6 Best Dog Sling Harness for Handicapped Dogs Walking Support (2020)
Whether your aging senior dog needs a little help walking or standing up after a nap, or your puppy has had a surgery requiring you to help him walk or go up the stairs, a good dog sling harness is an easy way to assist your pet without causing further injury and straining yourself.
Using a sling helps you to support and stabilize a dog’s hind end. Some dogs need that extra support for walking due to degenerative conditions or weakness in their rear end, while others may only need the help for a brief period of time during recovery from a surgery or injury. Regardless, buying a dog sling harness, or making a homemade DIY lifting sling, is something you’ll need to consider for your handicapped dog.
The best dog sling harness will be easy for you to use and comfortable for your pet. You’ll have to consider the dog’s size and weight when choosing the right type. The key here is for the sling to assist you in lifting your dog without straining your back or shoulders.
How to Measure for the Best Dog Sling Harness
Finding the right fit is crucial when picking the best dog lifting sling for your pooch, which means measuring your dog accurately and specifically for a sling dog harness. For more tips on measuring your dog, read this guide and/or watch the video.
Because every dog sling harness will be different in design and the sizes differ based on the manufacturer, it’s always best to refer to the company’s own measuring guidelines. All of them will have a table on the website. For example, see GingerLead measuring table on the right.
There are two parts you’ll need to measure your dog for.
Measuring for strap length. Start the measure from the point where your hand will comfortably rest while holding the sling handle as you’re standing upright. From there, continue under your dog’s stomach and onto the other side until you reach the handle for a complete loop. Look at the number and then refer to the sizing table.
Measuring for the support pad width. Begin at the front of the dog’s hind legs (for male dogs, start at the front of the penis) and measure to the base of the rib cage. You can also try the towel test and see how to do in this in our DIY lifting sling guide here.
The slings that we’ve lifted here are all effective and affordable. Just be sure to follow the measurement instructions closely, as that will have a big impact on how comfortable the product is for your dog. A sling that is too big won’t be as effective, and one that is too small may cause injury to your pet.
Top 6 Best Dog Sling Harness Choices
1GingerLead Dog Support & Rehabilitation Harness
At the top of our list is the most popular dog sling option among pet owners from a well-known and reputable company GingerLead. It is proudly made in the USA and is designed for large to giant breed females over 55 pounds.
The support pad measures 7.5 inches wide with straps that can be adjusted from 38 to 60 inches long to suit the handler’s height. The pad is covered with sturdy nylon fabric on the outside and soft corduroy on the inside. These layers of sturdy pad and sheaths of nylon and corduroy prevent twisting and bunching, a common complaint in cheaper slings.
A detachable leash connects the collar or chest harness to the handle of the GingerLead Dog Support & Rehabilitation Harness which gives the handler more control over the dog.
The durability of the padded section design of this dog lifting sling makes it easy to lift dogs when they go potty, climb stairs, navigate slippery floors, stand up, or go up the car. The lead connecting the collar and this best dog sling harness keeps the whole thing from slipping out of place. This is perfect for dogs recovering from post-operative surgery or suffering from degenerative conditions.
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2Dog Lift Harness by AMZpets
The second top ranked dog sling harness has a very similar design yet differs in how it supports your pet. Carrying an elderly or injured dog with your bare hands and arms can cause more harm than good. Their injuries can worsen, and when they continue to be immobile for a long time, they run the risk of suffering from muscle atrophy.
AMZpets’ Dog Lift Harness introduces the right solution to your woes. This support sling is available in five sizes. The support pad for the medium size measures 29” x 6.7” and is designed for dogs with girth measurement of 21 to 24.5 inches and weighing 25 to 45 pounds.
This second best dog sling harness is the perfect solution for dogs suffering from immobility due to illnesses, injuries, and age-related issues. Owners of such dogs find it necessary to support their pet’s weight while walking, staying up, and doing other activities that require the dog to lift its own weight and move about. The Dog Lift Harness by AMZpets has an adjustable handle strap and works for different handlers’ height. This is an important feature that makes this product friendlier to the handler’s spine than other products are.
It takes only a few seconds to strap the entire gear of this dog lifting sling on your furry friend, and you’re good to go. It’s so easy to use, very handy, and a breeze to maintain. It folds to a nifty roll. Afflicted dogs, especially those that don’t do well with wheelchairs, finally have another option with this AMZpets support sling.
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3Blue Dog Lift Support Harness for Canine Aid
Are you always straining your back just to help up an elderly or injured dog? As noted above, using these support dog harnesses and slings ought to be a more ergonomic way to do that. And as the third best rated sling on the list we have the Blue Dog Lift Support Harness from Love Pets Love.
