Trail Running With Your Dog [2025 Guide]
Real-world advice for trail running with your dog: in this post we share everything we wish we knew when we were new to running with our own…
Considering how many adventure-loving dogs there are in the world – and especially here in North America, it’s surprising how few brands there are out there that design and create quality, durable dog gear that’s suitable for tackling anything you and your adventures can throw at it. Säker Canine is one of those brands you need to know about if you, too, are interested in this type of premium dog gear.
In this review, I’m sharing my experience with the Saker Canine Canyon Harness. The Canyon harness is a highly functional, modular dog harness that’s suitable for a whole range of activities, including running, hiking and everyday use – and there are various add-ons and accessories you can get for it to tailor your harness to what you (and your human) need it for. This review includes tips on choosing the right harness options (as there are a few variations to choose from), as well as how to select the right size for you.
As well as my in-depth review of the Saker Canine Canyon Light harness, I’ve also been checking out some of Saker’s other dog gear, including their Canyon collar and leash, so I’m sharing my thoughts on those, too.
If you haven’t read one of my adventure dog gear reviews before, then WELCOME! A little bit about me. I’m Kepler, the resident adventure dog here at Trail & Kale. I’m a 50lb Border Collie, who loves to run, explore, herd and fetch frisbees (and the occasional ball). I’ve reviewed a ton of dog gear in my time, including some of the best dog beds, the Fi GPS dog collar, and a variety of dog gear from other brands such as Ruffwear and Kurgo. You can check out all my dog gear reviews and roundups on our Dogs Run Too page.
About Saker Canine
Säker Canine (but I’ll call it Saker Canine because I don’t have the ‘ä’ function on my keyboard!) is a Canadian dog gear company committed to outfitting the adventurous and working dogs out there with premium, functional and enjoyable dog gear that they stand behind.
Perhaps their most well-known products are the Saker Canyon Pro and Light harnesses – the latter of which is the subject of this review, but they also have a whole range of other dog gear including collars, leashes, boots and accessories, which you can browse on Saker Canine’s website (and if you buy anything, remember to use our discount code TRAILANDKALE10 for 10% off your order!)
Which Saker Canine Harness Should You Choose? (Light vs. Pro, Core vs. Extended vs. Pack)
The Canyon harness is available in two styles, the Canyon Light and the Canyon Pro, so first your human needs to choose which style is best for your needs.
The Canyon Light is lighter-weight than the Canyon Pro, and better for activities such as long distance trekking and running or mountain-biking with your dog – or any activity where you don’t need their harness to be crash-tested. The Canyon Pro, on the other hand, is a similar harness but has aluminum hardware and weighs a little more – for that, however, you get a harness you can use to secure your dog in the car.
Once they’ve decided on the Light vs Pro, they can choose between the Canyon Core or Extended harness options.
I have the Extended version, which you can see me wearing in the photos throughout this Saker Canine review. It features an extra belly strap, that you can add or remove to effectively convert it down to the Core version. The Extended version is a better choice for escape artists, or situations where your human needs to help you up or off obstacles such as rocks and trail obstacles, or simply in and out of the car.
There is also a Pack option of the Canyon Harness, which is the Extended harness plus two packs (a one-piece item with one pack that sits either side of the dog), that are removable. In hindsight, I wish my humans had ordered me the pack version so we have the option of me carrying some of my stuff – I like having jobs like that to do!
As well as the harness options I’ve explained above, there are also loads of optional Canyon harness accessories to choose from, such as a light, airtag holder, GoPro mount, and velcro sleeves for attaching patches, which may be something your humans may want to add flair, or be more functional like telling others that you’re a busy working dog and not to be distracted… or a pup that does not like the touchy-touchy from random strangers or dogs.
Similarly, there are lots of optional extras for the matching collar, such as an attachment for the Fi Series 3 so you can easily add your dog’s Fi GPS tracker to their collar (learn more about that GPS dog collar in my Fi Dog Collar review).
Essential features of the Saker Canyon Light Dog Harness
Like I mentioned above, this harness is going to be very appealing if you need more support while lifting, given the extra belly strap, and top handle. That is likely to be especially true if you’re a larger, longer, older, or less-able dog.
The top handle has a small magnetic within it that allows it to be snapped down to the harness when not being used. This is a great feature that means it doesn’t get in the way when it’s not needed.
