I got Biscuit — a miniature dachshund, eight months old, approximately 3kg of pure determination — last autumn. The first few weeks of walks were wonderful. He trotted along beside me, nose to the ground, perfectly content. I thought I'd somehow lucked into an easy dog.
Then he discovered squirrels. And pigeons. And the specific lamppost three streets over that apparently requires investigation every single time. And the walks stopped being wonderful and started being a daily negotiation between my arm and his neck.
The Problem With a Collar on a Small Dog
Dachshunds are not built for collar pressure. Their necks are long and relatively delicate, and the breed is already prone to spinal issues — the last thing you want is additional strain from a collar every time they lunge at something interesting. My vet mentioned it at Biscuit's six-month check: if he's pulling, get him into a harness. The collar is fine for ID tags, not for walking a dog that pulls.
The problem was finding a harness that actually fit. Biscuit's chest girth is 26cm. Most harnesses start at sizes that are technically labelled small but are clearly designed for dogs twice his size. I'd tried two before the DORAMIO — one that slipped off his shoulders within ten minutes, one that he refused to walk in at all, standing completely still in the hallway with the expression of a dog who has been gravely wronged.
I needed something genuinely XXS, genuinely well-made, and genuinely easy to get on a dog who has strong opinions about being dressed.
Why I Chose the DORAMIO
I found it on ALTOE while searching specifically for XXS harnesses for small breeds. The size specification was the first thing that reassured me: XXS fits chest girth 24–28cm, with the explicit advice to measure before ordering. That precision — actual centimetre measurements rather than vague size labels — told me this was designed for genuinely small dogs rather than just scaled down from a medium.
The step-in design was the other thing that sold it. Rather than going over the head — which Biscuit objects to on principle — you lay it flat, let the dog step into it, and clip it up at the back. For a dog who treats any overhead garment as a personal affront, this was a significant practical advantage.
The no-choke design distributes pulling pressure across the chest and shoulders rather than the neck, which was exactly what the vet had recommended. The high-density breathable air-mesh meant he wouldn't overheat — important for a dog who runs warm and lives in a centrally heated flat. And the 360° reflective strips were genuinely useful: we walk in the evenings after work, often in low light, and visibility matters.
The set includes a 140cm leash with a soft padded handle, which I hadn't expected to care about and turned out to care about quite a lot after twenty minutes of walking with an unpadded handle in cold weather. The D-ring for ID tags meant I could move his tag from the collar without any fuss. The loop for a poop bag holder was a small detail that made immediate practical sense.
Getting It On — The Real Test
Biscuit's reaction to the step-in process was, by his standards, remarkably calm. I laid the harness flat, guided his front paws into the loops, clipped the quick-release buckle at the back, and adjusted the magic tape fastener to fit snugly. The whole process took about forty-five seconds. He looked down at it, sniffed it once, and then looked at the front door. That was the most positive response I'd had to any piece of equipment since his lead.
The fit was exactly right for a 26cm chest. Snug enough that it couldn't slip, loose enough that he could move freely. I could fit two fingers under the straps at every point, which is the standard check for harness fit. No bunching, no rubbing, no areas of pressure.
The First Walk
The difference was immediate. When Biscuit lunged at a pigeon approximately thirty seconds into the walk, the pressure went across his chest and shoulders rather than his neck. He stopped, looked mildly surprised, and then carried on walking. No yelping, no drama, no the-world-is-ending expression. Just a dog recalibrating his approach to pigeons.
By the end of the walk he was pulling less than he had in weeks. I don't think that's entirely the harness — some of it is that the feedback he gets from chest pressure is different to neck pressure and he's learning from it. But the harness created the conditions for that learning to happen without causing him any discomfort in the process.
Six Weeks of Evening Walks
We're six weeks in. The pulling has reduced significantly — not eliminated, because Biscuit remains a dog with strong opinions about the world — but manageable in a way it wasn't before. The reflective strips have been genuinely useful on darker evenings; I've had a cyclist thank me for having a visible dog, which I hadn't anticipated but appreciated.
The mesh has cleaned easily — a wipe down after muddy walks, an occasional hand wash, and it comes back looking exactly as it did. The quick-release buckle has stayed secure through six weeks of daily use with no signs of wear. The leash handle padding has held up well and remains comfortable even in cold weather.
Biscuit now brings me his harness when he wants a walk. He picks it up in his mouth and drops it at my feet. I choose to interpret this as a sign that he's comfortable in it and associates it with good things. My vet, at his last check, noted that his neck showed no signs of strain. That's the outcome I was looking for.
What Changed
Evening walks went from something I was managing to something I look forward to. That's the honest summary. Biscuit is more comfortable, I'm more comfortable, and the walks themselves are calmer and more enjoyable for both of us. The vet is happy. The squirrels remain a work in progress.
If you have a small dog who pulls on a collar, or a dog who objects to overhead harnesses, or simply a dog whose neck you'd rather not put under unnecessary strain — this is the product I'd point you towards. It does exactly what it says, it fits genuinely small dogs, and it comes with a leash that's actually worth using.
Get Yours
👉 Shop the DORAMIO Step-in Dog Harness and Leash Set on ALTOE
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Written by Fiona Driscoll. All opinions are her own.
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