Update on 11/20/2024: Unfortunately it seems like the Yutipet store is closed
About Yutipet
Montana Dog is a small company selling harnesses, leashes, and collars which are handmade in Hungary from quality materials.
The details of the Montana Dog RnD Safety Harness
The RnD Safety Harness is a Y-harness with a reflective neck part for visibility. It has five adjustment points and it comes in 10 sizes which makes it a great fit for most dogs.
Two adjustment points are on the chest and also on the neck-straps while the fifth is where the chest part meets the chest straps.
With the slider on the photo below, you can set how far back the chest straps are positioned on the dog so it doesn’t interfere with the shoulder movement. The chest strap is sewed to the other strap that you move with the slider.
The chest and back parts of the harness are padded with a breathable, mesh material while the outside of the harness is sturdy, durable material.
One of the biggest features of this harness is the big, round custom patch that can also be a graphic design of your pick! It stays in place with velcro and can be replaced with another one easily. Montana Dog sells many different designs but you can also contact them regarding your custom ideas.
The harness has only one steel leash attachment ring which is on the back. The medium-sized and bigger harnesses also have a handle that is padded with the same material as the harness. Having the handle alongside the dog’s body mitigates the risk of getting stuck on something in the forest while running off-leash.
Montana Dog also sells a similarly designed leash and collar to go with the harness. The same padded material makes the leash very comfortable to hold, but it also gets wet and dirty easily. It is a great, short leash with a ring to put it around your shoulders.
Our only small problem with the matching accessories is that the color of the leash is not matching the harness, it is a different shade of yellow. This is just something to mention for those who are sensitive to these small details but has nothing to do with quality or usability.
Altogether, this harness was made with the dog’s comfort in mind. It is ergonomic, visible and has room for custom text and graphics.
RnD Safety Harness Review
We tested this harness for over three months to see how it handles the rain, mud and how it stays place on long hikes. The visibility is one of the selling points of this harness: the colors did not fade at all so far and the outer material looks very durable. There are no signs of quality issues on the material so far even though bushes scratched the harness and the patches a lot.
The chest and neck straps are easily adjustable and they stayed place well after setting it up on Mia. The neck strap itself is covered with a reflective material that does seem to be a little more sensitive. It still looks good on ours but probably the sliders would wear out the reflective material right under it after a longer period.
The feature we were most excited about is the adjustable part between the legs. This is important to ensure there is enough room behind the front legs of the dog so the chest straps aren’t cutting into the armpits. If you leave this part too long, the chest part will hang loose on your dog more than it supposed to.
The photo below is a little misleading since many similar styled harnesses will hang somewhat loose on the chest when the dog is sniffing the ground even if it is perfectly fitted. While some room under a thin chest part is okay, if you see this much room, probably it is a good idea to adjust the position of the chest straps and make the chest part shorter.
Adjusting the chest part is easy but unfortunately, this is the only slider that did not hold as well as we expected.
We set it up on the first photo before going for a hiking weekend. In the second photo, you see where the slider was after the weekend. It was holding up for a while, when we checked after the first day, it was still in place and it does stay there if you go for less intense adventures with your dog but it slowly lets it slide back after a few running session. Mia usually loosened it up while playing fetch or running around with other dogs but not during leash walking or a slower-paced hike.
The breathable mesh padding inside the harness is similar to the ones in the Truelove harnesses. They are soft on the fur for sure but it also means they collect mud and water. Once you get home after a rainy walk, a fair amount of water will drip from the harness. On the other hand, at least it dries out within a few hours due to the mesh material.
The other con of the padded chest part is that it becomes heavy when it is soaked through and moves around on the dog more than usual. While it is padded, it is also thin, easily foldable so it doesn’t hold its shape as much when it is wet. The tricky thing is that this is only visible on a photo, you might not even notice it flapping around in real life. This isn’t a functionality issue: if you set up the lengths of the chest part properly and check it regularly to see if it stays there, it shouldn’t slide up as much to cause any issues.
If the wet chest part on your dog is as loose as on the photo below, or your dog has shorter legs, there is a risk that their front legs would get stuck in the harness when they play and change directions fast. You can always shorten the lengths of the chest part with the slider or if your dog was between sizes, a smaller size could also solve this problem.
When the harness is not wet, it stays in place nicely, doesn’t turn much on the dog even if they run around off-leash.
Review Summary
The Montana Dog RnD Safety Harness is a durable, well-designed harness which is comfortable for the dog even on long hikes. It has an easy-to-grab handle, strong leash attachment ring and high visibility for safety.
The option to add custom graphic patches is a unique idea that we haven’t seen on the market so far!
As always, be sure the harness is a good fit for YOUR dog. If you need help deciding, read our article on harness fitting.
Functionality Review of the RnD Safety Harness
No-pull correction: Does not have a no-pull ring on the front.
Running/Biking: It is not a pulling harness but it is good for trying out bikejorning, jogging, etc. as an occasional hobby, before deciding to buy specific equipment.
Hiking: It’s a sturdy and durable harness that probably lasts long, even with frequent hikes. The handle is easy to grab in case your dog would need a lift here and there. The soft inside material prevents chafing, but it also collects mud and dirt.
City walk: Works well, the reflective neck straps make it highly visible at night!
Easy to put on/adjust: The neck part goes over the head, and you can use the two buckles on the chest straps to secure it.
Visibility: it has reflective elements, and you can get it in highly visible colors.
Where to buy
Montana Dog only has a Hungarian website at the moment, therefore, we suggest reaching out via email to hello@yutipet.hu. They do ship abroad and have resellers in a few other countries as well so just ask them about the options!
As of now, this harness comes in eight colors and ten sizes! For reference, the harness on Mia was size M2. Don’t forget that this harness is hand-wash only on max 30 Celsius (86 Fahrenheit)!
Mia’s measurements
Many of you asked Mia’s measurements to better understand the different products’ fit. Your best chance of finding a good fitting gear is always to measure (and remeasure) your dog. Even we grab the measuring tape before getting a new product - even though we tested a lot of them, and have a good feeling of her size by now.
I share her measurements below, but don’t go ahead and order the same size just because your dog is similar to Mia ;)
Shoulder height: 19.5 inches (50 cm)
Weight: 37-44 pounds (17-20 kg)
Widest chest circumference (where the most harness would have the chest strap): 25-26 inches (63-65 cm)
Neck circumference for collars: 15-16 inches (38-40 cm)
Back lengths: 22 inches (56 cm)
