A longline, or training lead, is (in my opinion) one of the most useful training tools to have, and can assist in so many different areas of your dog walks and activities - whether for fun or training! Some of the ways you can use them are:
- to provide some freedom on walks and allow your dog to sniff naturally
- to add distance between you and your dog to safely practise recall
- to give more space and minimise pulling
- to practise working around everyday distractions
- when undertaking activities such as tracking
There’s no doubt they are useful - but how do we ensure that we are always using the longline/training lead in a way that ensures the safety of both us and our dogs?
Attaching the longline
It is really important that you only attach the longline to a back fitting harness. Due to the nature of a long lead, dogs can get further away from us and create extra ‘power’ if they rush to the end of the lead, which could cause injury. By attaching to a back fitting harness, we can minimise the impact and injury to our dogs.
Avoid attaching the line to a front clip as this can cause your dog to be pulled off centre on impact and cause injury. Never attach the line to a collar, as if they reach end with force this can cause a whiplash effect or, in a worst case scenario, a broken neck.
How to hold the long line
It’s so tempting to strive for a ‘hands-free’ walk and attach the lead to your person in some way. Whilst this can be acceptable for a short lead, for your own safety DO NOT attach/place the long line around your neck or waist whilst your dog is attached to it. Even the smallest of dogs can pull quite hard and end up causing you injuries. It may go without saying, but - hold the end in your hand!
Wear gloves
Whatever the material your lead is made from, wearing a pair of gloves is recommended to keep your hands protected, to provide some friction against a slippery lead surface or to prevent friction burns.
Where to use
Always ensure you are using the lead length that is appropriate to the location and situation you are in. When using anything longer than a standard short lead, you should be in open spaces where you can ensure your dog can use the full length without coming into contact with potential dangers, such as roads, cars, bikes, people etc.
Avoid using a longline in busy or crowded places where the lead could become tangled or difficult to manage around other people or dogs.
How to hold the lead
There are two main ways to hold and manage the length of the lead – gathering or trailing. Here’s the lowdown on both:
Gathering – Allows you to control the length of your lead and respond to your dog’s movement. You gather the lead up in loops to shorten it and as your dog moves further away you drop one loop at a time giving them more lead, then as they move closer to you, you can regather the loops up. This is ideal if walking in muddy areas and to keep the lead out of the way of your dog’s legs – but it does take two hands.
Trailing – is when you give your dog full length of the lead and allow it to trail freely as they move around. Whilst I would avoid trailing the lead when walking with others to minimise the risk of stepping/tripping on it or your dog getting caught in the lead, it can be useful when alone or when allowing your dog to ‘feel’ off lead and training situations.
TOP TIP
One of the most important things to remember when swapping from a short lead to a long lead is to always attach the new lead on BEFORE unclipping the current one to ensure your dog is always attached – this is especially important if your dog is still working on recall or you’re somewhere where dogs shouldn’t be off-lead
Check out our video on how to gather the lead here!