How to Measure Your Dog for a Waterproof Jellies Harness
By Weatherproof luxury for dogs | Published: 2026-10-14
Category: How-to Guides
Measure your dog's girth correctly and pick the right Waterproof Jellies Harness size the first time. A simple three-step method with the checkpoints that prevent returns.
Quick answer
Measure your dog's girth at the widest point of the ribcage, just behind the front legs, using a soft tape held snug but not tight. Take that number standing, then repeat it once to confirm. Since the Waterproof Jellies Harness is a step-in style, the girth is the measurement that decides your size.
Why girth decides the size, not back length
Most harness sizing problems come from measuring the wrong dimension. Back length tells you where a harness sits along the spine, but it does not tell you whether the straps will close comfortably around the body. Girth does. On a step-in harness, the dog's legs pass through the openings and the strap closes over the back, so the circumference around the ribcage is the number that has to match.
This is also why two dogs of the same breed and weight can need different sizes. A deep-chested dog and a barrel-chested dog may weigh the same but measure very differently around the ribs. Weighing your dog is useful for health tracking, but it is not a substitute for a tape measure when you are choosing harness sizing.
What the Waterproof Jellies Harness sizing details do and do not tell you
The catalog describes the Waterproof Jellies Harness as handmade in Canada, built from high-quality waterproof materials, fully washable, and engineered to be gentle on fur and skin with no rubbing or irritation. The step-in design is meant to make getting ready quick. Those are the facts you can rely on when planning fit.
A published numeric size chart for this harness is not included in the product details, so do not guess a size from weight or breed. Measure your dog first, then match that number against the size options available on the product page. If your measurement lands between two sizes, the honest answer is to check the product page options rather than assume a fit.
Step-by-step harness measurement
- Step 1: Gather the right tools: Use a soft fabric tape measure, the kind used for sewing. If you only have a rigid metal tape or a ruler, use a piece of string or a shoelace instead, wrap it around the dog, mark the overlap point, then lay the string flat against a ruler. Checkpoint: a metal tape will not follow the curve of the ribcage and will give you a false reading.
- Step 2: Find the girth point: Locate the widest part of the ribcage, which sits just behind the front legs and behind the shoulder blades. This is the same spot a saddle would sit on a horse. Do not measure across the chest or over the shoulders, because those areas are narrower and will make the harness too tight. Checkpoint: if you are unsure, run your hand along the ribs until you feel the widest point, then wrap the tape there.
- Step 3: Wrap and read the measurement: Wrap the tape around the ribcage at that point, keeping it level and parallel to the ground. The tape should sit snug against the fur, like a well-fitting collar, but you should still be able to slide one finger underneath it. Read the number where the tape meets itself. Checkpoint: if the tape digs into the fur or leaves a visible indentation, it is too tight and will cause the rubbing the harness is designed to avoid.
- Step 4: Measure again standing: Have your dog stand squarely on all four legs for the measurement. A sitting or lying dog compresses the ribcage, which can shrink the reading by an inch or more. Take the measurement twice and use the larger of the two numbers if they differ. Checkpoint: if the two readings differ by more than half an inch, your dog moved or the tape slipped. Measure a third time.
- Step 5: Compare to the size options on the product page: Take your confirmed girth number and compare it against the size options listed for the Waterproof Jellies Harness. Because a numeric size chart is not published in the product details, use the options shown on the product page as your reference. If your measurement falls between two sizes, the product page is the place to confirm which option covers your number. Checkpoint: never size up or down based on weight or breed alone. Use the girth number.
- Step 6: Do a fit check when the harness arrives: Put the harness on your dog using the step-in design, close the strap over the back, and check two things: you can fit one finger under the strap at the girth point, and the harness does not slide side to side when your dog walks. Watch for any fur bunching or skin pinching at the leg openings. Checkpoint: if the harness shifts or rubs on the first walk, re-measure before assuming the size is wrong. A small measurement error is more common than a wrong size.
Product facts that affect fit
- Waterproof Jellies Harness - Hunter: Handmade in Canada from high-quality waterproof materials, fully washable, and designed to be gentle on fur and skin with no rubbing or irritation. A waterproof, washable harness can be worn in rain, mud, and swimming conditions, so an accurate girth measurement matters more than with a fair-weather harness you rarely adjust.
- Waterproof Jellies Harness - Sailor: Step-in style that makes getting ready a breeze. With a step-in harness, the dog steps into the openings and the strap fastens over the back, so the girth measurement is the primary sizing number to get right.
- Waterproof Jellies Harness - Saddle: Durable construction with the same waterproof, washable, skin-friendly design as the rest of the collection. Durability means the harness should hold its fit over time, so measuring once and measuring correctly saves you from replacing a poorly sized harness later.
