How to Choose the Right Dog Leash?

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     Your dog deserves the best treatment possible. Gone are the days when a simple collar and a leash were the only accessories you could buy for your dog. Today, we have so many different types of dog leads available. Dog leash is now being developed with the help from medical experts who have developed leashes according to the body structure of a dog. There are so many different types of dog leashes available that choosing the right one for your dog can be really difficult. Here is a guide that would help you choose the dog leash that would be suitable for your dog.

The factors that divide dog leads into different categories include the material used, width of the dog leash, its length, its functionality and the type of snap hook. Cost can also be considered a factor while choosing a leash.
The main categories of leashes include leather dog leads, chain leashes, nylon leashes and cord dog leash. Leather dog leash is very strong and look very classy. Nylon and leather leashes are perhaps the strongest leashes available. In case you want to discourage your dog from chewing, a chain leash would be a good choice. A strong nylon leash can resist chewing for a long time.
As far as the length is concerned, the dog leads range from one foot to as long as 150 feet. The shortest dog leash, measuring at about a foot is known as handle leash. Typically a leash measuring about 4-6 feet is ideal for walking your dog around. Leashes measuring over 100 feet are generally used with dogs used for tracking purposes.

The width of the dog leash is another important factor to be considered. While a leather dog leash is very strong in itself, additional width can provide greater strength. Dog leads with lesser width of about half an inch are ideal for obedient and calm dogs. For bigger and more powerful dogs, dog leads of about an inch are preferred. Wider leashes also have bigger snap hooks, which make the leash heavier.

Snap hook serves as a connection between the leash and the dog. A snap hook should be reliable, safe and strong. Many snap hooks have a mechanism that prevents accidental openings of the hook. In addition, a snap hook should be easy to open and close. A popular snap hook being used today is the quick release snap hook. All you need to do in order to open a snap hook is to press two fingers over it. The disadvantage of this hook is however that it locks really hard and puts great pressure on the dog when it tries to pull.

The functionality is the most important question that you would need to answer while choosing a dog leash. For example, you can use a 5 feet long leash for walking your dog around. Other functionalities include using the leash for tracking purposes, for dog shows, for training, dog leashes to control agitated dogs and many others.