At first, I was very skeptical about the BrilliantK9 harnesses, due to the, on first glance, similarity of other front strap harnesses on the market. I've always thought these harnesses to be very constricting and restrictive and, tho I had no personal experience with the BrilliantK9, lumped it in to the same category. That all changed the first time I actually LOOKED at the harness in person, and was explained how the design was different. After a short walk in the BrilliantK9, my skepticism started to recede. The BrilliantK9 harnesses seem to mold to your dog with wear, and the fit improves over the first couple of uses. By the second time my dog wore the harness, where we really got the fit dialed in, I was totally sold. At agility trials, she doesn't torque her neck by dragging me to the ring like she did with her martingale lead. She walks much calmer with her BrilliantK9 on, and I see less strain in her neck after trials as well. She hikes and plays frisbee between runs with her BrilliantK9 harness on with no problems at all. She is still able to get lovely reach and extension while wearing her harness, so I don't worry about compromising her stride or her gait being restricted in the harness.
I also use a BrilliantK9 harness as my service dog's daily harness. I've tried all kinds of harnesses and backpacks for her, but they all had something I really didn't like about them and what's more, she never seemed comfortable wearing the others, especially for long periods of time. I was always looking for an opportunity to take the others off to give her a break. With the BrilliantK9, she seems to be comfortable no matter what the situation, temperature or length of time she has to wear it. It's comfortable when we are walking, but it's also comfortable when we have to stop and she has to sit or lay in it for extended periods of time. She's worn it for 10 plus hour travel days that entail everything from walking around the airport, to laying in a restaurant, making several flights to driving and then running and playing and the BrilliantK9 moves from each task to the other easily. She happily sleeps in it while we are on flights all the time. When she wakes up, she's able to stretch out and walk off to work again without missing a beat. She even wore it on an 11 hour flight to Germany and was completely comfortable!
When it's time to put the harness on she always happily offers her head for me to dress her, which was NOT the case with others I'd tried, so I know she enjoys wearing it.
I also can't say enough good things about the quality and workmanship in the harness as well as the fun colors and designs it comes in. I love all the extra details, from the well thought out design of the strap placement to the wither cut out of the Lucy style, to the utility loop that perfectly fits a poop bag so I don't have to carry a clunky dispenser all the time, to the elastic edging around the top of the harness that really helps each dog get a customtype fit. The new speed buckle is a feature that I can't live without now! SO easy and stress free to get the harness off and on quickly, even with one hand and even on dogs with long coats. The material has so many fun colors and patterns to fit any dog's style, plus it's breathable, lightweight but sturdy, and seems to mold to each dog to create the best fit.
Obviously naked is best, but BrilliantK9 comes in a close second! When my dogs need to be on a leash I always reach for my BrilliantK9. I find it fantastic for a multitude of uses, allowing the dog to move comfortably whether they're running and playing, or hiking, or a service dog working with their handler, or walking to the agility ring. Plus you can't beat the unique patterns, beautiful colors, comfortable material, and wellthoughtout design. The BrilliantK9 is Pogoapproved and we can't recommend them enough!
Lindsey Hinds
About Lindsey