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All reviews are based on real-life experience of using equipment on my own dog, or working with dogs that have used this equipment.
All advice and recommendations are my honest opinions and are not affected by other parties or sponsorships.
My favourite general purpose lead
Halti Large Padded double-ended lead
I have tried many different types of leads but nothing compares to this double-ended padded lead. It is the perfect length to give your dog a bit of freedom, or adjustable to a shorter length. I have seen them used safely even with very strong dogs.
Key features
- Best lead to stop rope burn – Even when walking very strong persistent pullers, this lead protects hands from rope burn. It is easy to hold the lead firmly without it slipping through your grasp, but without the rough texture of some leads that leaves hands sore.
- Versatile double ends– With clips at both ends, this lead can be clipped to both the harness and the collar, or to both the front and back end of the harness, or one end can become a handle. This means you can effectively adjust the attachment depending on your dog’s level of pulling so it is easier to turn them.
Drawbacks
- Unpleasant in the rain – I don’t use this lead in heavy rain, it can take a long time to dry back out and often gets a musty smell.
- Beware of the metal rings along the lead – Accidentally putting your fingers through one of the rings can be dangerous if your dog suddenly pulls – make sure you keep your fingers on the outside.
Rainy day lead
On very rainy days, I ditch the halti as it takes ages to dry, and use any cheap nylon lead with a lightly padded handle. It dries quickly and stays light in the rain. These leads are a bit shorter than a halti lead, but Haku seems to have learned he needs to walk a bit nearer to me on pavements when it is raining so I haven't had any issues.
Long lines
Warning learn how to use long lines safely - It is easy to hurt your dog or yourself if your dog picks up speed and you haven't learned how to use the long line properly.
Advice on lengthI recommend only ever buying 10m at the longest, and 5m if you don't need to use it for recall. Anything longer than 10m and you end up spending more time untangling and unwinding it than you do using it.
long lead with rubber for medium and larger dogs
Purchase with Amazon <-- only choose the black lead - the others are a different material and design that don't have good grip in the wet.
This long-line is the best one I have found for avoiding rope-burn. The rubber grip sewn into the fabric all along the line creates a strong grip that stops the line accidentally slipping through hands, even when wet. The line is quite heavy so not recommended for dogs under 6kg, which are less likely to cause you rope burn anyway.
I recommend the 5m for walks using a long line, and 10m for recall practice.
I recommend only using this line while holding it, not letting go to drag on the ground as it is quite heavy, and the handle may snag on something. It also gets a bit heavy in the wet and retains moisture which is unpleasant when left to drag on the ground.
Long lead with normal fabric
Purchase with Amazon
This cheaper 10m lead is a lighter weight and dries quickly, so good for leaving to trail on the ground. I recommend first cutting the handle off and sealing the end with a flame, which means when left trailing on the floor it won’t snag on any thing.
I find this fast-drying lead that absorbs a bit of water more functional than some perfectly waterproof ones I've tried in the past - I found the water sat on top of the lead material and soaked my hands much more than this nylon one.
2m house line
Purchase with PetsatHome
Even lighter than the above lead, I highly recommend this very light but strong handle-less house line to use at home for any medium or smaller size puppy or dog to prevent them learning bad habits. 2 metres long is the ideal length to get a hold of your puppy when they have decided to try and run off with your sock or dig a hole under your prize hydrangea, without the line getting tangled round furniture legs.
Leather mantrailing leads
I don't have a link for this (please contact me if you know a seller of reliable quality), but if you aren't opposed to using leather, these lines are light, water repellant and very easy on the hands even under a lot of pulling.
I used to on a mantrailing course and was really impressed by how such the thin, light-weight line didn't leave my hands with friction burns after having Haku pull me like a train over 500m while tracking his human.