The Official Release of the Dashback™ Open-Back Dog Mushing Harness

We are pleased to announce the official release of the Dashback™ Open-Back Dog Mushing Harness.

The Dashback Open-Back Harness is purpose built for strenuous dog-pulling sports like canicross, bikejoring, scootering, skijoring, and sled dog mushing. The Dashback was designed to remove pressure on the spine of a full-stride sprint dog. It provides unhindered movement with balanced pull per side, a favorite of sprint hounds but can be used by almost any breed (please consult with us before purchase). It features lightweight materials with custom fit options.

The Dashback Open-Back Harness was developed in conjunction with members of Team USA including 3-time 2025 Dryland World Champion, Mikki Douglass.

There are six standard sizes. The sizing is based on hounds including Eurohounds and German Short Haired Pointers GSP. For other breeds, please consult with us. Custom sized Dashbacks are coming soon.

The official launch of the Dashback™ is at Iron Paws Race, part of the Alpine Cup Race Series, in Cle Elum, Washington October 3, 2026.

Size Information:
Standard Sizes (Neck x Tail, Chest) in inches:
1: TBD 
2: TBD
3: 16 x 15, 13 - Small
4: 18 x 18, 14 - Medium Long
5: 18 x 15, 15 - "The Dude"
6: 17 x 17, 14 - Medium
7: 18 x 18, 16 - Large
8: 20 x 18, 16 - Large Long
9: TBD
10: TBD

Materials:
Poly webbing
Cordura
Ottertex
Polartec Fleece

Care Instructions: 
Hand-wash and air dry

What is the History of Alpine Outfitters Dashback?

When speed is in your DNA, standard gear simply won’t cut it. Long before becoming a 3-time Dryland Mushing World Champion for the USA National Team, Mikki Douglass was already pushing performance limits as a professional motocrosser and mountain biker. When Mikki transitioned to dog mushing in the late 2000s with a mixed team of Black Labradors, one goal immediately took priority: finding a way to go faster.

That quest for pure, unhindered speed gave birth to the Dashback™ Open-Back Harness in the Pacific Northwest during the early 2010s.

Partnering with Becky Loveless, the founder of Alpine Outfitters, they realized early on that traditional X-Back harnesses—originally designed for the steady trot of Siberian Huskies—weren't cut out for the high-intensity sprint needs of dryland mushing across different breeds. The traditional harness placed unnecessary stress on a sprinting dog’s spine. To solve this, Becky Loveless engineered the Dashback to provide unhindered movement with balanced pull per side featuring equal side-pull, specifically designed to relieve spinal pressure when a dog hits full stride.

In those early days, long before Eurohounds and specialized sprint hounds dominated the sport, the “OG Dashback" harnesses were custom-tailored for each individual athlete—ranging from powerful Malamutes to Mikki's own trusty dogs, Beardy and Sir Dash-A-Lot.

In fact, it was Mikki’s Sir Dash-A-Lot who inspired the name of the harness we know today. While the original Dashbacks were built from heavy, rugged materials of their time, they laid the foundation for the lightweight, high-performance evolution taking dryland mushing by storm today.

For years, Alpine Outfitters Product Test Ambassador Mikki Douglass has been asking Becky to bring back the open-back style. 

The 2025 Dryland Dog Mushing World Championships were scheduled for October in Minocqua, Wisconsin, the first time on American soil. In early 2025, Mikki suffered a fire resulting in the loss of her dog gear. For the season, she raced and trained with borrowed and donated gear. At her Iron Paws Race in May, she approached me about making the Dashback Harness for her team again. Becky Loveless, Mikki and I stood in the forest at Camp Koinonia aka Camp K aka Dogtown, with dogs barking, decided to give it a try.

With a lot of teamwork, Becky had the time to work her magic. She redesigned and produced Dashback Open-Back Harnesses for three Team USA members for the 2025 Dryland World Championships. They were Mikki Douglass, Teresa Petterson and Natalia Sachs. Mikki won World Championships in 4-Dog Rig, 1-Dog Bikejor Masters and 1-Dog Scooter Masters.

For the past year, the harnesses have been tested by some of the most competitive dog mushing teams in the USA. This includes bikejor, canicross, skijoring and a little dog sledding.

We are pleased to announce the official launch of this pro harness meant for everyday dog mushers.