Harnesses became widely used precisely because animal welfare guidelines spoke out against collars that can choke a dog and against improper usage. However, it can be stated that collar use does not generally place a heavy burden on a dog’s cervical nerves or trachea.

Similarly, with Y-harnesses, considering the dog’s behavior and temperament, and ensuring proper adjustment and sizing, it is possible to avoid restricting the dog’s breathing.

Julius-K9’s health-conscious product development has also addressed the drawbacks of Y-harnesses, leading to improvements in several of its Y-harness models. In the Mantrailing and Longwalk harnesses, flexible elements were incorporated to allow the harness to move naturally with every motion of the dog. For the Speed harness, the manufacturer used the thickest padding to reduce pressure on the dog’s neck line.