Is your dog anxious, nervous or reactive, then what is the best type of lead to use?
Firstly a yellow one as yellow is the official warning colour for caution so it lets other dog owners know that your dog needs space. A pure yellow is the most luminous of all the colours of the spectrum so the human eye processes yellow first and it captures our attention more than any other colour so it can be seen from a distance.
Double ended leads
Double-ended dog leads make it easy to manage your dog. If your dog is strong you may find a harness with a front and back ring is most efficient as these give you more control from your dog’s chest, especially when used with a double clip lead. You can also clip one end to the collar and the other end to the back of the harness for extra security if they panic and you worry they will escape and run off, this is called double-lead your dog.
My Anxious Dog padded harness has a D ring on the dogs chest and back, if your dog pulls you can attach our yellow double ended lead to both rings to control your dog. This also enables no stress on the dog's neck.
The lead can also be shortened and used as a traditional lead by clipping one end to various rings on the lead itself. With 3 adjustable lengths and the ability to tether and use ‘round the waist’ hands-free.
A favourite with dog trainers
Standard dog lead
This is the most common type of dog lead, usually 1.5m - 2m in length with a clasp end and generally clips onto your dogs collar or harness. For the best control of this type of lead would be to have your dog on your left side and hold the handle in your right hand, then hold the leash above your dogs head approx. 0.5M with your left hand. The right hand is steady and “anchored”, while the left-hand guides, provides and shortens slack as needed, thus controlling all aspects of your dog’s movements without him feeling impaired in any way.
The weight and width of the lead should correspond to your dog’s size and should be strong. Our leads are double thickness.
Carabiner leads
Carabiner leads are for that extra security especially with the rise in dog thefts this year. Sadly estimates showing that 7 dogs were stolen a day in 2020 - a 170% increase from 2019 according to a study by the Blue Cross.
The carabiner has a twist-locking feature that secures to your dogs collar or harness to the lead. Our new carabiner leads also have a snatch protection handle meaning you can hold the handle tight on your wrist.
I made the decision to design a range of yellow leads for my anxious dog Bella to help protect her and other nervous pooches from unwanted attention. In a bid to try and give Bella some much-needed space, I designed a range of bright yellow accessories with the word ‘Anxious Keep Away ’ embroidered in big, bold, black letters. “Instead of always having to say, ‘please keep your dog away’ or ’she doesn’t want to be stroked,’ or ’she doesn’t want to play,’ or ‘please don’t touch her’ - it was there in black words on her yellow harness and lead.
If you walk with confidence and are engaged in your dog's walk, they will respond.