This is one that’s more affordable and perfectly designed for senior dogs with restricted mobility or for those suffering from spinal, leg, joint or hip injury, and other incapacitating conditions. It makes pet care stress-free and more comfortable to both pet and human. It is made of high-quality polyester and nylon with ultra-soft lining for added comfort and convenience.
Pet owners find this a very practical dog lifting sling to have around, because it works for different immobility conditions. The Blue Dog Lift Support Harness for Canine Aid can be positioned conveniently either on the dog’s chest, midsection, or close to the hips and hind legs, depending on which body section needs support. These features make this best dog sling harness so versatile that some pet sitters even keep one handy in their car and another in the house so that they have one whenever and wherever they need one.
Still, with this apparent adaptability, nothing beats getting the right size for your pet to ensure snug fit and full support. Two sizes are available. The Large size is designed for dogs weighing 45 to 75 pounds. The other size is Extra Large. It has a pad that measures 38” x 9” to support hefty dogs from 75 to over 100 pounds in weight. Dogs love the independence, and this sling is the closest thing to that, even when you’re slightly lifting them in the rear.
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4Labra Veterinarian-Approved Dog Canine Sling Lift
While more expensive, this is probably one of the best support slings there is in terms of durability and the materials used. It has leveled up in terms of comfort and sturdiness. This popular dog sling from Labra offers more comfort to both pet and human.
Its soft wooly padding makes it really gentle on the dog. The heavy-duty and extra wide pad provides a strong and even lift. On the other hand, the adjustable strap eliminates the need for you to lean over when lifting the dog or aiding it to stand or walk.
The Extra-Large size dog lifting sling measures a good 33.5” x 9.5” and is superbly made. Two smaller sizes are also available for medium and large dogs. Pet owners are extremely happy about their purchase of the Labra Veterinarian-Approved Dog Canine Sling Lift. In fact, when they walk their dog around, people admiringly look their way.
Buyers always end up recommending it because pet owners or people in the vet’s office often ask where to buy it. This best dog sling harness has simplified routines, such as bringing their pets for rehabilitation sessions, climbing stairs, or going to the bathroom. It rolls to a neat little thing that can be tucked away or tossed in a bag.
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5KomfyFleece Dog Mobility Sling Lift Harness
KomfyFleece’s Dog Mobility Sling Lift Harness provides optimum comfort, lift, and safety if your dog were to live a normal life in spite of his old age or injury, and won’t cost an arm and a leg to pet owners on a budget.
This fifth rated dog sling has a soft fleece lining that’s gentle on the chest, hind legs, or abdomen. It protects the skin when lifting or assisting your dog to stand, walk, get into the car, or climb stairs.
The outer surface of this dog lifting sling is protected by an ultra-suede fabric. Underneath is a thick and sturdy padding, while the opposite surface in lined with fleecy material. Nylon straps provide the lifting support on all four ends of the pad, coming all together at the padded handle. There are two buckled straps for securing the support pad around your dog’s torso. The Extra Large size of the KomfyFleece Dog Mobility Sling Lift Harness has three of these straps with quick-release clasps, which is very useful for heftier dogs.
Now, the KomfyFleece has a really wide support pad compared to other best dog sling harness products mentioned above. This is a good feature, but others had hesitations because really wide pads may cause bunching in the middle and that would be uncomfortable for the dog. To their surprise, however, there was no bunching and the sling held its shape rather well. The handle is short and is best for assistive lifting. So if you happen to be very tall, it’s best to consider your height, your dog’s height when standing on all fours, and the length of this short handle.
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6My Busy Dog Dog Lift Support Harness
The last of our favorite dog sling harnesses on the list is this Dog Lift Support Harness from My Busy Dog – a very versatile and easy to use. It helps frail or injured dogs, including those recovering from post-op surgery, to enhance their mobility and their ability to stand up.
This support sling adjusts in two ways. First, the pad itself adjusts to the dog’s torso. It has 4 inches of Velcro flap at the top end to help wrap the pet’s torso snugly. Second, the straps are adjustable to the user or handler, so the height of the human is a non-issue. The support pad for the Extra-Large size is 10 inches wide and 37 inches long, and it’s sturdy enough to assist a huge dog easily without stressing your back.
When going through the dog sling harness reviews, the first thing that attracted pet owners to this sling is its relative affordability compared to other slings of similar specifications. After buying the My Busy Dog Dog Lift Support Harness, they could only express their satisfaction at its high functionality. It has taken over improvised harnesses and previously bought ones. They were either unsatisfactory or simply unsafe.
This dog lifting sling works for dogs with different immobility issues because it can be placed at the front near the chest or at the back near the hips. The heavy-duty materials used in this sling make it one that could withstand constant use and normal wear and tear. Superficial dirt wipes off its surface easily, and it washes well in the washing machine, too. After using, it can be rolled up for easy storage. Simple and highly-functional – that’s what this sling is all about.
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