What Do You Use To Walk Your Dog And Why?

[macka]

At the moment I use a Chain Martingale on Archer and a Front-Leading (Easy walker) Harness on Leia. Just normal nylon webbing leads, about 3 feet long.

Leia is the type who can pull you along the entire walk, but she does better with the harness on. Archer doesn't usually pull while you are just walking along, but he does sometimes try to pull to go and sniff trees and things, and he lunges at passers-by (getting better with this as we can now walk past people reasonably calmly, but people with dogs are another story). So the martingale offers a correction for lunging and stops him from being able to pull me over altogether.

There is a man with a dog who lives near us who walks his dog off-leash. However the dog is so well trained that it responds to the man telling it when to stop and when to go, it won't cross a road without being told to, and it showed no interest in me and my on-lead dogs when we walked by. Very impressive.

[sas]

Can I just say in your poll a Check Chain is not a choke collar, a check chain is only a choke collar if you put it on upside down.

[sas]

I use Snap around Collars or Check chains or Martingale type collars.

We don't use retractable leads, my dogs walk in a heel position.

Edited July 22, 2010 by sas

[Mr_Snow]

Halti and lead for my 1yr old Sibe

[Jetty]

I voted flat collars & normal lead and also the halti. I only use this sometimes when I need Jet to pull less.

I used to use a retractable lead back when he was younger but it caused me some injuries and it was not as strong. Would never use one again.

[huga]

Lola usually has an all in one collar/lead thingy. Works like a martingale and has no clips.

Harry usually walks with a prong collar, but if we are going running I put a soft martingale on him.

Just normal polypropylene leads with fabric on them.

[Red Fox]

For those that use a 3ft/1m leash on walks do you do so due to council regulations or personal preference? With such a short leash does it mean your dog has to walk in a perfect heel at all times?

Personally I find that I have much more control by holding a longer leash across my body -handle looped over right hand and holding any slack, dog on left side and leash controlled by left hand (hope that makes sense?)- than I do with a short leash held in one hand.

And for those that use a retractable leash to practice recalls, why not consider a long line for this purpose? I would have thought a long line to be safer? (ie less risk of injuring you or your dog if it tangles around their leg/your finger etc) plus you have the advantage of being able to use it as a drag line too.

Just curious as to why people choose what they do

[aussielover]

Can I just say in your poll a Check Chain is not a choke collar, a check chain is only a choke collar if you put it on upside down.

Thanks I am aware the proper name is check chain, however, many people seem to call them choke chains or chokers and are unaware of the proper name (probably the same people who put the on backwards and choke their dogs!)

I think they are more commonly known as choke chains by the general public, hence why I included it in the poll.

[Jacquiboss&scoop]

Our short leash is always long enough to hold the loop and any extra lead in the right hand with the left as the guide hand I would not use one shorter than that

, we do not use retractable leads at all I like my arms fingers and legs a little to much for that , our long line for training is an old lunger that we used for the pony LOL recycle reuse , mind you this would be a bit much for a chi

[macka]

For those that use a 3ft/1m leash on walks do you do so due to council regulations or personal preference? With such a short leash does it mean your dog has to walk in a perfect heel at all times?

Personally I find that I have much more control by holding a longer leash across my body -handle looped over right hand and holding any slack, dog on left side and leash controlled by left hand (hope that makes sense?)- than I do with a short leash held in one hand.

For me, personal preference. I am usually walking two dogs at once and I find it hard to handle anything longer than about 3 feet when I've got two leashes to hold. And I only have one hand per leash.

My dogs don't walk in a perfect heel (though I'd like it if they did ) but are usually a bit out in front, one on each side. I don't really mind so long as they're not pulling.

I also have a knot tied in each leash about half way down so that if I need to, I can grab the knot and hold the dogs very close to me, if we are walking past others on a narrow path, etc.

[Rach...]

Buddy (Blind 9 year old Pomeraninan) Is walked in either a harness and lead or just a flat collar and lead depends on where we are going and what kind of mood he is in

Maizy (Dog Reactive 20 month old ACD) Is walked on a chain martingale and lead, both are rogz. she could be walked on a flat collar but buckles and snaps all scare me and im scared they will snap! we have had that happen when she is throwing one of her tantrums. She was walked on a check chain but we graduated up cos I felt she doesnt need it, sometimes she will forget her manners and we will go back to using it for a little while to remind her.

[kelpiekaye]

Most of time off lead on farm on a flat lead if in town which is a rare occurance. I actually prefer a round lead but havnt found one of good quality, right lenghth and size. Easier on the hand.

[CareyJ]

Flat collar and lead (cotton horse lead rope atm because I prefer the weight and feel) and long line at the park.

[Odin-Genie]

I use Lupi harnesses and short leashes for both my dogs.

[GeckoTree]

Flat collar and normal leash, because thats all we need.

[pixie_meg]

we use a martingale and 6 ft leash. I hate those extendable leashes. They frustrate me to no end.

[wuffles]

Our big boy is walked on a flat collar.

Our puppy is walked on a martingale when being walked on her own, and a front-attach harness when with our other dog.

[Esky the husky]

Check chain and whichever leash I can find.

I'm a bit funny about walking on flat collars.

I grew up using check chains and it's just stuck with me,

We also have a harness for the bike

[spoilt lab lives here]

I use a check chain and normal lead. My leather lead has no handle thanks to a certain GSD who got bored one day and I forgot to take the lead off Ramses. Otherwise if that was in good working order it would be check chain and leather lead.

[SmoothieGirl]

I use a flat collar and 6ft lead. Bronte is a pretty soft dog, with quite a bit of training, so a flat collar is fine. No extendable leads for us on normal walks, if she goes for a walks its a controlled walk, if I want her to have a run, we go to a safe dog park or similar area and she goes off lead - she has an awesome recall.

Sometimes if I'm bush walking I will use a harness and extendable lead. I hate the pressure of extendable lead on a dogs collar, but on her harness it allows her and I to clamber over steps and rocks without unbalancing each other. She goes first, I tell her to 'stop' and she waits for me to catch up, she gets a pat and then she's out in front again finding the next hurdle.