Unlike some canine accessories which may just be desirable rather than necessary, every dog of any size needs a lead some or all of the time. It is a legal requirement for a dog to be on a lead at all times in certain areas and an owner will be held responsible and suffer legal penalties, and even imprisonment, if a dog causes injury or death through the negligence of the owner who did not have the dog on a lead where compulsory to do so. So, purchase of a dog-lead must be made after consideration of many factors. The features and use of the lead must be considered carefully. There are various types of lead such as basic, training, retractable and leads labelled to warn passer-bys about traits or behaviour of the dog. However, this review is just concerned to present the best basic dog leads.
It is very important to consider the size, weight and level/type of activity of your dog as well as the build, comfort and physical make-up of the owner who may have weak wrists or arthritis, for example. A lead may suit one owner or dog but not another. The bungee-type leads are reported to reduce pulling, for example, but in some cases the dog enjoys the “bounce back” and the problem is exacerbated !
The lead must be short and strong enough to allow an owner to quickly restrain a dog or direct him away from danger to himself or others and yet long enough to allow the dog to move freely. Increasingly popular is a 2nd “traffic” handle allowing the owner to draw the dog near when necessary. The material from which it is made must be considered for durability and ease of cleaning and maintenance. You need a lead which will not need great pulling or yanking to communicate your wishes to the dog. This is actually counter-productive as the dog will resist it eventually and the owner’s arm will be strained and ache. The clip attaching the lead to the collar or harness must be strong and not break when the dog pulls. If it were to snap or fly off at a time of danger and the dog breaks free, there could be serious consequences e.g. accident or injury affecting the dog or others. Some owners, happy with a lead on other grounds, attach a carabiner clip for extra safety. Many handles are now padded for the comfort of the owner but, again, if the lead lacks a padded handle but ticks most other boxes, an owner may decide to just wear comfortably-padded gloves.
Last but not least, some owners frankly admit that the wrong lead can cause dog-walking to become too much of a challenge and a chore but this can change to fun overnight by choosing the right lead !