Looking For A New Lead?

Product Review by Joanne Perrott, Founder of the Ladies Working Dog Group

A lead is the one piece of equipment I cannot do without. Whether it’s for teaching a puppy heel, or for walking an older dog in a farmer’s fields, leads are there to ensure our dog’s safety.

And its also one of the things where you get to add your own personal style and flair if you wish. Whether you just want practical, to add a little colour, or to add some elegance, leads are one of the places where you get loads of choices and colours.

I was gifted 2 sets of leads and collars from Tetherleads. As you know integrity in what we share is really important, so in true LWDG style, I have put them through their paces.

For me, the design and feel of the lead are so important: something that is too short, too long, too hard to hold,  or too fiddly are all factors that contribute to a walk or training session feeling a little difficult.

What Are Tetherleads?

Tetherleads make leads that are beautifully handcrafted in England using the finest Italian leather, solid brass fittings and hand-finished waxed stitching.

The unique design of the lead allows you to adjust the length of the lead and gives you the ability to secure your dog to almost anything.

To use you un-clip the bridle hook at the ‘handle’ end of the lead and wrap it around your chosen anchor point and attach it to the brass eyelets or rings that run the length of the lead at your desired length.

I chose the Oxford set (slip collar and lead) in black to match Buddy, and the Woodstock set in Tan to match Ella.

Their leads are a standard length and come with a 12-month warranty.

What Did I Think?

Overall, I totally loved them, and the dogs did too. The ability to tether the dogs to things made life so much easier, especially as my two dogs are litter mates and at the same stage in their training.

For example, In a training session with both Buddy and Ella, I used the leads to tether one to a nearby tree whilst I trained them individually. It was so helpful to have a fast way to clip and unclip into anything in my surroundings – the leads basically acted as a helper wherever I needed them. I also used them on a gate, and a large tree stump and the little links made it so much easier to attach the dog to whatever I needed, including myself to walk hands-free!

In my opinion, both leads are great,  however, the Oxford lead was my favourite. Not only did the lead look really smart, but the quantity of little belt-like holes made adjusting the lead a lot easier. The Woodstock lead has much bigger loops, which I didn’t find as easy to grip or adjust for heel work and training where I needed to keep Ella closer.

Even my husband liked the way the leads could clip anywhere and happily attached Grace ( our older dog) to his rucksack whilst out walking.

I used these leads daily and really appreciated the fact that the leads coped brilliantly in wet weather, water ran straight off and I wasn’t left holding a soaking wet rope.  I grew up riding horses and for me, a leather lead just feels so great to hold, and like a wet rein, it doesn’t slide around.

The quality of the lead itself is immaculate. The stitching is perfect and the clips were strong and durable. It is quick and easy to clean them by wiping them down with a damp wet cloth. My rope leads need regular machine washes with muddy spaniels so the ease of cleaning these is appreciated.

Tetherlead Collars

The leather collars were very smart, the thickness of the leather is beautiful and, not much beats the look of a handcrafted leather collar!

As there is now legislation around dogs wearing a collar with a tag in public places, I  am so glad that these collars felt lightweight for the dogs and were very easy to put on and off so that we could comply with the law. The colours matched the springers beautifully too. I liked the fact that when we were just having a family walk they could wear their collars and I knew they were safe and secure.

The slip collars were great for training, and I liked the fact they were thinner than a normal slip lead as it allowed them to self-adjust easily to keep the dog safe. The slip lead also doubles as a great heeling lead or a steadiness tag.

Both the slip lead and collars work with the leads, making them perfect for a shoot day or a training session.

We know lots of you have already taken advantage of the 15% offer for Society Members and already purchased a Tetherlead. Comment below what you think about them too.

Click the button below to visit our friends at Tetherleads. If you are a society member, there is a Society Exclusive offer.

Once you have your new beautiful lead and collar, please tag us and Tetherleads in your social media photos so we can see how well you get on with them!

Love Jo xx