1 · The most important one

Chest girth

Wrap a soft tape measure around his ribcage at the deepest point — just behind the front legs, where the body is at its widest. Keep the tape snug but not tight. You should be able to slide two fingers underneath.

If he's between two sizes on chest, this is the measurement we trust most.

2

Neck circumference

Measure the base of the neck, where the collar normally sits, just above the shoulders. Two fingers' room beneath the tape — comfortable, not loose. This is where the harness opens, so it needs to slip over his head without forcing.

3

Back length

From the base of the neck to the base of the tail, along the line of the spine. This tells us how far the rear support sits down his back — important for breeds with a long body, like Dachshunds, Springers, or older Greyhounds.

Measure him standing, not lying down.

A standing dog gives you his real, weight-bearing dimensions. Lying down he'll be a little narrower than the harness needs to fit.

Use a soft tape, not a builder's metal one.

A dressmaking tape works perfectly. If you haven't got one, a piece of string and a ruler does the job — measure with string, then lay the string flat against the ruler.

Measure twice, write it down.

Old dogs shift about. The first reading is rarely the truest one. Take both numbers and use the larger of the two.

If he's stiff, do it after a slow walk.

A warmed-up dog stands more naturally. Five gentle minutes around the garden makes the measurement noticeably easier on him — and on you.

When in doubt between two sizes, size up.

Every Strollhound harness has adjustment built into all four straps. There's room to bring a slightly larger size in. There's no room to make a smaller one bigger.

Size S

Cocker Spaniel · Cavalier King Charles · Border Terrier · Miniature Schnauzer · Jack Russell · senior Beagle

Size M

Springer Spaniel · Welsh Corgi · Border Collie (smaller) · Staffordshire Bull Terrier · French Bulldog · whippet

Size L

Labrador · Golden Retriever · Border Collie · Greyhound · senior Boxer · Vizsla · Standard Poodle

Size XL

German Shepherd · Rottweiler · Bernese Mountain Dog · Newfoundland · Great Dane · senior Mastiff

He's lost weight recently — should I measure him as he is, or as he used to be?

Always measure him as he is now. If you expect him to put weight back on after surgery or a course of treatment, size up rather than fitting his current frame too snugly. Adjustment straps will take in the difference until he's there.

His chest is L but his neck measures M. Which size do I order?

Order the chest size — in this case, L. The chest is what bears the weight. The neck opening on every Strollhound harness is generously cut and adjusts down through the front straps, so a slightly larger neck opening is rarely a problem. A chest that's too tight always is.

He's a deep-chested breed — a Greyhound, a Whippet, a Setter. Does that change anything?

It often does. Deep-chested breeds tend to measure larger on chest girth than their weight suggests. Trust the tape, not the kilo. A 28 kg Greyhound is usually an L, even though a 28 kg Cocker Spaniel might be an M.

What if I get the size wrong?

Send it back. We offer 60-day returns on all unworn harnesses, and we'll exchange the size for free. If you've fitted him and you're not sure it's right, write to us — we'll talk through the fit with you over email and decide together whether a size change would help.

He won't stand still long enough to measure. What now?

A second pair of hands and a small piece of cheese tend to do it. Failing that, measure him while he's eating his dinner — he'll be still enough for those few seconds. The chest girth is the only one that's truly fiddly; the others can be done from a settled position.