What is a balance harness, and why do we use one on pick-up?

What it is

The one in the shop is the Black Dog Balance Harness. It's a strap harness: one loop around the chest, one behind the front legs, joined over the shoulders, with adjusters so it sits snug without rubbing. There's a ring on the back and a ring on the front, and the front one is the one I use.

It comes in five sizes, from extra small to extra large, and six colours: blue, pink, red, orange, purple and green. $35 in the shop, and it's what the pack wears every day.

Why the front clip matters

With a collar or a back-clip harness, a pup that pulls gets to go where they're pulling. It works, so they keep doing it.

With the clip at the front, a pull swings them round to face you instead. They lose their balance for a second, which no pup enjoys, so they choose to stop. Nobody's being told off and nobody's being yanked. The harness does it, quietly, every time.

Why every pup in the van wears one

Three reasons, and they're all about the pack.

• Six little ones, one person. When we walk, they're all on the front clip and all on the same length lead. Nobody's out in front dragging, nobody's tangled behind, and I've got a hand free.
• Same harness, same lead. Every clip is in the same place, so at the door I'm not fumbling with six different bits of kit. On, click, in the van.
• Strapped in for the drive. I keep the proper harnesses in the car. Each pup is clipped in by the harness, not the collar, so they're held properly if I have to brake. A collar isn't made for that.

How to measure your little one

Don't guess by breed. Cavoodles alone come in three sizes. Two measurements, in centimetres, with a soft tape:

1. Girth: around the widest part of the chest, just behind the front legs. This is the one that picks the size. 2. Chest: across the front, as a double-check.

The size chart is on the balance harness page, and the photos there show exactly where the tape goes. If your little one is between two sizes, send me the two numbers and I'll tell you which to pick.

Getting the fit right

Once it's on, you should be able to slide two fingers under each strap. Snug, not tight. The chest strap sits low enough that it isn't at the throat, and the back strap sits behind the front legs, not up in the armpits.

Clip the lead to the front ring. That's it. The first walk or two they'll test it, swing round, look at you like you've done something, and then settle into walking beside you.