10 Best Harnesses for Miniature Schnauzers — 2024 Reviews & Top Picks
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The Miniature Schnauzer might be small, but they have plenty of intelligence and personality — and adorable beards and eyebrows! If you’re in the market for a harness for your small but mighty Mini Schnauzer, it can be quite a chore to slog through all the available harnesses. How do you even decide?
We did all the searching for you and wrote reviews of 10 of the best harnesses, one of which might be perfect for your dog. There’s also a buyer’s guide to help you with your decision.
A Quick Look at Our Favorites in 2024
| Rating | Image | Product | Details | |
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Best Overall
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Frisco Small Breed Soft Vest Dog Harness |
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Check Price |
Best Value
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Frisco Green Ombre Style Dog Harness |
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Check Price |
Premium Choice
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Buddy Belts Classic Leather Dog Harnes |
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| Best for Puppies |
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PetSafe Easy Walk Dog Harness |
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Check Price |
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Julius-K9 IDC Powerharness Dog Harness |
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Check Price |
The 10 Best Harnesses for Miniature Schnauzers
1. Frisco Small Breed Soft Vest Step-In Dog Harness — Best Overall
| Chest girth: | 11–13”, 12–15”, 15–18”, 18–21”, 21–23” |
| Colors: | Pink, red, blue, or black |
| Material: | Polyester |
| Harness type: | Back clip |
The best overall harness for Miniature Schnauzers is the Frisco Small Breed Soft Vest Step-In Dog Harness. It’s only available for small dogs, so the size options enable you to finetune the sizing of the harness for your specific dog. It’s also quite affordable, and you can choose from pink, red, blue, or black.
The harness is made with breathable material and has an easy on-and-off system that enables your dog to just step into the vest. For nighttime walks, it has four reflective bands sewn in for visibility.
The only issue is that it uses Velcro to fasten the harness, which tends to wear out.
- Affordable
- Sized for small dogs
- Four colors to choose from
- Step-in design makes it easy to get on and off
- Four reflective bands for night safety
- Velcro fastener might wear out
2. Frisco Green Ombre Style Dog Harness — Best Value
| Chest girth: | 18–23.5” |
| Colors: | Blue/green ombre |
| Material: | Polyester |
| Harness type: | Basic |
The best harness for a miniature Schnauzer for the money is Frisco’s Green Ombre Style Dog Harness. It’s an attractive harness with a blue-and-green ombre effect, and the buckles have a rainbow finish. It’s fully adjustable and features a step-in design, making it easy to put on and take off. The buckles are rounded, and the whole thing will keep your Mini cool and comfortable.
However, the fit isn’t always quite right, and some dogs might slip out of the harness. It’s also only available in four different sizes, with one in size small, so not all Minis will fit well into it.
- Well-priced
- Attractive blue/green ombre color with rainbow buckles
- Fully adjustable and has step-in design
- Rounded buckles for comfort
- Might not fit your dog the right way
3. Buddy Belts Classic Leather Dog Harness — Premium Choice
| Chest girth: | Seven sizes from 10” to 22” |
| Colors: | Caramel, black, red, blue, light pink, or hot pink |
| Material: | Leather |
| Harness type: | Black clip |
The Buddy Belts Classic Leather Dog Harness is our premium choice pick. It’s expensive, but it’s the only one on this list made with natural material (leather). It comes in six colors: black, caramel, blue, red, pale pink, and hot pink.
This harness is available in seven sizes, all of which are aimed at small dogs, so you can find just the right size. The design also completely avoids the throat area, so it applies no pressure on the throat or spine. The leather makes this a durable harness, as it won’t tear or fray.
Other than the high price tag, one issue is that the straps might rub and chafe.
- Made with leather
- Choose from six colors
- Available in seven sizes, all for small dogs
- Applies no pressure on the throat or spine
- Durable
- Expensive
- Might chafe
4. PetSafe Easy Walk Dog Harness — Best for Puppies
| Chest girth: | Eight sizes from 12” to 50” |
| Colors: | Black, green, red, blue, purple, beige, hot pink, or teal |
| Material: | Nylon |
| Harness type: | Front clip |
Try out PetSafe’s Easy Walk Dog Harness for your puppy. There are eight colors to choose from, and three of the eight sizes are for small dogs. This harness is designed to help teach dogs not to pull while on the leash, as it fastens at the front rather than on the back like most other harnesses.
