Why I Couldn’t Find the Dog Harness I Wanted

People sometimes ask me how I started making dog harnesses.

The answer is very simple.

I couldn’t find one that I wanted to buy.

When I was looking for something for my own dog, everything seemed to fall into one of two categories.

It was either practical but uninspiring...

or fashionable but not particularly well made.

Most of it felt generic.

Lots of plastic.

Bright colours.

Very little attention to detail.

I remember thinking, “Surely someone could make something that was both beautiful and practical.”

Eventually I stopped looking.

I decided to make it myself.

I wasn’t trying to reinvent the dog harness.

I was simply trying to design the one I wished already existed.

For me, good design always starts with practical questions.

Would it be comfortable for the dog?

Would it be easy to put on and take off?

Would it adjust properly so it could be worn through different seasons?

Would it still feel good after years of use?

Those questions came first.

Only then did I begin thinking about the aesthetic.

Because I don’t believe practicality and beauty are opposites.

I think they belong together.

That’s why every SwaggaPets harness has a hidden internal structure that gives it strength while keeping the outside elegant.

It’s why the harnesses are highly adjustable, so they can accommodate a growing dog or fit comfortably over a lightweight winter jersey without becoming bulky.

It’s why we chose vegetable-tanned leather for our leashes and collars.

Leather shouldn’t become tired with age.

It should become more beautiful.

Just like a favourite pair of boots or an old leather bag, good leather develops character over time.

Yes, we waterproof it.

But we do it carefully.

We never wanted to seal the leather so completely that it could no longer breathe or age naturally.

We wanted to protect the leather without taking away the very thing that makes it so wonderful in the first place.

Perhaps that’s because we’ve always believed we should buy fewer things...

and love them for longer.

The same thinking found its way into our fabric collections.

We began creating designs like Mama’s Little Angel, Route 66, and Skull Garden because each collection was inspired by a different personality and a different story.

Dogs don’t care whether something is fashionable.

They care whether it’s comfortable.

The people who love them care about both.

Our dogs become part of our families.

They travel with us.

Walk through parks.

Come on road trips.

Curl up beside us at home.

They become part of our everyday lives.

Why shouldn’t the things they wear reflect a little of our own personality too?

I’ve always loved fashion—not because I want to follow every new trend, but because I’ve always appreciated thoughtful design.

Whether we’re designing a piece of jewellery, a bird in flight or a dog harness, we’re drawn to things that are both beautiful and practical.

I don’t expect a dog to notice whether a piece of leather has aged beautifully, or whether a fabric was carefully designed.

But I think the people who love that dog will.

And perhaps that’s enough.

Because the things we use every day deserve just as much thought as things we save for special occasions.