Tab leads for obedience

[Elrohwen]

Does anyone use tab leads for obedience? Any recommendations for type or length? I need to buy one for an obedience seminar in June and I'm not sure what to get. They seem to be anywhere from 8-12". Some have are the traffic handle style and some are just a leash with a knot. Does one work better than the other?

I don't really know how we'll be using it, which is why I'm confused I guess. Is it just to hold on to him between off leash exercises?

Watson is ~20" at the shoulder, for reference.

 

[release the hounds]

Take a longer leash and get your dog in position and hold the leash with just a small amount of slack how you want your ob leash to be. Measure to where you're holding and get one about that length. Too much sucks and so does too little. I'm happy with just a knot at the end and leather over any fabric type leash. But that's me

 

[Emily]

I use tabs for some things/in some settings. Honestly, it comes down to personal preference as far as style and length goes. For you purposes, it sounds like you want an all around tab/traffic lead, so I'd look for one that is a length that easily reaches from his collar to your hand, with a little bit of slack if he's in heel position. I would think 12" would work nicely for a dog that height.

Traffic loop vs. no loop is up to you, I like a handle for some things and not for others, lol. If there's no loop you want a knot on the end so the dog can't yank it out of your hand on accident.

Hope that helps, at least a little bit!

 

[MicksMom]

You can make your own like has been suggested, but I bet you can buy one at the seminar. Betsy's daughter makes the ones most of her students use. Email Linda or Betsy and ask.

 

[Sekah]

I know it's not particularly helpful, but I really don't like tab leashes for medium/small dogs. If it's long enough to be useful it's long enough to interfere with the dog's movement. And if you're having to take it off prior to an exercise, why not use a full length leash? Or just hold the dog's collar? Or do the exercise with a long leash?

I've always found them a hindrance more than anything. Maybe I'm doing it wrong!

 

[Elrohwen]

Take a longer leash and get your dog in position and hold the leash with just a small amount of slack how you want your ob leash to be. Measure to where you're holding and get one about that length. Too much sucks and so does too little. I'm happy with just a knot at the end and leather over any fabric type leash. But that's me

I use tabs for some things/in some settings. Honestly, it comes down to personal preference as far as style and length goes. For you purposes, it sounds like you want an all around tab/traffic lead, so I'd look for one that is a length that easily reaches from his collar to your hand, with a little bit of slack if he's in heel position. I would think 12" would work nicely for a dog that height.

Traffic loop vs. no loop is up to you, I like a handle for some things and not for others, lol. If there's no loop you want a knot on the end so the dog can't yank it out of your hand on accident.

Hope that helps, at least a little bit!

Thanks to both of you! That's very helpful, actually. It gives me something to think about.

I know it's not particularly helpful, but I really don't like tab leashes for medium/small dogs. If it's long enough to be useful it's long enough to interfere with the dog's movement. And if you're having to take it off prior to an exercise, why not use a full length leash? Or just hold the dog's collar? Or do the exercise with a long leash?

I've always found them a hindrance more than anything. Maybe I'm doing it wrong!

This is exactly why I don't already own one. Haha. I haven't really found a purpose yet, but it's required for the seminar so I figured I would look into it.

You can make your own like has been suggested, but I bet you can buy one at the seminar. Betsy's daughter makes the ones most of her students use. Email Linda or Betsy and ask.

Thanks! The seminar info sheet does say that they will have certain leash lengths available (including tabs). I wanted to show up with as much as I can, but maybe it's best to just get a tab there where someone can recommend the right length and style for our purposes.

 

[crazedACD]

I had/have a tab, basically a giant nylon handle with a clip. I stopped using it in agility as I was nervous Skye would actually get her leg through it and trip. I intend to get something with no 'handle' (just a knot on the end) in the future.

 

[Elrohwen]

I had/have a tab, basically a giant nylon handle with a clip. I stopped using it in agility as I was nervous Skye would actually get her leg through it and trip. I intend to get something with no 'handle' (just a knot on the end) in the future.

I thought about getting something like that for agility, but our instructor doesn't like us to use any lead at all (in case the dogs knock it on a jump) so I haven't had a reason. I can see the use for possible training at home though so that's good advice to avoid the handle for agility purposes.

 

[DJEtzel]

I know it's not particularly helpful, but I really don't like tab leashes for medium/small dogs. If it's long enough to be useful it's long enough to interfere with the dog's movement. And if you're having to take it off prior to an exercise, why not use a full length leash? Or just hold the dog's collar? Or do the exercise with a long leash?

I've always found them a hindrance more than anything. Maybe I'm doing it wrong!

I do agree wtih this.

I can't use one on Recon because he's too short. He's 19.5"-21" depending on who measures him.

I do use a 9" tab on Frag for his prong collar when we're out doing formations off leash, so that I can grab it for a quick correction if I need to. But he's about 27" so it's a big difference. It gets in the way with Recon.

It would also be a pain to reach down to a dog like Recon to grab it... might as well just have a leash at that point. I don't have to bend over to grab Frag's collar/tab.

