Product Review: Bergan Dog Auto Harness

It's something that's been on my mind for awhile, but Dogster also had an article lately about whether car restraints for dogs are in fact adequate safety devices, or just a placebo. Of course, I have the EzyDog Chest Plate Harness, which Elka wears on walks (attached to both a leash and her collar, with Liberty's Attachment, for backup safety) and has worn in the car since we got it. She'd already ridden in the backseat once I'd realized that an air bag could kill a dog. But, was the EzyDog Chest Plate Harness safe enough, or only to prevent driver distractions? Should I look at other options as well?

Then one day I was browsing the Animal Rescue Site, and lo and behold, I saw the Bergan Dog Auto Safety Harness, which claimed to be safety rated. It certainly bore investigation! I contacted the Bergan Pet Products company via their web site, and they were kind enough to provide a harness for me to review.

A definite point of appeal is Bergan's claim that their harness complies with the Dog Auto Harness Durability Test. Unlike seat belts and say, car seats, for humans there is no such standard for dogs. It seems only recently that some owners are realizing that crating or otherwise restraining their dogs in the car is a good idea. I certainly still see dogs in laps, and in the backs of pickup trucks, but it seems like a smaller number than a few years ago. The standard for safety is an interesting read, if you have a mind to, and there's a web site called Paws to Click, with a safety pledge for promoting responsible pet travel.

The Dog Auto Harness is a step in harness that buckles in the back, and adjusts on the side through metal (!) hardware. The buckles themselves are still plastic.

There is a flap that then Velcros shut over the buckles, and the resulting handles are for a carabiner on a strap (also provided) to clip through. 

The other end of the strap is another carabiner that affixes to one of the car seat anchors in your vehicle.

Elka, to her credit, is very calm and patient when I'm putting things on her, and always has been. Her first night home, we put her collar on. She jumped around like a bronco for like five seconds, and then was done. When we got her first hoodie, I popped it on her, and she was all "Oh, okay." Same with the Ezydog harness. Same with this one. 

Really, the single complaint (other than the ubiquitous plastic buckles) I have is that the Bergan Dog Auto Harness is not also a walking harness the way the Ezydog one is. While the snap hook on the end of Liberty's attachment will close over both of the little nylon handles, it isn't ideal, though I'm not sure what a good solution for that would be with this design. Another slightly smaller, though still weight rated, carabiner? The harness material is reasonably soft to the touch, and doesn't appear to chafe in any manner.  The strap provides Elka enough room to lay down, though I do need her to be in a sit in order to affix the carabiner to the harness upon entering the car. I haven't quite gotten the hang of quick carabiner detachment, though I think that's just user unfamiliarity and not a product flaw. 

(action shot; don't worry, the car was in park at the time, though I did not turn around to take the picture)

If you do occasion to order a Bergan Dog Auto Harness based on whim or this review, keep an eye out for the silica gel packet, though. I think that's where the one blogged about in Do Not Eat came from, and I just didn't see it when I opened the package.