Whether you are walking your dog or cat, needing a tie out, training or wanting to explore with your dog, you need a leash unless you’re on your property or in an area where dogs are allowed off leash. I have a variety of leashes in a variety of lengths depending on where I’m going & what the rules are for my dogs. The dog above was a Pug mix that came from a hoarder situation & he was quite scared on walks if we changed the route we walked. I quickly learned not to do that & also learned after he got scared rolled & his leash broke that he needed a coupler (like the next link) attached to two places (collar & harness)to make sure he was secure in the future: https://amzn.to/4mcuBbV Gratefully we walked the same route, which allowed Kosmo to know the way to my home & he was safe.
Leashes come in a variety of lengths & materials, finding one that is secure & has a good clip is important. A leash that fits comfortably around your wrist & held in your hand is very important. If you don’t have a good grip & your dog becomes frightened you could drop the leash if its too big of a loop/handle or it could be pulled out of your hand. This leash is 6 feet long, round & lightweight so good for a variety of dog sizes, I use one like this for one of my dogs. https://amzn.to/3F548we A leash with a padded handle is nice for the comfort of your wrist & or your hand like this one. https://amzn.to/3FefJZT There are leashes with an extra handle https://amzn.to/4dfqKXC these are nice for when you need to keep your dog close for a short time. Some people are scared of dogs & this allows you to have your dog close by while the person walks by. I don’t recommend pulling a dog close if they are fearful of someone, or something, but better to move your dog away from the whole situation, in an upbeat manner. Such as “follow me”, or “lets go” with a happy voice. When a dog feels tension on the leash he may also feel your fear or concern & start to feel insecure when you do this the dog may think that people, or dogs,etc are something to be concerned about. We can unknowingly teach our dog to be fearful or nervous.
My dog Echo is a reactive dog & I have learned he is far more relaxed if I walk him on a long leash, I usually use a 10 foot leash like this: https://amzn.to/3F0G2mq, I recently got him a 15 foot one with a padded handle (that’s for me). https://amzn.to/3YIZtH0 I have 30 foot long cloth lines for when we are places they can run, but I still want to be able to get them if needed. https://amzn.to/3SA7ydq Long lines are also great to help teach recall/come to your dog. A leash of at least 30 feet is the shortest I recommend for this as you need to be able to get further away & call them to you. Ones that are 50 or 100 feet are nice to use for recall training like this one. https://amzn.to/4kdEjZJ I don’t ever recommend letting your dog off leash unless your dog has a full proof recall. Echo is reactive to dogs & some men so he will never be without a long line dragging behind him. He actually comes much easier if he is dragging a long line. I believe he is fear reactive, so a long line allows him to move away from the thing that triggers him, lessening his fear & his over reaction to it.
Some people say they need a chain leash like this https://amzn.to/3GQ9JXU because their dog chews on the leash when walking him/her. These leashes are hard to use for your hands. This is the one use I found for a choke chain collar https://amzn.to/4miUbfy Let me clarify it is NOT for their neck. You buy a clip like this: https://amzn.to/3GOA9Jq. Attach a clip to end of the straight choke chain then attach to collar & the other end the regular leash clips onto that ring & when the dog reaches back to chew he gets a chain but you have a nice soft leash to handle & cup in your hand & let more out as you want to give your dog freedom.
I don’t recommend slip leashes for walking as they can put on due pressure on a dogs neck & some can tighten too much. https://amzn.to/43hG3dO. Many are round & this can put pressure on a dog’s throat. Now there is a place for slip leashes, Animal controls use them so a dog can’t slip out & get loose again. Many Vets use them for the same reason, but they are for short term use. If you have a dog who never pulls or puts tension on their leash then you could use one but I’d recommend one that is flat on their neck like this one https://amzn.to/3F0AhoM
There are tie out leashes as well, the cable type ones are nice because they are strong, & dogs can’t chew them apart due to the wire inside. They come in a variety of lengths, I use 15-20 foot ones when camping, depending on the campground rules. This one is blue & comes in 10-30 foot lengths https://amzn.to/4k3a87O The colored ones make them easier to see in the dark. Some people also don’t have a fenced yard, but want their dog to be able to run, & an above cable with a leash attached may be a good option. This type of leash is good to hook up to a cable because of the attachments, they allow it to move easily https://amzn.to/3S0nuFG
If your dog likes to swim, but doesn’t have a full proof recall then a waterproof long line is a great thing to have for your dog to enjoy some water fun. https://amzn.to/435slMl Waterproof leashes dry fast, are easy to clean & don’t harbor odors like cloth can.
If you want to let your cat outside, leash training is so much safer than letting them run. Cats can be leashed trained or tie out trained. They should be monitored while outside to be sure no other animal wanders into your yard with ill intent meant for your cat. (The above cat was my brother’s Tim’s cat Shelby who passed away in January’24. At the age of about 15). To be safer for a cat I recommend a no slip harness like this be used: https://amzn.to/3F0B3Cc This one comes with a leash as well (15 or 30 or 50 feet), be sure not so long that it can climb a tree & get tangled. Again please monitor your cat when outside on a leash.
I hope you are learning from my blog posts & picking up some ideas for your pets. Please check out the links I provide for some great pet items from Amazon. Please like, subscribe, share on your social media sites & help my blog to be seen by more people. I enjoy reading comments on my blog site & I am open to ideas of pet subjects to blog about. If you have a pet question, you can reach out & ask, if I don’t know I will do my best to find out. It may give me an idea for a future post. If you want to email me directly you can at echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com
Summer is about here & I like most of you have a lot going on, camping, gardening, yard work, enjoying the longer days, vacation, walking my dogs, hanging out with family & friends etc… I say this because I will be posting less during the summer. 1-2 days a week instead of my usual 3. I have 45 previous posts for you to check out if you haven’t already. On my homepage you can access the table of content by clicking on the ‘show’ tab in the upper left corner. Please come back & visit soon. Thank you, Debbie
Echoing Great Pet Care 