Guide
How Long Should a Long Leash Be?
20 feet for a yard and first lessons, 32 feet for open ground and water.
Is 20 feet or 32 feet better for recall training?
Start with 20 feet. The Floating Long Dog Leash in 20 ft gives a dog room to wander and leaves you close enough to step on the line. Move to 32 ft when your dog already turns back at 20.
A longer line is heavier and slower to gather. On a first lesson that works against you: by the time you have reeled in 32 feet, the moment has passed.
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Floats, padded handle
Vivifying Floating Long Dog Leash
A 0.3-inch polypropylene rope that floats and stays light when wet, with a padded handle and a swivel clasp.
from $11.99 Fetch It on Amazon -
Coated webbing, rinses clean
Vivifying Waterproof Long Dog Leash
A flat PVC-coated webbing line, 0.79 inches wide, that sheds mud and rinses clean under a tap.
from $14.99 Fetch It on Amazon
Rope or webbing for a long line?
Rope for small and medium dogs, webbing for large ones. Our rope lines are 0.3 inches thick, float, and weigh little on a collar. The Waterproof Long Dog Leash is coated webbing 0.79 inches wide, made for large breeds.
Rope slides through grass. Webbing lies flat and is easier to stand on. Both rinse clean, and the coated webbing does it faster.
| Product | Length | Line | In water | Dog size | From |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Floating Long Dog Leash | 20 or 32 ft | 0.3 in polypropylene rope | Floats | Small and medium dogs | $11.99 |
| Reflective Floating Long Dog Leash | 20 or 32 ft | 0.3 in rope, reflective threads | Floats | Small and medium dogs | $9.99 |
| Waterproof Long Dog Leash | 20 or 32 ft | PVC-coated webbing, 0.79 in wide | Waterproof, rinses clean | All sizes, large breeds too | $14.99 |
| Floating Check Cord, 32 ft | 32 ft | 0.3 in polypropylene rope | Floats | Small and medium dogs | $11.99 |
When do you want a check cord with no handle?
When the line is meant to drag. The Floating Check Cord is 32 ft of plain rope, so nothing catches on roots and brush while the dog works ahead of you.
For walking, a handle is safer. A bare rope end is hard to hold if a dog bolts.
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No handle to snag
Vivifying Floating Check Cord, 32 ft
A 32 ft floating rope with no handle, so the free end drags through grass and brush without catching.
from $11.99 Fetch It on Amazon -
Reflective threads
Vivifying Reflective Floating Long Dog Leash
The floating long line with reflective threads woven in, so the rope shows up in headlights and torchlight.
from $9.99 Fetch It on Amazon
What does a long leash not do?
A 20 ft line such as the Floating Long Dog Leash does not stop a dog at full speed without a jolt. Clip it to a harness and keep the slack short near roads.
Wear gloves for the first sessions: rope burns bare hands. None of our long lines is chew-proof, so put the leash away after the walk.