IVY&LANE No Pull Dog Harness Review: Small Dog Vest Set with Leash and Safety Belt

My 11-pound terrier mix has one mission on walks: chase every squirrel in a three-block radius. Before I got this harness, walking her was constantly destroying my shoulder. I tried a basic collar first — that lasted exactly two walks before I worried about her trachea. Then a cheap pet store harness she wiggled out of in under ten seconds flat. When I finally ordered this harness, I wasn't expecting a miracle; I just wanted something she couldn't squirm out of.

The set arrived with everything in one package: the harness, a matching leash, a car safety belt, and a storage strap. For the price, getting all four pieces instead of just the harness felt like a genuinely good deal. The harness itself is lightweight — not that bulky tactical style that swallows a small dog whole — and the purple color looked even better in person than on the listing. I've been using it daily for three weeks now, through rain, mud, and one memorable encounter with a very bold raccoon.

Did it actually stop the pulling?

To be fair, she still tries to bolt when she sees a squirrel. I learned this the hard way after buying into the marketing hype of my first "no-pull" harness and being disappointed when my dog still dragged me toward every interesting smell. What a good harness actually does is give you the leverage and control to redirect the behavior — the training still has to come from you.

I've also tested the a bunch of other front-clip and martingale styles — but this one has both a front clip and a back clip, and that front chest attachment point is what makes the difference for training sessions. When my terrier lunges at a squirrel, the front clip turns her sideways instead of letting her build forward momentum. It doesn't hurt her or choke her — the pressure distributes across her chest — but it does interrupt the pulling in a way that actually lets me get her attention back. I pair this with treats during walks, and after about a week of consistency, she started checking in with me instead of bolting ahead.

On the back clip, different story entirely — that turns her into a tiny sled dog. I use the back clip now for relaxed neighborhood strolls once she's already burned off some energy, but for any walk where I need actual control, it's front clip or nothing. Small dogs in particular benefit from chest-led walking because it keeps pressure off the throat while still giving you steering authority.

Will My Dog Slip Out of This Harness?

My terrier has backed out of harnesses before, so I was pretty skeptical. Small dogs are escape artists — mine backed out of a step-in harness at the vet's office last year, and I still haven't fully recovered from the embarrassment of chasing her around the parking lot. The IVY&LANE solves this with four separate adjustment points and a neck buckle that locks.

The neck-wearing design means you don't have to wrestle it over your dog's head. Three buckles around the neck and chest let you open the harness flat, lay it on the dog's back, and buckle it into place. If your dog gets weird about things going over their head like mine does, this is a genuinely thoughtful design choice. The neck buckle has a lockable button that prevents accidental release — I tested it by giving it a sharp tug at multiple angles, and it held firm every time.

Getting the fit right takes a few minutes of adjusting the four webbing straps, but once it's set, it stays set. I check the fit with the two-finger rule — if I can slide two fingers under each strap but not twist them, the tension is about right. Too loose and you risk escape. Too tight and you'll get chafing. After three weeks of daily use, the straps haven't slipped or loosened on their own. For you have a growing puppy, you might want a basic step-in style instead, but for adult small dogs, the adjustability here is hard to beat.

Why the front clip matters

I used to think this was a minor detail. It's not. The clip you choose completely changes the walking experience. Front clip (chest) redirects pulling and gives you control during training. Back clip (shoulders) is more comfortable for the dog but amplifies pulling through the opposition reflex — pressure on the chest makes some dogs lean into it and pull harder.

With the IVY&LANE, I keep the leash clipped to the front ring for the first ten minutes of any walk, when my dog is at peak energy and most likely to pull. Once she settles into a rhythm, I switch to the back clip. Some owners use a double-ended leash attached to both clips simultaneously — it gives you the ability to gently pull the front side to redirect while maintaining the back connection for comfort. This harness supports that setup with sturdy alloy clips on both attachment points, not cheap plastic D-rings that could snap under pressure.

The included accessories are worth a mention because they're actually useful, not just box filler. The car safety belt clips into your vehicle's seatbelt receiver and attaches to the harness — it kept my dog secure during a sudden stop on the highway. And the storage strap is a simple elastic band that wraps around the harness and leash to keep everything tidy in the car or by the door. It's just nice not having to buy the seatbelt tether and other accessories separately.

One thing I picked up after trying a few different harness styles: the quickest harness to put on is the one your dog tolerates best. I've used step-in harnesses where you lay the harness on the ground and lift each paw in — those can be fast once the dog cooperates, but if your dog dances around like mine, it's a two-person job. The neck-wearing wrap-around design of this one is easier for a single person with a wiggly dog because you can guide it around them without threading limbs through holes.

Once you settle on a harness style that works, the routine becomes second nature. The key is finding one that secures firmly without needing four hands — three buckles you can snap in sequence while keeping one hand on your dog is the sweet spot for daily walks. After a few repetitions, my morning walk setup takes under thirty seconds from grabbing the harness to heading out the door.

Pros, Cons, and Verdict

What I love about this harness set:

• The four-point adjustability means a custom fit on a small dog's frame — no gapping, no sliding, no escape routes
• Front and back alloy clips give you training-day control and casual-walk comfort in one harness
• It comes with a leash and a car tether, which saves you from buying them individually.
• Lockable neck buckle adds real security for dogs that pull hard or spook easily
• 360-degree reflective strips on both harness and leash make a visible difference on evening walks
• The purple color is vibrant and easy to spot in a dark closet or car footwell

What could be better:

• The front clip placement is slightly low on the chest — on very short-legged dogs, the leash can occasionally dip under a front paw during a sharp turn
• The sizing runs small — my 11-pound terrier fits a Small with the straps near their max extension, so measure carefully or size up if your dog is between sizes
• The padded handle on top is useful for quick grabs but too thin for prolonged carrying of heavier small dogs
• The lock button on the neck is incredibly stiff at first — I actually struggled to unclip her on day one.

Overall, it actually gives me enough leverage to handle her without hurting her throat. It gives you the control to train loose-leash walking without choking or hurting your dog. It's not a magic fix for pulling, but it's the right tool for the job, and the included accessories turn a fair price into a genuinely good value. If you have a small dog under 20 pounds who pulls, wiggles out of gear, or just needs a more comfortable daily harness, this set covers all the bases without the premium price tag. I've already recommended it to two neighbors at the dog park.

Here's how the specs break down across the full set:

After three weeks and dozens of walks, this harness has earned its spot by the front door. It's nothing fancy, but it finally makes our morning walks bearable. I clip it on — and my dog no longer does the anxious shuffle when she sees me reach for it.