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

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

Sized for a 35–45cm chest girth, this is the harness to buy for a small dog that has learned to spin and back out of things. Small dogs are the usual escapers, because a wedge-shaped head and a slim neck give them a taper to work with. The fix is not a tighter harness but a correctly placed one: the girth strap sitting just behind the elbows rather than slid back towards the waist, and the neck opening closed down until there is no slack to duck through.

Ancol's poly-weave webbing holds its adjustment once set, and the soft air-mesh lining means you can take the straps in properly without the edges digging. Set it up on the doorstep, walk the dog twenty yards, then check it again — most escapes happen because the first fit was left loose.

Performance & Benefits

• Fits a 35–45cm chest girth, adjusted at both the neck and the girth rather than at one point only.
• Fully adjustable for a secure and comfortable fit — the whole point on an escape-minded dog.
• Durable poly-weave webbing with soft air-mesh fabric, so a firm setting still sits comfortably.
• Ancol say the design distributes pressure evenly for improved control and support.
• Reflective band for increased visibility in low light.

Suitable For

• Small dogs measuring 35–45cm around the chest, just behind the front legs.
• Dogs that back out of loosely fitted harnesses, or that shy and spin on the lead.
• Everyday walks, and car journeys used with a separate vehicle tether.
• Owners who will take the time to set both adjustment points properly.
• Not the right size once the chest passes 45cm — use the Ancol Viva Exercise & Travel Dog Harness Red M 45-65cm instead, which adjusts down to 45cm.

How to Use

• Measure the chest at its deepest point, just behind the front legs, and check it sits within 35–45cm.
• Fit the girth strap close behind the elbows, not slid back towards the waist, then close the neck opening down.
• Two fingers should slide flat under the webbing at both points, and no more.
• Test it before you leave: hold the lead and let the dog pull backwards. If the harness slides forwards over the shoulders, take it in further.
• For car use, attach a separate tether such as Ancol's ISOfix Seatbelt, item 741600, to the harness. It is not supplied here.
• Ancol publish no washing instructions; rinse in cool water and air dry, then recheck the settings.

Specification

• Size S, chest girth 35–45cm. Colour red. Ancol item code 182020.
• Poly-weave webbing with soft air-mesh fabric.
• One reflective band, as described by Ancol.
• Also made in M (45–65cm), L (60–85cm) and XL (80–120cm), in black, blue, lime, pink, purple and red.
• Ancol publish no webbing composition, weight, hardware metal, wash temperature or maximum dog weight for this harness, so none is stated.
• Some retail listings describe a padded chest section and two lead clips. Ancol publish neither, so neither is claimed here.

Care & Caution

• A correctly fitted harness must not allow the dog to back out of it. Check both the girth strap and the neck opening every time — two fingers flat under the webbing, no more.
• Ancol sell this for exercise and travel and list it under travel, but publish no crash test, no safety standard and no vehicle-restraint rating. Do not assume crash protection.
• Ancol describe no dedicated seatbelt loop on the harness, and no tether is included. A vehicle tether is a separate purchase.
• Ancol's own guidance on their ISOfix Seatbelt is that it must be attached to a suitable harness, never to a collar, and that it does not replace a crash-tested harness.
• A harness on a seatbelt restrains the dog rather than protecting it in a collision. Ancol make no protection claim, and neither do we.
• Inspect webbing, stitching and buckles regularly; retire the harness at the first sign of fraying or a cracked buckle.
• Not a tie-out point, and not to be left on an unsupervised dog.