The loop at the end of the leash is for hanging it up

After the collar the #1 dog accessory is the leash. Since loose leash walking is the foundation of all obedience, I thought it would be a good idea to discuss some common mistakes and misconceptions about the leash.

Over the last several decades I have worked with several companies to develop, produce, and promote various types of tactical gear. What I learned about helping the end user get the most out of gear was making sure that they understood how the designer envisioned the piece of gear to be used. Very often the designer takes for granted that the end user will intuitively understand. Time and experience has taught me that that is very seldom the case. Lets discuss how it relates to the dog leash.

First off let me say that there is no shortage of leashes available. Most of them have in common that at one end they have a piece of hardware to connect it to the collar, and a loop on the other hand to put your hand through….or at least that would seem to be the most natural thing to do. The problem is that there are several issues with holding the leash by the loop. #1 is that you will never get your dog to walk on a loose lead by holding the loop. This affords you zero control over the dog because dogs will instinctively take all the lead you give them. Your arm becomes an extension of the leash and the farther it gets away from your body the less balance and power you have.

Seldom do I say to NEVER do something, but NEVER EVER put the loop around your wrist or wrap the lead around your hand. It’s bad enough to have your hand holding the loop because under stress muscles contract and your natural reaction will be to hold onto the leash even as you are being drug to the ground. We have had this occur to several clients before they trained with us and it can cause everything from bumps and bruises to wrist and shoulder dislocations and breaks. We constantly remind people that the power your dog typically exhibits on a leash when excited is nothing compared to the power a animal can produce when they are scared and trying to get away. Here are some more examples of how to NEVER hold a leash.

We only use Leatherburg Leather 6 ft, 3/4 inch wide lead due to durability, comfort, and suppleness. To use correctly simply double it enough in your left hand only giving enough room for the dog to have a little slack in the heel position.

If you have ever found yourself saying “I’m not strong enough to walk my dog” or “my arm and shoulder ache after walking the dog” then your doing it wrong. We have trained the smallest people to walk the biggest dogs.