Dog Lead Security

The leads I use have the type of clasp in your second illustration. I haven't had ne fail yet but if the spring did break, I think it would default to the closed position and because there is more of a hook, any tension on the lead would still keep the catch attached. I occasionally oil the spring to keep it moving freely.

I once had the stitching fail on a handle - we were away travelling and I can highly recommend dental floss for an emergency repair instead of thread.

But a good reminder @arealhuman to check equipment for wear and tear.

 

I must say we check quite regularly for wear because Remy was a chewer so its become a habit to check leads and OH has a thing about oiling and making sure springs latches locks clasps etc are smooth and supple.

 

I have the second style too. I have never had one fail on me other than when the mechanism got full of sand. It jammed shut.

I do check all his equipment daily - he's chewed through more than one lead already little wretch.

 

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I check my dog gear the same way i checked my horse gear - every time it goes on, every time it comes off. Paranoia, maybe, but so far, the only thing that's failed during use was that cr*ppy, cheap-o "donated" BUCKLE COLLAR on my P.A.C.C. foster, Dakota, back in Ol' Virginny.

I swear, that took 5-years off my life, watching a spooky near-feral dog sprint suicidally toward Great Neck Rd's busy Saturday afternoon traffic!...

But as the = open gap = in the bent-metal D-ring was completely covered by the fabric of the collar, I wouldn't have seen it unless I could slide the vertical part of the "D" out of the sewn collar seam, & i don't think that would be possible.

Since then, I've never used any collar or harness with a BENT TO SHAPE D-ring unless it was welded shut at the gap, for lifelong solidity. // I actually prefer solid-metal, sand-cast buckles, D-rings, etc, but they aren't easy to find.

Mrs Bones sighthound style martingales are my preferred collars - all hardware is one-piece sand-cast brass, made by the same maker who supplies COACH luggage / hand-bags / back-packs with their hardware.

- terry

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I don't walk Dillon so I don't really know how often OH checks ours, but we use a training lead one end on his collar the other end on his Dogmatic head collar, so it's unlikely that both to fail at the same time.

 

Wow, thank goodness you were on a quiet road and your dog didn't notice!
That's surprised me actually because I own both types of clasp and I would have thought the first was more secure than the other! I do prefer to use my lead with the second type as easier to do and undo so it's the most used one. I was using a cheap lead until recently and have just bought a new, better quality one because I was worried about the stitching on the handle coming undone like @JoanneF mentioned. I haven't thought about the clasp before!
I will now be more careful to check our gear!

 

I've had a lead fail on me while out walking,but it wasn't a problem. I just turned the lead around and pulled a loop through the handle and turned it in to a slip lead. It was a solution to a problem until I got home.