The strap that loops under the dog’s chest is a different color than the rest of the harness, making it easier to figure out how to put it on. It also doesn’t put any pressure on the dog’s neck, and the martingale loop on the dog’s chest is designed to put gentle pressure on the shoulders when pulling.
But it doesn’t always fit all dogs quite right, and it might chafe in certain spots.
- Eight colors
- Eight sizes, with three for small dogs
- Designed to stop dogs from pulling on the leash
- Chest strap is a different color, making it easier to put on
- No pressure on the neck
- Doesn’t always fit right
- Might chafe
5. Julius-K9 IDC Powerharness Reflective No Pull Dog Harness
| Chest girth: | Eight sizes from 11.5” to 46.5” |
| Colors: | Black, red, blue, aquamarine, hot pink, orange, U.S. flag |
| Material: | Nylon |
| Harness type: | Back clip |
The Julius-K9 IDC Powerharness Reflective No Pull Dog Harness has eight sizes ranging from XXX small up to XX-large, and four of the sizes are devoted to small dogs. It comes in seven colors and has Velcro for optional working dog patches. It has a soft inner liner for comfort, and the outer shell is water repellent with a reflective chest strap and glow-in-the-dark labels.
However, some dogs can actually back out of the harness. Also, if your dog tends to be a puller while on a leash, this harness isn’t the best choice.
- Four of the eight sizes are for small dogs
- Velcro for working dog patches
- Comfy and soft inner liner
- Water-repellent outer shell
- Reflective chest strap and glow-in-the-dark labels
- Some dogs can back out of the harness
- Not a good choice for dogs that pull
6. Chai’s Choice Premium Outdoor Adventure Dog Harness
| Chest girth: | Five sizes from 13” to 42” |
| Colors: | Black, green, orange, pink, red, purple, chocolate, blue, teal |
| Material: | Polyester |
| Harness type: | Front clip |
The Chai’s Choice Premium Outdoor Adventure Dog Harness comes in nine colors, so you’ll have plenty to choose from! Two sizes cater to small dogs (13–17” and 17–22”), and it has reflective material for nighttime walks. Both the belly and chest straps are padded, and it has a buckle on the chest strap, which works well for dogs that pull. The built-in handle on the back is also a great safety feature!
But the sizes all tend to run on the small size, so if your Mini is in between sizes, aim for the larger option. Additionally, you need to loosen the harness, pull it over your dog’s head to put it on, and then tighten it again.
- Available in nine colors
- Reflective material for evening walks
- Padded chest and belly straps
- Chest buckle for dogs that pull
- Built-in handle on the back
- Sizes run small
- Needs to go over the head to put it on
7. Red Dingo Classic Nylon Back Clip Dog Harness
| Chest girth: | Five sizes from 11.8” to 44.5” |
| Colors: | Black, brown, blue, green, hot pink, light pink, orange, purple, red, light blue |
| Material: | Nylon |
| Harness type: | Back clip |
The Red Dingo Classic Nylon Back Clip Dog Harness comes in 10 colors and has two small sizes (11.8–17.3” and 14.2–21.3”). It’s made with durable nylon that’s soft enough to not chafe and comes with a clip that is quite strong. It has a secure D-ring for attaching a leash, and it’s machine washable.
But the sizing is somewhat inaccurate: Some dog owners find that it’s too small, while others feel that it’s too large. Also, the harness might slide around, and in some cases, the side buckle might end up causing the dog discomfort.
- 10 colors to choose from
- Made with durable nylon that shouldn’t chafe
- Strong side clip
- Machine washable
- Sizing can be inaccurate
- Tends to move around and can cause discomfort
8. Blueberry Pet 3M Multi-Colored Back Clip Dog Harness
| Chest girth: | Three sizes from 17.5” to 38.5” |
| Colors: | Violet/blue, green/purple, or olive/blue-gray |
| Material: | Polyester and mesh |
| Harness type: | Back clip |
The Blueberry Pet 3M Multi-Colored Back Clip Dog Harness is available in three colors, and the inner part of the vest is made with lightweight mesh. The outer layer is made with oxford cloth with reflective strips and has a D-ring for a secure leash attachment. This harness has a vest for the back and another for the chest, which helps evenly distribute the weight and works against pulling.
But it doesn’t always fit some dogs right. Even for small dogs like your Mini Schnauzer, the straps seem too big and stiff.
