Build Your Own Dog Training Lead

Frustrated by the lack of selection for dog leads and leashes, I decided it was eaiser and cheaper to just build my own. For less than $10.00 I was able to build a rock-solid ten foot long dog training lead. All of the materials are readily available at Wal-mart or your local hardware store. The swivel eye bolt snap hook was a couple bucks, the twine was under 3 dollars for a hundred foot spool and the 1/2 inch rope was 5 bucks. You can use just about any diameter rope you choose. I had an odd-length scrap of 3/8" utility line that I bought at a sporting goods retailer.

The trick is wrapping the twine extremely tight to keep the ends secure. One loop secures the snap hook and a loop on the opposite end creates a solid handle. I chose to make mine about 10 feet long for working with my puppies in yard training. But, you can make any length for the training purposes you have in mind. The local pet stores usually only have 4-6 foot leashes and the sporting goods stores have 30 foot training leads but nothing in betweeen. I'll see how it hold up overtime, but it seems to as sturdy or even better than the 30 footer I bought at Cabelas. Most rock-climbing or rappeling shops will sell scrap lengths of solid utility line that's perfect for building a custom dog training lead.