Ruffwear Quick Draw Leash

Tough, tough, tough! Lightweight and many grab points, and is shock-corded.

Wow, this is one tough and variable leash! This is my second one as the old design used a plastic snap clip that broke under strain. Got the current version with the aluminum buckle that replaced the plastic snap, a huge improvement.

It has several grab points, a shock-corded leash, heavily stitched with nylon and that makes it bulletproof!

I use it with my 100 pound male Golden, who lunges at every imagined squirrel on the planet. He broke the first one's plastic snap, but not this one after a year. I wear it like a belt, you have your hands free for walking poles or when walking narrow trails next to a cliff. This also lets your dog know he can't lunge because the shock cord tensions in proportion to the distance he's away from you, and your weight counters his every move, so he intuitively knows how far he can go.

It's a LOT better than getting your hand or wrist injured by an unexpected lunge, and a hell of a lot safer for all in any condition, especially on tight trails, the hand grab is next to the collar, allowing complete control of your dog without undue exertion.

I use it everywhere, and he seems to like it....sort of!! He knows he can't take off or lunge unexpectedly unless he's willing to take me with him, and having it around my waist, you have not only weight, but your balance  in your favor-a perfect fit in all conditions.

Disclosure #1: I received this leash from http://backcountryk9.com/ to test it out and review it, in my role as a brand ambassador.

Disclosure #2: I liked this nifty little collar/leash so much, I just purchased a second one for our other dog.

The Ruffwear Quick Draw leash is a short leash, with a tab grab handle. The leash clips onto the dog’s collar with a nice , lightweight but strong clip…then, the leash goes around the dog’s neck, over the collar, and secures with a Velcro attachment. The leash is lightweight, has a nice reflective strip, and stays in place well. My dog ignored this new attachment, and seemed oblivious to its presence.

This leash design would be ideally suited for those folks who may walk, hike, or snowshoe with their dog off-leash. We all know that for off-leash dogs, there are times and places when a leash is indicated. With this leash, you just grab the tab on the leash, pull the Velcro, and you have a short leash ( 20-27 inches). 

I often see folks fumbling for their leashes in their pockets, or suddenly remembering they forgot the leash….this leash eliminates those circumstances. Even for our dogs, who wear harnesses with trekking lines, it is sometimes handy to have a short leash to guide them near rambunctious dogs, or other distractions.

I did note that the grab tab is not a large leash handle loop; I found I would give the end of the leash a short wrap around my hand, for added security. Also, while wearing bulky winter gloves, it can be hard to grasp the tab. 

We tried the leash with both of our dogs, and over three different types of collars (webbing, prong, martingale), and found it worked fine with any collar. The collar fits neck sizes 14 to 22 inches, so we could share the collar between two dogs, with an easy adjustment for size difference.  The length of the possible leash depends on the dog’s collar neck size (the larger the collar, the shorter the leash).

It was nice to have this collar while skijoring…the pulling harness we use is not great for guiding dogs from the front. At the trailhead, which is near the busiest road in the county, I was able to use this leash to guide my skijoring pup back to the car safely. No matter how “perfect” my dog’s recall and heeling may be, all it would take would be one random chattering squirrel, to possibly place my dog in danger.

We are very excited to give the leash a try as we start our canoeing season. We use leashes to walk the dogs to and from launch sites, since there are often other animals in the area (for example, porcupines!), and there may be broken glass or other dangers in the area.

Once in the canoe, we do not want any hanging leashes or lines that could cause entanglement, should the canoe capsize. However, we want to have a leash available, for our loading and unloadings, as well as to guide the dogs in the water should we all end up swimming.

Previously, our best solution had been to coil up their 6 foot leashes, and secure to their life jacket handle with gear-ties. The Quick Draw leash will be worn by each of the dogs as we paddle…once we need a leash, quick pull on the tab, and we’re all set!

Disclosure: This item was provided to me by Backcountry K-9 for purposes of reviewing it. I have since bought a second one.

I feel it is well worth the $19.95 suggested price, as it is well made, durable, and definitely is a helpful piece of gear.