Where do you buy your collars and leashes? Do you have a favorite brand? I'm looking for some new durable "all weather" gear. Send me your recommendations! I've tried many, many brands... and it seems like very few of them hold up for very long. Thanks!
Favorite collars/leashes?
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
Joined
·
2,794 Posts
For walking, I use a snap on nylon martingale collars and 6' nylon leashes with a snap on both ends. One leash is a Petsmart brand, and is five years old. The other I got at Tractor Supply Co, and it's easily four years old. One dog's collar is a Frisco brand (available at Chewy) and the other's is a Petsafe branded one.
For non-walking gear, My GSD has a DogsArt collar that is six or seven years old now for her tags, and it's held up remarkably well, considering she wears it pretty much 24/7/365. my pittie has a leather collar I bought on Etsy maybe two years ago for her tags, and while it's okay, I wish I'd gotten her a Cali Girl collar instead. My late dog's Cali Girl collar was butter soft the day I got it, and she wore it 24//265 for five years, and while it faded some, it still looked good.
For non-walking gear, My GSD has a DogsArt collar that is six or seven years old now for her tags, and it's held up remarkably well, considering she wears it pretty much 24/7/365. my pittie has a leather collar I bought on Etsy maybe two years ago for her tags, and while it's okay, I wish I'd gotten her a Cali Girl collar instead. My late dog's Cali Girl collar was butter soft the day I got it, and she wore it 24//265 for five years, and while it faded some, it still looked good.
Joined
·
759 Posts
My dogs don't wear collars except when we leave the property, either for a walk or traveling in a vehicle. I don't like the sound of jingling tags, so I order from the website 'dog id collars', with the nylon collars embroidered with their name & our phone number. For a standard leash, I really like the 'super grip' biothane ones. The texturing makes them very easy to hold onto even if they get wet. When I take the girls hiking I like the Harness Lead because it's soft, quick to put on or take off & easy to adjust into a collar/leash combo instead of the harness if wanted.
Joined
·
11,495 Posts
Biothane leashes and long lines. Waterproof, strong, hard to snag on brush and brambles, easy to sanitize if dragged through something yucky
Boomerang tags for the collar, no jangle sound and nothing to catch on anything outside.
Harness is a leather one from Stillwater Kennel Supply. Really well made and strong as all get out.
Boomerang tags for the collar, no jangle sound and nothing to catch on anything outside.
Harness is a leather one from Stillwater Kennel Supply. Really well made and strong as all get out.
Joined
·
2,973 Posts
When I must use a collar I will use either a fursaver on the dead ring (it is a large link choke collar but on the dead ring it does not choke) or a prong/pinch collar either live or dead (depending on dog and level of training etc.,). These are only on when I am working with my dog. I keep the leash loose unless I need to correct the dog (rarely need to).
I will use a cotton web leash (6 foot) or a 3 foot leather leash. I also have two stitched leather leashes with extra brass rings on them. One is 4 feet and the other is 6 feet.
I never leave a collar on my dog. Only on when being worked. Leash only on when it must be or for training. I have a stitched leather buckle collar with ID and tags with a center ring. If I am traveling long distances I put that on in case something happens and my dog and I get separated.. like a car accident and "somehow" the dog box opens.
I will use a cotton web leash (6 foot) or a 3 foot leather leash. I also have two stitched leather leashes with extra brass rings on them. One is 4 feet and the other is 6 feet.
I never leave a collar on my dog. Only on when being worked. Leash only on when it must be or for training. I have a stitched leather buckle collar with ID and tags with a center ring. If I am traveling long distances I put that on in case something happens and my dog and I get separated.. like a car accident and "somehow" the dog box opens.
I'm like that too, but my reason is safety. My property has a 6' fence and the dogs are microchipped, so I worry more about a collar catching on something than about them getting loose without identification. They're 6 and 8 now and neither thing has ever happened, but.... If I had a different breed, my primary worry might change.
The collars I use are nylon martingale style, but my leashes are all leather, and they get saddle soaped and oiled any time they get particularly dirty or get wet. My years with horses gave me a dislike of nylon leads because they can tear your hand badly if the animal pulls suddenly and hard. My tracking lead is biothane, and I wouldn't want that for leashes either because it seems to me more slippery than leather. If I had small dogs, I wouldn't mind nylon or biothane, but mine are 85-90 pounds.
