Best harness for Great Dane puppy on a budget

A 5-month-old Great Dane is basically a different dog every few weeks — so buying a harness right now is genuinely tricky, and I want to help you avoid wasting money on something he'll outgrow in a month. Harness fit is everything with giant breeds: a poorly fitted one restricts their natural movement, causes chafing on those big shoulders, or slips entirely when they lunge. The right type — back-clip, front-clip, or dual-clip — also depends on what you're dealing with on walks. Can you tell me roughly how much he weighs now, whether he's already pulling on the lead, and what your budget ceiling is? That'll help me point you somewhere useful rather than just expensive.

35kg at five months — he's going to be enormous, so we need to think about this carefully. At that weight he's likely already in XL territory for most harnesses, and within two or three months he could be pushing into a size that many budget brands simply don't make well. A few quick questions before I give you my recommendation: is he pulling in a manageable way — excited lunging — or is it genuinely hard to control him? And have you had any fit or chafing issues with previous harnesses, or is this your first one for him?

Good that you're getting ahead of it — at full Great Dane size, a collar alone puts real pressure on the neck during pulling and that's not where you want to be. Given the budget, the growth rate, and the fact that you need something that actually helps with pulling rather than just containing him, I'd point you to the Julius-K9 IDC Powerharness. It's available on Amazon UK in size 3 and size 4 which cover the large-to-giant range, it's built solidly enough to handle a Dane's strength, and it sits around £40-£45 depending on the size. The chest strap and belly strap are both independently adjustable, which matters a lot when a dog is growing fast — you'll get significantly more use out of it than a cheaper fixed-size harness. It's a back-clip design, so it won't actively discourage pulling the way a front-clip would, but for excited lunging rather than hard pulling it gives you good control and it won't restrict his shoulder movement. If the pulling gets serious as he gets bigger, a front-clip attachment would be the next conversation — but right now this gets you a durable, well-fitted harness within your budget that won't need replacing in six weeks.

Yes, genuinely one of the easier harnesses to use — the buckle system is straightforward, it goes over the head and clips under the belly, and once you've adjusted it to his measurements the first time it's a quick on-off routine after that. The handle on the back is also useful for those moments when you need to hold him close without grabbing his collar. One practical tip: when he arrives, measure his chest girth before you order and check the Julius-K9 size chart rather than just going by weight — giant breed puppies can have surprisingly deep chests relative to their age. Size 3 covers roughly 68-85cm chest, size 4 goes up to around 100cm, so check where he sits right now and consider whether sizing up gives you more room to grow.

Good plan. Measure twice, order once — especially with a dog that's going to be 70kg in a year. The Julius-K9 IDC Powerharness is a solid piece of kit that will genuinely last you through a good chunk of his growth, and at that price point it's hard to beat for a giant breed. Good luck with him.