Right length, seemingly sturdy, yet . . .
At 6.5' it's a versatile length for our walks in the woods. I can throw the loop over my shoulder, hold it in my hand to allow the dog a bit of range, or cinch the leash around my waist to walk hands-free. Well and good. The clasp hardware, however, leaves me a underwhelmed. A durable alloy, apparently, but the configuration and clasp are too fussy for my thinking. I imagine it will be a pain when the snow comes. In gloves?! For context: I've raised and trained GWPs for decades--I'm no professional, only ever a compulsive enthusiast. I decided when my last pointer died in June, it reluctantly had to be my last. I turned over breed as I enrolled in Medicare. This pup is a basset hound. I'm running too long for a review. The leash is a companion piece to the Flatline harness. No gripes on that item. Even though a different breed, I thought there must be a ready line of equipment available for an elongated dog--especially in a development stage. Short offerings, or so I find--meaning, 'don't' find. The leads I had for my pointers worked easier and felt sturdier. Top it off, I thought I was buying an ensemble with the harness: This lead is a mismatch in color (further disclosure: I earn my bread-and-board as a graphic designer/sign artist), though they share the same color descriptor. The color combo was a compromise. Bassets are self-guided iconoclasts when they're on a scent. This I've learned earlier; because I had trained my pointers as versatiles and had run them with hounds seasonally. I opted for visibility if she ever got loose. Fashion be hanged. Can't Ruffwear offer a line of neutrals with discrete visibility strips?
Upshot is, I'll use the leash, but I'm imagining I may swap this fastener with one of the brass lock-downs that survived my pointers. With one of those, a swift thumb flick, even with my hand gloved, and the dog is secure and won't be entertaining other ideas.
Sorry for a controversial review. My lifestyle dictates hard romps in woods and fields with my working/hunting dogs. And daily. Far as we together can get from boutiques.
(Chewtoys, though: top marks. Dogs and I loved 'em.)
