort.
Buckle Size
Service dog owners with weak hands or poor dexterity require a vest for their pooch with large buckles. It is also a must that we find one with high-quality buckles to avoid damage or breakage after only a few months of use.
Price
Of course, price is a consideration since not everyone can afford the most expensive pet products in the market. The good news is, there are lots of service dog vests offered at affordable prices that deliver excellent quality and comfort.
Frequently Asked Questions
How can I get a service dog?
There are basically 2 ways to get a service dog. These are as follows.
Through a program
Many organizations train service dogs and are looking for handlers with disabilities to take good care of them. If we choose this path, it is crucial that we check their return policy in case it is not a good fit. Remember that a good organization offering service dogs via programs will do background research to see if you can provide the needs of service dog and if we really have a disability to begin with.
Owner-trained
This essentially means training our own pooch for them to accomplish tasks we need them to do for us. We need to determine if our pooch is fit for serving. Luckily, there are lots of sources online and also private training programs we can hire to turn our pooch into a service dog.
Can my dog become a service dog?
The short question is it depends. Service dogs need to be well-trained, well-behaved, and are able to accomplish tasks that can greatly help their owners mitigate their disability. For best results, pet parents enroll their pups to a service dog training course to train them early on.
Do I qualify for a service dog?
Only people who have a physical or mental condition that stops them from enjoy fully functional sense, certain activities, and hinders their movement. It is best to consult a healthcare professional before adopting a service dog to make sure we are making the right decision.
What is the difference between Therapy Dogs, Service Dogs, and Emotional Support Animals?
A therapy dog is registered with a therapy dog organization. They offer testing and liability insurance. Therapy dogs are often seen in hospitals and nursing homes to provide emotional support to people experiencing hard times.
Service dogs are specifically trained to help their handlers mitigate this disability. These dogs usually have a good temperament, are easy to train, and are naturally disciplined. Service dogs usually cater to people with seizures, visual impairment, post traumatic stress disorder, and the like.
Emotional support animals, on the other hand usually don’t qualify as a service dog. These dogs specialize in helping handlers with mental health disabilities. One will need a doctor’s prescription telling you could really use an emotional support animal to help you with your mental health.
Before Buying Check Your Local/State/Federal Laws
It helps to check the applicable law or statute before buying a service dog vest for our pooch. This way, we can legally put them in a vest with the right label and not get in trouble or get questioned for it.
Conclusion
Some of the top picks of handlers when it comes to service dog vests are included in this list. We only need to consider his needs and our budget when choosing a service dog vest for our pooch. Since our big boy only deserves the best, it only makes sense that we buy them a stylish, comfortable, and durable vest as his uniform.
