Saker Canyon Harness Review

Saker aims to create gear that enhances the bond between dog and owner, enabling them to move together in every environment.

Saker’s first product was the Ascension harness, and the harness we are reviewing today, The Canyon, is its evolution. Replacing the Ascension harness, The Canyon incorporates feedback from thousands of dog owners to further refine the design, making it an even more functional solution for active lifestyles.

Saker Canyon Harness Review | Dog Gear Review

About the Saker Canyon Harness

The Saker Canyon Harness series is designed to be the ultimate all-in-one harness for all adventures, offering a range of functional features and add-ons. The modular design offers flexibility, letting you adapt the harness to whatever you need that day. You can use it as a basic Y-harness for everyday activities, add an extra chest strap for added security, or even attach a backpack for extended hikes.

The Core Harness is a minimalist, everyday option equipped with a convenient neck buckle, a reflective trim for visibility, and a large top handle for better control that is held down by a small magnet. It has five points of adjustment so even the length of the part between the front legs is adjustable.

It’s designed for casual walks and daily use.

Canyon Core Harness

Adjustable Core Harness

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For more challenging hikes or escape artists, the Extended Harness adds a removable second strap around the chest, making it ideal for dogs prone to slipping a harness or when you need to lift your dog over obstacles.

This way you get many leash attachment points: an additional back attachment point, a front D-ring, and a belly loop for long lines. There is also a velcro sleeve that you can attach between the second and the third strap to add a patch with a message.

Canyon Extended Harness

Adjustable, modular three-strap harness

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If you want the full package, the Canyon Pack Harness offers all the benefits of the Extended option, with the added detachable backpack for carrying items.

Inside the pouches, there are two mesh pockets making it easier to organize small items. The packs also have additional loops to secure them to the harness and prevent them from flopping around when the dog is running.

Canyon Pack Harness

A dog pack added over the extended harness

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Saker Canyon Light vs. Canyon Pro

The same three options mentioned above come in Light and Pro versions.

The Canyon Light Series is designed for those who want to keep their dog’s gear light. It features lightweight, durable plastic buckles making it lighter, and more affordable but still sturdy. While the Light series is highly versatile for outdoor adventures, it’s not crash-tested, so it isn’t suitable for car safety.

On the other hand, the Canyon Pro Series offers more robust features, including aluminum 7075 hardware and crash-testing certification by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). It received a 5-star rating under the Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards No. 213, making it ideal for both adventure and vehicle safety.

I chose the Light version for Zulu because I wanted to minimize the weight for long hikes and daily activities, and I didn’t need the crash-tested one as she has been traveling in a crate. The Light Series offers all the functionality I need without the added weight of the Pro, making it the perfect fit for the gear-shy Zulu whose motto is “less is more”.

Saker Canyon Light Review

I was very excited to finally have the chance to use the Canyon Harness after following Saker since their first Kickstarter campaign. I love the idea of having a versatile harness that can do it all instead of using a different harness for everyday walks, another for hikes, and a different one in the car, and then potentially getting a separate dog backpack. This also let us change up the dog’s gear as we go while normally I wouldn’t have another harness with me to switch things up.

While this harness might look bulky in photos, it is actually light and pretty minimalistic in real life. It’s padded but it’s not super thick so it fits most dogs pretty well without being rigid. Zulu is a gear-shy dog and she had no issues wearing this harness on our adventures.

Everything we have received from Saker was very well-made with lots of attention to smart details to create practical and versatile gear. I love that the large handle doesn’t just stick up but is held flat by a little magnet when we don’t need it. This helps with the streamlined look and minimizes the chances that the harness would get caught in the woods.

The last strap can be added quickly by snapping the pin in place on the top and attaching a small G-hook on the underside to the second strap so it is connected both on the top and the bottom. You can choose not to use the G-hook and only have the pin keeping the last strap in place if you need to push the third strap farther back on the dog’s waist which has its own pros and cons.

The Canyon harness offers seven points of adjustment which is plenty to ensure it fits most dogs well. Since Zulu has a very atypical ratio with her small neck and deep chest, the only issue I have been running into was that the space between the second and the third chest straps is not adjustable on the underside of the dog (it is actually adjustable on the top!).

While the second (middle) strap should sit a bit farther back on Zulu to provide a comfortable armpit clearance, I quickly realized that would push the third strap beyond the ribcage, making it sit over the belly area. If you are unsure how a three-strap harness should fit and why that is a concern, you can read our Three-Strap Dog Harness Fitting Guide for more information.

On Zulu, I opted to leave the last strap pretty loose so it wouldn’t put pressure on her stomach area when running but it was still tighter than her deep chest so it would still prevent her from slipping out. As you see in the photos, the second strap is also adjusted to the middle so it doesn’t provide full clearance to the front leg but has enough room not to bother her as it’s not sitting in the armpits either. The last strap is usually sitting at the end of her ribcage. On most dogs the chest straps seem to fit pretty well and again, this harness gives you so many opportunities to fine-tune that fit.

