Help 'Em Up Harness

When Heidi was going through IVDD recovery, there were weeks where she needed help with almost every transition — getting up, going outside, navigating the few steps off the porch. The Help ‘Em Up is what made that manageable without hurting her or straining my back. It has a rear handle and a chest handle, which lets you lift from both ends and keep the spine level. That matters a lot when you’re assisting a dog with a spinal injury — uneven lifting puts torque on exactly the wrong place.

What distinguishes this harness from simpler lift handles is that it’s a full-body design. It fits around the chest and the hind end, so when you use the rear handle you’re lifting the hips and thighs, not just catching a belly. For IVDD dogs, that’s the whole point. The chest piece also gives you a stable contact point at the front if you’re navigating stairs.

The harness is wearable for extended periods, which is practical. During Heidi’s recovery, she wore it for long stretches so I could grab a handle quickly without fumbling to get equipment on her. Dogs don’t seem to mind it much once they’re used to it.

Is it worth the price?

The Help ‘Em Up runs around $100+ depending on size. If your dog needs daily assistance for weeks or months (post-surgery IVDD recovery, ongoing DM management, chronic mobility loss), it earns its price fast — it’s the kind of tool you use dozens of times a day and never regret spending on. Padding holds up, seams don’t fail, sizing stays adjusted through repeated on-and-off cycles.

The budget alternative — when it makes sense

If you’re facing a shorter recovery window (say, a few weeks of post-op assistance for a dog expected to walk again fully) or you’re on a tight budget, there’s a generic rear-support harness available for around $20 that gets most of the way there for basic lifting. A PICK FOR LIFE branded adjustable dog lift harness has front and rear handles similar to the Help ‘Em Up’s core design.

Honest tradeoffs of the budget option:

• Build quality is not the same. Padding is thinner, straps are lighter-duty, sizing is less precise. It’ll do the job for short-term use but won’t hold up to a year of daily wear the way the Blue Dog Designs original will.
• Sizing is less flexible. The budget one has adjustable straps but fewer sizing options, so fit is more approximate. Measure carefully before ordering.
• Comfort for extended wear. Fine for grabbing a handle to assist a transition. Not ideal for the “leave it on all day so I can help anytime” pattern that the Help ‘Em Up is designed for.

The rule of thumb: if you’ll use it every day for six months or more, the Help ‘Em Up is the right buy. If it’s a short-term recovery aid, the budget version can bridge the gap.

Sizing (real Help ‘Em Up)

Sizing is the most important thing to get right. The harness comes in multiple sizes and has some adjustability, but measuring your dog carefully matters — a too-loose harness shifts, which undermines both safety and comfort. The manufacturer’s sizing guide is your starting point.

One note: this is a harness for caregiving support, not for dogs who are fully ambulatory. If your dog is walking independently and you just want a handle for occasional stairs, a simpler design might suit you better and cost less. The Help ‘Em Up earns its price when you’re in daily active-assist mode and need a tool that distributes forces correctly over many uses.