The extra row of belly straps is also a great choice if you are capable of shimmying yourself out of other, smaller harnesses. You know, the old reversing head-down trick with the straight front legs finish. Ya, IYKYK. That’s (almost) got me free on several occasions in smaller, less secure harnesses.
That said, if you don’t need to use them all the time then you (well, your human) can remove the extra row of straps. It’s really easy to do, using a slide-through aluminum pin on the top, and a secure clip that attaches to a webbing loop on your underside.
The shoulder strap can be unclipped on the left side, so to get this harness on your human doesn’t need to pass it over your head – I know some dogs hate having harnesses slid on over their head, so that’s a great feature for y’all.
The buckles for the main straps on the Canyon light are high-quality plastic clips, which are lighter than the aluminum ones on the Canyon Pro, and much more secure than those generic plastic pinch-clips you find on other harnesses. Here’s a full comparison of the two harnesses if you’re still undecided.
There are leash clips on the back and front of the harness, and there’s also a loop to clip the leash on at the back of the harness, which is great for pulling, such as if you go running or skiing with your human and want to pull them out front. It’s much safer for your back (less chance of injury) than trying to pull with a leash clipped on to you between your shoulders.
I love the color options of this harness – we chose the bright orange but there are other bright colors as well as a stealthy black option. I think it looks very smart contrasting with my black coat. The materials used on all these harnesses are TPU coated nylon with PP ribbed webbing, and the D-rings are made from aluminum alloy.
The harness material has rainbow-reflective properties, that help you be seen when out adventuring in the dark or low light conditions – very cool!
It comes with a lifetime warranty so you can buy it and be confident it is going to last a long time – which is especially important when your humans are spending a lot on a premium item of dog gear like this.
Sizing tips – what size Saker Canine harness should you order?
The Saker Canine Canyon Light and Pro harnesses are available in three sizes, Small, Medium and Large. My Canyon Light weighs 0.74lb (335g) in the Small size – the larger sizes are a little heavier.
When working out what size will fit you best, you’ll find that Saker’s sizing corner is super helpful. It shows examples of other dogs of different shapes, sizes and weights, wearing the harness, with front and side views of them, and tells you what size they’re wearing.
They actually had a 48lb Border Collie (the same breed and similar weight to me) modeling a Small harness as one of their examples, which was very helpful for us as it confirmed that a Small would fit me, too. You can also check out the dimensions… and make sure your humans measure your girth properly!
It’s worth noting that I was surprised to find that despite weighing 50lb, I measured up for a Small, rather than the Medium I tend to be in other dog gear brands. So, my tip is to definitely check their clear sizing guide to ensure you’re ordering the right size for your body shape. This also means that if you’re a small adventure dog (say under 20lb, you may find that the Small is still too large for you).
Cost and where to buy the Saker Canine dog harness
The price of the Saker Canine Canyon Light dog harness varies depending on which version you choose, from $69.99 through to $129.99 for the Extended version with Pack. My specific style costs $89.99.
The best place to find all the sizes and colors of the Canyon Light and Pro dog harnesses and packs is to shop directly on Saker Canine’s website, where you can filter by price, color and features to select the right one for you:
If your humans decide to buy you some gear from Saker Canine, remind them to use our exclusive code TRAILANDKALE10 to get 10% off the order!
As well as getting one for yourself, I also want to highlight how freakin’ cool the packaging is that this Saker Canine gear comes in – making it a really nice gift for a dog-lover in your life. Take a look at the picture below for an idea:
And the really smart box the Canyon collar comes in, as another example:
Other Saker Canine Canyon Dog Gear
If you’re really getting treated then your humans are also going to want to check out the matching Saker Canyon leash and Canyon dog collar options while they’re on the site. At $30 and $40 respectively, they’re priced well considering how robust and functional they are.
The collar features a sturdy Cobra-style clip and has some great optional extras such as the Fi collar attachment I mentioned earlier, and the option to add a grab handle to help control you around traffic or exciting things.
The Canyon leash attaches to your collar or harness with an easy-to-use carabiner, so it can’t easily get caught and come off like cheap leashes can do. It’s highly adjustable so you can also use it hands-free or as a shorter traffic leash. My humans are fans of the narrow webbing, which is a lot easier to grip onto (especially when I’m pulling…) than wider webbing leashes.
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