Although we aren’t aware of any research directly comparing how the Webmaster and Flagline harnesses affect a dog’s gait, we are hopeful that the smaller, lightweight design of the Flagline harness will help reduce alterations to normal movement. In the image below the Flagline harness is a little loose as we had not re-adjusted the straps after Glia wore it over her sweater.) But I’d actually yet to test it for myself. So, I got in touch with ruffwear, and asked if I could get one for review. They said yes, and I’ve been testing it out on my hikes and wanders with Indie to see how it stands up to it’s design purpose and what you may be able to do with it. Another key factor could be the front leash clip-in point. If you are working on leash pulling with your pup, the front leash clip-in point is helpful for redirecting dogs that pull on their leash. In this case, the Front Range is the way to go. The Flagline Harness is also about ensuring a perfect fit. With six points of adjustment, you can tailor the harness to your dog's unique shape, ensuring they're comfortable and secure on their adventures.

I gave it 4 stars only because I wish the material came up higher on the sides. There’s a lot of exposed strap and I feel it make chafe him on long walks. A nice touch might be a matching sleeve that can be slipped over the strap (and maybe some velcro to attach it to the existing material) to provide some extra padding. I might look for some velcro luggage handle covers to do the job. Unfortunately, the Flagline only has three color options just like the Web Master. We hope that someday Ruffwear will give these harnesses as many options as the Front Range has.Lifting and stuff happens in a lot of dog sports – like parkour or aspects of agility – the handle and it’s weight-spreading design means that your dog sports dog is less likely to injure themselves if you have to help bear their weight during a jump or dismount. Indie ready for our hike together, wearing the ruffwear flagline harness. It’s such a wonderful harness, particularly for hiking Who the Flagline’s Not For.

When we researched different harness types for hiking dogs, we found a couple of research studies that concluded that the less surface area a harness covered, the less it altered a dog’s natural gait. (Our review of this research can be found in our post “3 Tips for Choosing the Best Harness for Your Dog’s Next Adventure.”) The Flagline harness offers the same great support for three-legged dogs as the Ruffwear Web Master Plus. It also offers chest and belly protection, without need for the additional Brush Guard attachment. This harness is solid. The fabric doesn’t snag easy. The base plate (chest plate? Whatever you want to call it underneath your dog!) is not only great protection, but it’s also wonderfully effective for spreading and containing your dog if you need to lift them. Dog Sports Dogs Below is an image of the Groundbird Gear harness for comparison with the Flagline Harness pictured above. Padded Handle In a perfect world, you wouldn’t have to worry about price or sustainability and could just buy your dog one of every harness. But realistically, for those looking for an everyday full-body harness, the decision in the Ruffwear catalog comes down to the Flagline or the Web Master.We loved the color options of the Front Range Harness and were hoping for some fun pinks and purples to be released with the new harness. But color doesn’t affect the functionality and we love the upgrades that have been incorporated into the Ruffwear Flagline Harness. My 100+ lb. Akita recently lost a front leg to cancer. Although he’s adapting really well, he still sometimes stumbles and walking on hard surfaces can be a little tough on him. I’ve tried to provide him with some extra support using various harnesses and it was really tough to find one that give him good support, didn’t hurt me, and did not interfere with the surgery scar. The Flagline hits on all counts. It’s comfortable for him and I can give him constant support during a walk without either of us getting uncomfortable. It took a couple of tries to adjust it, but the online video helped a lot and it went relatively easily.