Dog Leads

Length decides what a lead is for. About 1.2m is a town lead, close enough to keep your dog out of the road; 1.8m gives a bit of sniffing room; a long line of 5m or more is training equipment for recall in open space and should be attached to a harness, never a collar — a dog hitting the end of five metres of line on their neck can be hurt badly.

Retractable leads suit calm dogs in open places and very little else. The thin cord gives poor control near traffic, is hard to grab in an emergency and can cause friction burns, and the constant light tension teaches a dog that pulling is how you get further. If you use one, lock it short around roads and other dogs.

Check the trigger clip rather than the strap: that is what fails. Look for a solid metal bolt or scissor clip and stitched-through joins rather than glued ones, and replace a lead as soon as the stitching at the clip starts to fray.