Leash Resolution

Today is woofie posting day. We get to write about one of our favorite subjects; walking Jan. She is very hard to keep in line. She tends to wander from side to side, speeds up and slows down, makes sudden turns, stops to sniff or pee (oh, wait, we’re the ones who stop to sniff or pee), and keeps us ever confused.

So using the correct leash is very important! We prefer the 6’ lead so we have more room to maneuver and investigate – plus it gives us a better head start to get Jan moving rapidly if we spy a motorcycle, bicycle, skateboard, dog, etc. – but with Jan walking so erratically, we need a shorter 4’ lead. We understand that 4’ is the proper length, the one recommended by most woofies to keep their humans properly in tow.

This first photo is of the leashes Jan purchased for $9 each at the local Wal-mart on December 26. These are for large dogs, so Buddy and Samaritan use them. The leashes are only 6 weeks old and look at the terrible condition they are in. They are supposed to be reflective in the dark, but we have walked Jan every night after dark and they have never once reflected. We think they must be old leads and their fireflies have died.

They are 5’ - longer than we need to walk Jan, so she is constantly trying to coil them up and hold onto them so she doesn’t get lost. Now we do take her out several times a day, freezing rain or shine, and at least 3 of those times are for a walk and not just a quick pee, but how much deterioration should there be in these two? Very little! Yet notice how frayed they are and the silver “reflective” is pretty well worn off. You can see how they are supposed to look by clicking here. Click on the photo for a larger view of these leashes.)


It will be noticeable in the next photo that they are already unraveling. They have become unsafe. We could lose Jan using these leashes. Jan can’t afford to spend $20 (with tax) every 6 weeks on leashes for just two dogs. She would have to stop feeding several of us and we all like to eat on a regular basis.

These are the old leashes alongside the new rope leashes we persuaded Jan to buy online. Notice the differences. The red and the blue are 4’ with big handles for Jan to stick her gloved hands through and so much easier for her to hold onto without having to grab a handful of each leash to shorten it. (Unlike us 4-paws, she only has 2 hands.)

The hardware is large and heavy, as it should be for us large dogs who prefer a brisk walk to piddling about. The clips are heavy and open outward. These are hardy and won’t pop open easily if Jan panics and yanks hard. These new leashes were $7 plus shipping and the shipping was reasonable.

Merci often likes to follow behind Jan so she can warn us if Jan starts to wander off but these two red 5’ leashes Jan bought at different times at Wal-mart have a life of their own and are always trying to trip Jan or jumping under Merci’s foot to trip her.

The red one with paws was $5 at Wal-mart. It’s another dud as a reflective lead. It is also thin and slick, impossible to hold onto when we are out of step. And we have to admit that is often. Jan folds the excess into one hand and it is constantly sliding across her fingers leaving an abrasion. So even though she bought it a month ago on January 6^th, she has only used it a couple of times.

The braided red and black was $10 at – you guessed it – Wal-mart. (There isn’t anyplace else to shop for pet products here.) This lead is wearing where it drags on the ground because it is too long. We would like to know the name of the dimwit that determined leashes should go from 3’ - 4’ to 5’ - 6’. The longer the lead, the harder it is to keep the human in check!

But notice the 4’ green lead in the center. This is Merci’s new leash. Yes, we convinced Jan to buy each of us a proper 4’ walking leash that will last longer than 6 weeks. We are happy with them and Jan is content. These are the easiest leashes to walk her with that we have ever used! Finally, we have reached leash resolution.

AspenPet, we would like to tell you that this reflective leash of yours is a dud. It appears to be make for a dog who doesn't like his/her human. (Remember Jan's abrasions from holding this leash.)

And Petnation, your reflective leashes – at least these two for large dogs – are a bad joke. These appear to be more for show than for regular use. Some of us do walk our humans on a regular basis, believe it or not!

We want Jan to contact these companies and let them know about our bad experiences with their products. And we also want her to take them back to Wal-mart and get refunds. Consumers deserve better than this, even if we are woofies.

And, oh, yes, if anyone is interested in learning where we purchased the new leashes, email us at mercyandpercy at gmail dot com. (We also got large, heavy duty collars for Buddy and Samaritan there too, but Merci is way too small for one of them.)

(s)Merci, Buddy & Samaritan
Jan's Funny Farm

Feb. 8 Update: We sent an email to both companies about their products and included a link to JFF so they could read our complaints. Aspen Pet responded right away and said they forwarded the information to their product engineer and quality directors for review. They offered to replace their leashes, but since the first two weren't helpful and the one even caused abrasions on Jan's hand, we opted to send Jan back to Wal-mart with those 2 and the 2 Petnation leashes for a refund.

And today we had an email from Firstrax regarding the Petnation reflective leashes. They also offered to replace the leashes.