- Comfortable mesh for the inner layer
- Outer layer is made with oxford cloth
- Has reflective strips
- Double vests work for pullers
- Seems too big and stiff for small dogs
- Sizes don’t always fit right
9. PetSafe Sure-Fit Adjustable Back Clip Dog Harness
| Chest girth: | Four sizes from 15” to 42” |
| Colors: | Red or black |
| Material: | Nylon |
| Harness type: | Back and front clip |
The PetSafe Sure-Fit Adjustable Back Clip Dog Harness has both a back and a front clip, which should work quite well for dogs that pull. There are two snap buckles, so you can get it off and on easily, and it can be adjusted in five different places. It’s available in either black or red, and there are two sizes for small dogs: X-small (15–21-inch chest) or small (18–22-inch chest).
The main issues with this harness are that it seems to wear out quickly for some dog owners and that it can be tricky to get on your dog and adjust.
- Has both back and front clips
- Available in two colors and two small sizes
- Can be adjusted in five different areas
- Seems to wear out quickly
- Tricky to get on some dogs
10. Best Pet Supplies Voyager Mesh Dog Harness
| Chest girth: | Five sizes from 13” to 23” |
| Colors: | Pink, red, light blue, dark blue, or purple |
| Material: | Polyester |
| Harness type: | Back clip |
The Best Pet Supplies Voyager Mesh Dog Harness comes in five colors and two small sizes (13–14.5 inches and 14.5–17 inches). It’s breathable and comfortable and has a step-in design for dogs that don’t appreciate the harness being put over their heads. It has two D-ring buckles on the back for double security, in addition to a Velcro faster and snap-in buckle.
The sizing seems off, though, and it doesn’t have much room for adjustment. Additionally, the D-rings on the back tend to tap on the plastic buckle, the sound of which some dogs might not appreciate.
- Available in five colors
- Step in to get it on easily
- Has two D-ring buckles on the back
- Has a Velcro fastener and side buckle for extra security
- Issues with sizing
- Difficult to adjust
- D-rings make tapping sounds on the plastic buckle
Buyer’s Guide — Buying the Best Harnesses for Miniature Schnauzers
Before you make that final decision, here are a few tips that might help.
Size
This is probably the essential part of purchasing a harness. You’ll need to measure your Mini Schnauzer’s chest and neck girth before you buy anything. Mini Schnauzers typically fit in small harnesses and have roughly a 13” to 23” chest girth.
Take a tape measure, and measure from around your dog’s shoulders to the deepest part of their chest, which is usually behind the elbows. Also, measure the neck, where the collar usually sits. You’ll need to fit two fingers between the tape measure and your dog’s body, which is also how the harness should fit.
Incorrect Sizing
Many harnesses tend to not fit the way that the manufacturer states. Your best bet is to carefully read reviews from other dog owners. Pay close attention to anyone rating the harness who also owns a Miniature Schnauzer or a dog that is similar in size and weight.
Ensure that returning the harness will be hassle free and that you can exchange it for a better size or a different harness if necessary.
Material
If your Mini is a chewer, you’ll want to invest in a durable harness, but it should still be comfortable for your dog to wear. If you’re looking for a harness that has breathability so your dog doesn’t get overheated, check for a lightweight harness, typically one made of nylon.
Design
Where the harness sits on your dog is essential because you don’t want it on your dog’s throat. How you put it on is also important, as you can try using step-ins or putting it on over their head. If your dog is a puller, you’ll want to opt for a front buckle.
Finding a harness that is simple to put on and take off is crucial for many dog owners and dogs. Also, look for a harness that is easy to adjust.
Conclusion
We love the Frisco Small Breed Soft Vest Harness for its excellent price and that it’s specifically for small dogs. Frisco’s Green Ombre Style Dog Harness is attractive and affordable, and your dog can just step in it to put it on.
The Buddy Belts Classic Leather Dog Harness is our premium choice for its use of durable leather and choice of six colors. Lastly, PetSafe’s Easy Walk Dog Harness can work nicely for puppies with its no-pull design and choice of eight colors.
We hope that these reviews have helped you through your harness journey. It might take a few tries to find the perfect one for your Miniature Schnauzer, but it’s definitely one of the most important purchases that you can make for your dog.
Featured Photo Credit: BlaineT, Shutterstock
