What's Your Walking Setup?

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#1
What gear do you use to walk your dogs and why? What have you used before that has failed or that your dog has escaped from?

For regular walks, I put a flat collar (because pretty) with her ID tags attached on her, but I attach the leash to a thinner martingale from Earth Dog. Fable has the strangest neck in that it has a lot of extra skin and extra thick fur, so regular flat collars have to be really tight and scrunch all that in in order to not slip over her head. I found that out the hard way when one day she just decided to slip out of her collar and run after a squirrel. And I don't like to put collars that tight on her (even though they're technically not choking her), so now I only attach the leash to a martingale or, if I'm being particularly lazy, I just use a regular slip leash.

As far as leashes go, I use either my leather leash or my climbing rope leash, depending on what we're doing and how muddy and wet it will get. I don't like to use leashes with the traditional bolt snaps because I have had many of those just fall off what they were attached to while I was walking a dog (never Fable). I think it's because the spring inside gets worn down after so many uses or something like that. Instead, I prefer to use leashes with a trigger snap or a locking carabiner.
 

teacuptiger

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#2
Roxie's never escaped from anything and I've never had anything fail, luckily.

For harness walks (Roxie doesn't have to heel), I use a Hurtta harness (although I am forever changing harnesses, lol), All K-9 biothane 10ft leash, and a Squishy Face Studio leash belt.

For heel walks, I just use my EL slip lead (eco blue is the BEST color in the world, lol) lately.

When I didn't live in the country, I only ever used my DogWalkies biothane 4ft leash. Now it's just hanging up neglected, as I normally walk Roxie in a harness. Plus with my slip lead, I can be lazy and hang that around my shoulders because it's like 10ft lol. Still able to grab the leash quickly, but no hands needed half the time.

I still do use that leash, but not as often. Usually just when we actually go somewhere crowded/it's illegal or impractical to use a leash longer than 4ft.
 

Slick

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#3
I'm pretty boring.

Leo has one leash and one collar...and we use those. Leash always has poop bags attached. When I'm working on something with him, I will bring treats, but I often don't.
 

Toller_08

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#4
A collar with ID and a slip lead. Zumi or Mendota. Sometimes a harness if I'm going on a long leashed walk as Journey has a sensitive throat. But usually not because generally my leashed walks are like fifteen minutes long until I arrive somewhere that I can take leashes off. I don't enjoy leashed walks.
 
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#5
Depends what were doing.

On hikes they both have the kong harnesses with handles on them. They're alright, mostly I just like the handle if I need to help them over something. And they know leash manners don't matter with them because they're usually going to be off-leash anyway. And obviously both have their regular collars with tags on them.

On our normal walks Wilson wears a front clip harness if I am walking them together or I just attach his leash to a martingale collar if he's by himself and we work on actually walking nicely (hard to work on with two dogs). I usually prefer having Sam in a harness but lately I've just been attaching his leash to his collar and he's been fine.

If were going to a store or a crowded place Wilson wears his vest that says do not pet on it because I don't want strangers touching him without asking and freaking him out. Sam just gets his leash attached to his collar.

And for leashes I always use my Stibbar utility leash because they're awesome. I do want some biothane leashes for swimming and a fleece tug leash or two for agility.
 

DJEtzel

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#6
We don't go for walks.

Walking to/from the car for events it's biothane attached to whatever they have on, usually a fur saver for Patton, limited slip for the little boys. They can all slip out of their collars if they wanted, I use a dead ring on the fur savers and limited slips are worn loose because fur. Thankfully none want to and all are good off leash. They typically only wear them for the public's peace of mind.

Patton wears a prong and electric during training- when he is on a 15' biothane lead, along with a 1.5" limited slip. 4 collars looks a little excessive I imagine.

Sometimes Recon or Patton will have a performance harness on also.
 
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#7
Pilot wears a light nylon collar from Petco, or a sure-fit harness. Collar = no pulling, harness = heathen. He's a big dog now, so I should get him his GDS collar but I haven't gotten around to it. For walks it's mostly just a nylon leash, I like it because one of the chew marks makes it fold really nicely if I'm holding the leash short.

Marsh wears the first piece of tack I can find when I decide we're going for a walk. Sometimes that's Pilot's collar, sometimes it's his, sometimes it's the harness. If I can't find any of those usually the Mendotas are hanging up where they're supposed to be. I've walked him on a improved slip lead out of a regular leash before. But Marsh is allowed to do whatever he wants because he's perfect.

If I'm walking both, Pilot is almost always on a harness (Marsh gets grumpy if I nitpick Pilot's LLW because he has to stop a lot) and the second leash is a leather one (also that Pilot chewed up so is duct taped together)

For point A -> point B walks (yard to car, car to park) I like the Mendota slip leads best.
 

BostonBanker

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#8
My dogs have flat nylon collars from the local pet store; I clip my leash of choice (Genuine Dog Gear) to the ring and off we go. Both could back out of their collars if they wanted, but really don't. And both are good off leash if they did.
 

MicksMom

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#9
For walking around the neighborhood, whatever collar he has on and either a leather or biothane leash (depending on what color the collar is). For hikes, a Premier Sure Fit harness and biothane leash.
 
