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Great Danes need sturdy leashes and a couple extra features make being on the road easier. Our house seems to be full of so many leashes you would think a large pack of dogs lived with us and not just one.
My Basic leash requirements
- 6 feet in length
- rated for 100lbs. plus
- second handle usually 1 foot for walking in crowded or tight areas
- buckle for hitching to tables or trees so we don’t have to remember a carabiner
We have used basic webbing leashes for years and we would attach a carabiner when we needed to secure our dog(s) at a restaurant or campsite.
Why six feet?
Six feet is the maximum length allowed on most trails and pet friendly national parks. Experience has taught us that a leash less than 6 feet on a dog that is ~4 feet long leads to lots of tripping when forced into single file on trails or stairs.
The 100lb. rating shouldn’t need explanation since we are talking about Great Danes here.
ROK (Stretch leash)
Varel had a very strong hunting instinct and would lung at small, or large, animals to try to catch them. Mostly cats and rabbits. Our trainers commented that the urge to hunt was strong with her and she never lost it.
We thought we would try an elastic leash to try to save Ernie’s shoulders which between an old body surfing accident and years of ballooning are not good. He calls them “bad” and “worse”. The highest rated leash ROK sells is 60lbs plus and Varel was 90-95lbs., should be OK, right? After about 1 year of use she saw something to chase and pulled it so hard that the outer covering snapped. The bungee is still good but mostly exposed. The handle on it is large and heavy, not very comfortable for my smaller hands so it mostly just hangs on a hook.
Along came Martok, the current face of Have Dane will Travel and a leash chewer. He got to use an old leash till that habit was corrected.
Ruffwear (Flatout leash)
When we did deem it safe to get Martok a new leash I decided to get a Ruffwear leash with an adjustable clip. No more going back to the car for the forgotten carabiner. At the time they sold one with the Tetons and since we spend the summers in Teton Valley I had to buy that one.
Surprisingly it didn’t hold up well. I’ve always considered Ruffwear to be a top name dog product company. The material is much thinner than the webbing I’m used to large dog leashes being made of. I don’t think it will break but as the photo shows, it did fray along the edges. I do like the talon clip on the dog end and the ability to quickly hitch it around things or make it a waist leash. The length is adjustable by sliding it through the clasp but if you do it too quickly it is thin enough that it will fold on itself and then you have a twisted mess.
Kurgo (Quantum leash)
Once I had enough of cutting the frayed edges off the Ruffwear leash only to have it fray more, I bought yet another leash. This time it is the Kurgo Quantum leash.
This leash has 6 different configurations.
- 6ft.
- 3ft.
- waist style
- courier style
- 2 dogs
- hitch
Adjustments are made with the large hook by clipping onto different sections along the length of the leash. It also has a built-in bottle opener. I’m not sure why Martok will need a bottle opener but I guess you never know.
The handle with its fleece grip is comfortable. But I have had problems with the hook coming off the adjustment loop. When this happens the grip is no longer a fixed size. I haven’t used it in the waist or courier styles yet so no comment.
Unfortunately there isn’t a second handle. However the loops where the hook is attached to adjust the length are large enough for me to put 3 fingers through if I need a second grip.
It has the standard hook for connecting to a collar. While those last a while we have had them eventually break or get stuck on all our leashes. Maybe the talon hook on the Ruffwear leash will make it over to this leash someday when I’m feeling crafty.
So far so good with the Kurgo leash. It is versatile enough for city and trail use.
Pet Leash Peeve
Retractable leashes!
- First off I’ve never seen one rated for dogs over 110lbs.
- According to our trainers they encourage your dog to run and pull since they have no restraint.
- They can be dangerous! Imagine if you will two Newfoundlands on 20 foot extendable leashes with one being held by a ~10 year old at a leash free dog beach. A thin, hard to see wire with dogs running around at full speed. Blew my mind when I saw it! Luckily I didn’t see any dog get cloth-lined and I did point out the dangers to the adult who then kept the dogs closer.
- If Martok had the chance to get more speed up before getting to the end of the leash he would definitely rip my arms out of their sockets.
Now if you have a really well trained dog it might work but Martok is still a work in progress.
Do you have a favorite Great Dane leash for travel or just around town? Share in the comments.