As you can see in the photos, my other small issue was that the excess strap material on the middle strap kept sliding out of the little pockets that are smartly placed there to tuck them away. They seem to work well when you only need to tuck away a short section or if you have a lot, but I had that awkward length when it was too much to tuck in without folding but was just too short when folded in so it kept coming out when Zulu was running around. This is clearly not a functionality issue and would probably not be an issue with most chest circumferences, we probably ran into it because of Zulu’s disproportionally deep chest not leaving enough strap to tuck in nicely.

Since we are talking about visuals here, I also wanted to point out that the handle of the Core harness goes beyond the line of the chest strap which I know some people don’t like. No functionality concerns just make sure you take a look at that if you are particular about such things.

I really enjoyed using the Pack version as well - it is a super lightweight addition that fits over the Extended harness perfectly. I definitely recommend watching a video first on how to attach the Dog Pack over the harness but after the first time, it goes pretty smoothly. It is actually a super smart solution to keep the handle accessible, maintain a full range of motion under the pack, and prevent it from flopping around while moving.

Although this is not confirmed on the website, the backpack section seems to be water resistant - if not fully waterproof - even the zipper section.

A sleek and minimalistic pack that still has a decent capacity.

The handle and leash attachment are still accessible with the pack on.

Saker Canyon Accessories

I love it when a company offers different accessories that you can mix and match with the gear and Saker does just that!

Saker PitchBlack Safety Light 2.0 Review

This is a bright, rechargeable light with 14 LEDs and has different modes and colors so you can dim it as needed. It is IP67 rated (waterproof) and comes with two elastic bands that you can use to attach it wherever it is needed.

This LED light is much brighter and larger than most lights used on harnesses and it feels super sturdy. There is a big button on the side that lets you cycle through all the modes quickly and it is easy to switch to any gear as needed.

The only concern I have with this light is the elastic attachment since it is only held by that. I can imagine if a dog is running through dense forests and hits something with the light, it could fall off or the elastic could break especially as the material gets older and is more likely to snap. We have been using this light for evening city walks and smaller hikes in the dark and have not had such an issue so far, but I wanted to mention that as a potential weakness over time.

PitchBlack Safety Light 2.0

Super sturdy and super bright!

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Saker Canyon Leash & Collar Review

The Canyon Collar and Canyon Leash is a minimalistic set that I got to love a lot more than expected. They are durable, sturdy, easy to clean and practical.

The Canyon leash is super light (2.45 oz (70 g)) and can be used as a hands-free leash, a regular leash, or a traffic lead. It can be adjusted in length between 4 to 6 feet and comes with an Aluminum swivel lock carabiner. It is sold in all colors to match the Canyon harnesses.

The Canyon collar comes with a removable handle (additional) and a velcro sleeve (included). You can even order an attachment to add the Fi tracker module to this collar! It has an aluminum buckle and D-ring with an additional plastic ring to attach a dog tag.

While this set might be easy to skip over while browsing online, I did end up using them regularly because they are so light, comfortable, and practical. My only small comment would be that the Aluminum collar buckle can be hard to open on smaller collars if your hands are freezing because they have small “pins” to press open, but this will probably not hold me back from continuing to use it.

Canyon Leash & Collar

Sturdy, low-profile but very well-made

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Functionality Review of the Saker Canyon Light Harness

No-pull correction: It has a no-pull ring and the harness can be used for no-pull training pretty well.
Running/Biking: Although the Canyon harness is sturdy, it is not a pulling harness and is not designed to be able to handle pulling sports over a long period. It is a good option if the dog just runs next to you but make sure to adjust it so it provides comfortable armpit clearance.
Hiking: The durable, light material makes it great for hikes. In addition, the harness dries fast and doesn’t soak in much water, so it’s a low-maintenance, easy-to-clean option for muddy hikes. The backpack addition allows the dog to carry some items.
City walk: It is a great and versatile harness for city walks. The multiple leash attachment points and the modular design let you adjust the gear to fit what you need for the walk of the day.
Easy to put on/adjust: The Core harness has three buckles and five adjustment points while the Extended version has five buckles and seven adjustment points. This is a highly adjustable harness that allows you to customize the fit but it also takes a while to adjust and re-adjust at the beginning to fine-tune the best setting on the dog. We didn’t have any issues with the buckles or sliders slipping or the chest straps loosening over time. There is a buckle on the neck strap so it doesn’t need to go over the dog’s head when putting it on/removing it.
Visibility: The reflective trim and the orange color keep this harness visible in the dark and you can also add their PitchBlack Safety Light for additional visibility.

Saker Canyon Review Summary

The Saker Canyon Harness is a well-made option for active dog owners who want a versatile, adaptable harness for a range of activities.

Its modular design allows for customization, so you can easily switch between a harness for casual walks, challenging hikes, or even pack-carrying adventures. I chose the Light version to keep Zulu’s gear comfortable but the crash-tested Pro version has its own advantages if someone needs a more robust option for car travel or in case you have a strong dog who needs control.

With attention to detail like the magnetic handle and seven adjustment points, Saker has created a harness that delivers a solution for many different use cases.

As always, be sure the harness is a good fit for YOUR dog. If you need help deciding, read our article on harness fitting or this one about three-strap harness fitting.