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#10
For walking down the street they wear collars and freedom harnesses with the dual attachment.

For trail walking and hiking Gypsy wears a Y harness or ruffwear front range and collar attached to the harness by a carabiner with a locking carabiner leash (escape artist).

Ryker will wear a Y harness or Julius K9 and collar with locking carabiner leash.

I've had regular leash clips pop open on me too. Once near a busy highway!
 

Maxy24

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#11
Tucker just wears a nylon leash and Red Dingo harness on walks. If we were going on a hike or to the park I'd use a long line of some sort.

The only thing he has ever escaped from was his tie out. It has the usual attachment where you just push down and the clip opens up. He was rolling around and it must have opened and maybe got some dirt in the clasp and he got out.
 

milos_mommy

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#12
Flat collar and leash if we're going someplace where being too close in proximity to other people/dogs isn't likely (walks in the suburbs, bigger parks, etc), halti if we're going to a store, the vet, etc.

I don't know what my brand leash is, but it's thick braided nylon. It's a little heavy though, so I'd go with a different brand for next dog.

My most-escape-risk dogs wore a flat buckle collar and halti, with a leash that I modified to double clip clipped on both. For a future dog I'll probably use a martingale collar. I feel like the best option really depends on the individual dog. I'm not going to buy an expensive leather collar for a dog that chews it's leash until that's remedied, I'm not going to put a harness on a bad puller, I'm not going to use a flat collar on a dog with a thick neck that tries to slip, etc.
 

stardogs

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#13
When I walk in our neighborhood or out in town, the dogs always wear a martingale (just in case) and we usually use a 5' leash, the specific materials and designs vary.

For hiking, it's either a harness (Ruffwear Webmaster or Xtra Dog fleecelined) or a pack (Granite Gear or Ruffwear), a biothane ID collar, and either their Zumi as a clip lead or the flexi.
 

Elrohwen

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#14
Most walks Watson wears a limited slip collar and often a prong. For hikes he wears a harness.

Hazel just wears a flat collar.

Their primary walking leashes are 10ft biothane, but I use shorter leather leashes if we are going to a store or the vet's office where 10ft is just too much.
 

PWCorgi

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#15
Skill walks in a Gentle Leader, and runs in a Sure-Fit.

Siri walks and runs in a Sure-Fit or a Freedom Harness (whichever I can find at the moment :p)

Frodo walks in a Gentle Leader.
 

pinkspore

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#16
We have infinite stuff so the answer changes a lot if where we're going and who is coming along. Right now naked Brisbane is almost exclusively wearing his fleecy Alpine Outfitters harness because it doesn't rub. My favorite leashes are 5/8" wide 6' leather. If we're going to the beach I put him on the super-long flexi so he can have some freedom without rolling in dead stuff. For herding I usually use a Lone Wolf martingale slip, or a martingale and leather leash. He also has Balance and Ruffwear Front Range harnesses, among others. Also something to hold his tags, right now usually a Braid-a-Roo tag collar. Briz can and will back out of a flat collar if he feels like it.

Ru usually wears a super tiny single paracord harness and leash. At the beach he wears a Fragile Rock biothane harness and flexi.

Foster puppy Xena wears a Hurtta harness and Rok Straps leash that isn't very long. No flexi for her because I spent the entire outing unwinding her from around me since she only moves in clockwise circles.
 

JacksonsMom

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#18
I have so much freaking dog gear that it really just depends on what we're doing.

Hiking where we may encounter lots of big rocks, or fallen trees, etc, I use his Ruffwear Front Range harness and depending on who we are with, where we open, how populated or open, I'll either use a flexi leash (if not walking with more than 1 other dog) or just a regular 6ft leash. I also have a 10ft orange biothane leash that can work in certain situations too.

Neighborhood walking (as a dog walker, I do this somewhat often where I bring Jackson with me), usually just his Puppia harness and whatever collar he's in for the day and a 5-6ft leash. We also have a utility leash from Stibbar that is 8ft at it's longest and also shortens to 6ft, 4ft I believe.

City walking (downtown areas, etc, busy), he's in whatever I harness I happen to choose for that day lol and whatever collar again (we switch them up, but usually it's his leather for occasions such as this), and I use his utility leash (so I can just wrap it around my shoulder and still have him walking at my side).

I literally have so much dog stuff but most of it really does serve it's use/purpose for different occasions.
 

MicksMom

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#19
...For hiking, it's either a harness (Ruffwear Webmaster or Xtra Dog fleecelined) or a pack (Granite Gear or Ruffwear), a biothane ID collar, and either their Zumi as a clip lead or the flexi.
I didn't even think of including it in my replay because Caleb always has a collar & tags on.
 

SpringerLover

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#20
Bailey wears her sure fit with a boomerang tag 95% of the time because of her LP. Flexi or regular leash depending on what we're doing.

Diego wears a leather collar with boomerang tag but most of the time I put his sure fit on to walk him. He's graduated to flexi privileges again (6' leash walks since December!) so I tend to use that a lot.

Gabby can be walked on anything but I generally want to flexi so then her sure fit.
 

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