Joined
·
533 Posts
kokolati leather, Azuza, and biothane.us
Joined
·
4,095 Posts
I've had decent luck with Hurtta products, save for one leash that had a problem and the company immediately offered to replace when contacted. I do also like a nice leather or biothane leash, and when I need a long line I almost exclusively use a rubberized cord-style tracking line since they both stay clean and dry easily and are much more resistant to snagging than most. Occasionally I do some specific kinds of long-line training that I use a long braided nylon lead with a handle for, but that's a specialized purpose thing. My favorite is probably the double-ended, crown knot paracord lead I made myself, with the ability to create a handle on one end or a shoulder strap on the other, or to hook both ends to the harness (front and back clips) and use it in situations where I need more control and security. Sadly, it took forever to make and gave me killer blisters so I don't know if I'll ever make another.
Joined
·
759 Posts
Yeah - safety reasons here too. We live on heavily wooded property & when the dogs are running/exploring the chance of them getting caught on something is high (and the chance of them running off is low) so they play 'nekkid' at home.
I agree that wet regular biothane is a bit slippery, but the 'super grip' (nubby) kind has a very different feel - not slippery at all.
Joined
·
157 Posts
For everyday wear, my dog wears a breakaway collar I bought on Etsy. It's a good compromise for me - I can have tags on him all the time just in case, but if it gets caught it breaks off so he can't get hurt. His tag is a Qalo silicone one because I also don't like jingling tags.
His harness is a Ruffwear Flagline. I bought it because I wanted the handle while he was recovering from his CCL surgery, but I actually really like it so he wears it for long walks or for hiking.
Leashes - I have a mix of both regular nylon ones and biothane ones that are 6' for regular walks, a biothane long line, and a Mendota long line that we've had for years.
His harness is a Ruffwear Flagline. I bought it because I wanted the handle while he was recovering from his CCL surgery, but I actually really like it so he wears it for long walks or for hiking.
Leashes - I have a mix of both regular nylon ones and biothane ones that are 6' for regular walks, a biothane long line, and a Mendota long line that we've had for years.
Joined
·
533 Posts
I do too! I love the sound of the clacking, nails on hardwood too ( i try and keep em short and when i DO hear it I clip but i realllyyy like the sound )Judging from other responses, I must be the only person in the world who likes hearing their dogs' tags jingling.
Joined
·
2,475 Posts
I like biothane leashes. They clean easily and never smell, plus they are really strong. We've had our 2 biothane leashes for 6+ years.
RedLine K9 Sport Leash, All Weather Leash : DogSport Gear
For harnesses, I like the Hurtta y harness. For collars, anything with an easy clip-type closure. Our dogs only wear collars when we leave the property so they need to be easy to get on/off. Plus they play together a lot so if one were to get hooked on the other's collar, it's easy to take off and separate them.
RedLine K9 Sport Leash, All Weather Leash : DogSport Gear
For harnesses, I like the Hurtta y harness. For collars, anything with an easy clip-type closure. Our dogs only wear collars when we leave the property so they need to be easy to get on/off. Plus they play together a lot so if one were to get hooked on the other's collar, it's easy to take off and separate them.
I had the first leash failure of my life yesterday. Fortunately it was in a pet shop where Story was trying to shop lift treats - well, actually succeeding since the leash went. It wasn't the leather but the clip. It just fell apart when she pulled. Does anyone know of a source for clips that aren't pot metal?
Joined
·
11,495 Posts
What type of clip was it? Its not usually the material that makes a difference but the design.
Joined
·
102 Posts
My dogs don't typically wear collars at home (at least not after they are trustworthy not to run when the gate is open and have a good recall)
Mine each have a nice, quality leather collar to hold their tags. For training, I use a nylon martingale.
For agility trials and general walking, I make my own collar/leashes. I make a 'french martingale' which is a one piece collar/leash, sort of like a slip leash, but the collar is a martingale. No snap to break, soft on the hands, washable, and super durable.
Mine each have a nice, quality leather collar to hold their tags. For training, I use a nylon martingale.
For agility trials and general walking, I make my own collar/leashes. I make a 'french martingale' which is a one piece collar/leash, sort of like a slip leash, but the collar is a martingale. No snap to break, soft on the hands, washable, and super durable.
Joined
·
11,495 Posts
Try looking at leashes that use bull snaps with thumb holds or climbing rated carabiners.
Tack supply shops can be a good source from makers using the same hardware on horse equipment
1 - 18 of 18 Posts
