Ancol Viva Exercise & Travel Dog Harness Blue S 35-45cm

Ancol Viva Exercise & Travel Harness – Blue, Small (35–45cm)

This is the 35–45cm chest girth version of the Viva, in blue. On a small dog the reflective band earns its place quickly: a terrier at knee height sits below a car's dipped beam for most of a village lane, and a strip of returned light across the chest is what a driver picks up first. Ancol fit one band and make no visibility-distance claim for it, which is the honest position — it helps, it is not lighting.

Blue is a practical choice for a dog that is dark-coated, since the harness itself stays visible against the coat in daylight and the band does the work after dusk. The webbing is Ancol's poly-weave, lined with soft air-mesh, and the whole 10cm size band is covered by adjustment rather than by choosing between two shells.

Performance & Benefits

• Reflective band for increased visibility in low-light conditions, which is where a low-slung small dog is hardest to see.
• Fits a 35–45cm chest girth — Ancol's smallest size in this harness.
• Durable poly-weave webbing with soft air-mesh fabric for breathability.
• Fully adjustable, so the fit is set to the dog rather than to a size label.
• Ancol say the design distributes pressure evenly for improved control and support.

Suitable For

• Small dogs measuring 35–45cm around the chest behind the front legs.
• Early-morning and after-work walks on unlit lanes and pavements.
• Everyday walking, and car journeys used with a separate vehicle tether.
• Dark-coated small breeds that vanish against a hedge at dusk.
• Too small for a dog measuring over 45cm — the Ancol Viva Exercise & Travel Dog Harness Blue M 45-65cm is the next size up and carries the same reflective band.

How to Use

• Measure round the deepest part of the chest, just behind the front legs, before choosing between S and M.
• Open the buckles, sit the chest panel over the breastbone, then fasten and adjust.
• Set the girth so two fingers slide flat under the webbing and no further.
• Keep the reflective band clear of a coat or jumper worn over the top, or it does nothing.
• For car journeys attach a separate tether, such as Ancol's ISOfix Seatbelt, item 741600, to the harness. It is not included.
• Ancol publish no wash temperature; rinse in cool water and dry away from radiators, which also protects the reflective surface.

Specification

• Size S, chest girth 35–45cm. Colour blue. Ancol item code 182070.
• Poly-weave webbing with soft air-mesh fabric.
• One reflective band. Ancol publish no visibility distance for it, and none is stated here.
• Also made in M (45–65cm), L (60–85cm) and XL (80–120cm); Ancol's colours are black, blue, lime, pink, purple and red.
• Ancol publish no webbing composition, fabric weight, harness weight, hardware metal, wash temperature or maximum dog weight for this harness, so none is given.
• Some retail listings describe a padded chest section and two lead clips. Ancol publish neither, so neither is claimed here.

Care & Caution

• Reflective material is passive — it returns light from headlamps. It is not a substitute for a lit collar or lamp on an unlit road.
• Ancol name this an exercise and travel harness and list it under travel, but publish no crash test, safety standard or vehicle-restraint rating for it. Do not assume crash protection.
• No vehicle tether is included, and Ancol describe no dedicated seatbelt loop on the harness. A tether is bought separately.
• Ancol's instruction on their own ISOfix Seatbelt is that it must be attached to a suitable harness and never to a collar, and that it does not replace a crash-tested harness.
• With a seatbelt or tether a harness restrains the dog and keeps it out of the footwells and front seats. That is restraint, not certified crash protection, and Ancol claim no more.
• A correctly fitted harness must not let the dog reverse out of it. Recheck the girth and neck opening each time — two fingers flat under the webbing, no more.
• Check webbing, stitching and buckles regularly and retire the harness if anything is frayed or cracked.