 

[Shai]

I used them with Kim (23") and Webby (smidge under 18") in the past when we were just starting out and working on heeling in certain circumstances and Kim was still a zoomie risk. I usually just used a small clip with a piece of rope with a knot at the end so it wouldn't slip through the hand. Probably about 6-7" long. It was light enough that when clipped to a collar it could hang from the top without swiveling down to the bottom very often. Plus I mean...it was heeling. Not a safety factor, and even if it did swivel around...if they couldn't heel through the distraction of a tab hanging a bit then we had bigger issues

 

[Elrohwen]

I used them with Kim (23") and Webby (smidge under 18") in the past when we were just starting out and working on heeling in certain circumstances and Kim was still a zoomie risk. I usually just used a small clip with a piece of rope with a knot at the end so it wouldn't slip through the hand. Probably about 6-7" long. It was light enough that when clipped to a collar it could hang from the top without swiveling down to the bottom very often. Plus I mean...it was heeling. Not a safety factor, and even if it did swivel around...if they couldn't heel through the distraction of a tab hanging a bit then we had bigger issues

Thanks! It's great to know what length worked for your dogs since they're similar in height to Watson. I assume we'll be using it for heeling work.

I just remembered I have some clips from a car tether that Watson chewed through. I could easily attach something to that and try it out to figure out the correct length for us.

 

[MicksMom]

...I just remembered I have some clips from a car tether that Watson chewed through. I could easily attach something to that and try it out to figure out the correct length for us.

That's too heavy. You want something about the size of a shoe lace with a light snap. Now, if you're talking about a heeling lead, just roll your leash to the length you want and secure it with a rubber band (learned that from Betsy "way back when").

 

[Elrohwen]

That's too heavy. You want something about the size of a shoe lace with a light snap. Now, if you're talking about a heeling lead, just roll your leash to the length you want and secure it with a rubber band (learned that from Betsy "way back when").

My intent was just to use it to figure out the length I like, so that I can purchase one (either online, or from Betsy in person). The snap from the car tether is the same as a leash snap - it's not particularly heavy.

 

[MicksMom]

My intent was just to use it to figure out the length I like, so that I can purchase one (either online, or from Betsy in person). The snap from the car tether is the same as a leash snap - it's not particularly heavy.

Aaa! I thought you were going to make a tab out of it. Really, tho, once you figure out the length, you can make one out of a shoe lace or a leash for a toy sized dog or cat.

 

[Elrohwen]

Aaa! I thought you were going to make a tab out of it. Really, tho, once you figure out the length, you can make one out of a shoe lace or a leash for a toy sized dog or cat.

-deleted-

ETA: NM, figured out what you meant. Haha. I think the leashes for cats threw me off - didn't realize they made those!

 

[Emily]

Watson isn't exactly toy sized

No, but her point is that you want a tab to be very lightweight. The point is to not have something heavy pulling on the dog's collar; it's an obvious signal to the dog that they're wearing a tab and IME it also makes any leash work you do clumsier. I do use some leash work to clean my heeling and I prefer and very, very lightweight tab. I have an 18" nylon show lead (with a snap) that works very well. Light leash, light touch, good results IME. And I use it on Blossom who is distinctly not toy sized lol.

 

[Elrohwen]

No, but her point is that you want a tab to be very lightweight. The point is to not have something heavy pulling on the dog's collar; it's an obvious signal to the dog that they're wearing a tab and IME it also makes any leash work you do clumsier. I do use some leash work to clean my heeling and I prefer and very, very lightweight tab. I have an 18" nylon show lead (with a snap) that works very well. Light leash, light touch, good results IME. And I use it on Blossom who is distinctly not toy sized lol.

Yeah, I updated my comment after I realized what she meant. At first I thought she was saying that a shoelace worked well on toy sized dogs.

ETA: I also have plenty of show leads sitting around (super thin nylon type) that I could cut down to size. That's a good idea. Unfortunately they aren't the snap kind, but would still attach to a collar easily enough.

 

[MicksMom]

...ETA: I also have plenty of show leads sitting around (super thin nylon type) that I could cut down to size. That's a good idea. Unfortunately they aren't the snap kind, but would still attach to a collar easily enough.

Two ideas for that- First, you can buy small snaps. I'd run attach the snap to the cut end. Second, you can use it "as is" by simply running it through the collar ring and holding both ends, but I'd wait for more advanced work to do that.

Aren't you glad I "hang" with the Top Dog crowd on occasion? LOL

 

[Emily]

Two ideas for that- First, you can buy small snaps. I'd run attach the snap to the cut end. Second, you can use it "as is" by simply running it through the collar ring and holding both ends, but I'd wait for more advanced work to do that.

Aren't you glad I "hang" with the Top Dog crowd on occasion? LOL

Hey, where are you buying small/light snaps? I want to play around with making my own tabs out of paracord but I can't seem to easily find the snaps I want...

 

[MicksMom]

Hey, where are you buying small/light snaps? I want to play around with making my own tabs out of paracord but I can't seem to easily find the snaps I want...

Honestly, I can't remember. LOL When I see them I buy a couple. For some reason I think I got a couple at Tractor Supply.