handmade sliplead construction

[MPbandmom]

I am not a fan of slipleads for the most part. However, I am about to take Sirius to a Barn Hunt event and based on how much of a challenge it was to get my hands back on her after her disinterest in lure coursing, where she was wearing a harness and collar, I am thinking a slip lead might be beneficial to me.

I have some rope left over from making a double clip long line, so it seems more economical to make a slip lead than buy one. My thought is to put a knot in it to limit the slip. Because it will be on a neck, I plan on making the loop by tying a knot in the rope as well. My main question is whether I need a metal ring for the line to slip through, or whether a loop made in the rope would work just as well. Obviously the metal ring would provide less friction than rope rubbing on rope. I don't currently have a metal ring though and would rather not spend the money if the rope will slip sufficiently without it.

Is there an ideal length for a slip lead? I'm thinking shorter rather than longer, but it will need to have enough length to form a nice "lasso."

Thank you

[Erica]

Honestly, if you're only using it once in a while for catching her after this kind of event, I would personally just thread the lead through the handle and use that as a MacGuyver'd slip lead. (In fact, I often do - catching Opal in the garden, I use that setup to catch her quickly, then clip the leash on and take the slip loop off.)

[MPbandmom]

That would certaintly reduce the amount of stuff I am carrying around.

Does your lead have a second clip in the handle and if so, does it seem to get in the way? I am thinking your leads are very similar to the ones I use.

The trick with the barn hunt is that she will be running naked. So once I catch her, I have to then get her collar and harness back on her before I can clip the lead to anything. They have specified that the dog should be wearing something that is quick to take off and put on. I'm not sure my current collar and harness set up qualify. Their regular collars are a woven material that have a metal tongue style buckle that kind of pokes through the fabric and the hole seems to dissapear when taken off. I also have a martingale collar available for back up for a certain escape artist. With a little adjustment in size it will fit either dog. Their harnesses slip over their heads and then I usually thread the girth strap though the loop. I could potentially leave that threaded and just take the leg out/in.

I will have time to watch how others do things, but I am thinking I may have to slip lead her and then get her back to the van or other secure area before getting her re-harnessed. Which was one of the reasons I was thinking about making the slip lead limited slip. Sirius will likely be a challenge to catch. Sky presents a totally different problem in the quick to take off and put on area because of her escape artistry and a very strong choke reflex. So if the slip lead is the best way to get dogs on and off of the course, it definately needs to be limited slip for Sky. The dogs are in two different size catagories. This might allow for sharing the martingale collar to get them on and off the course.

[Nettle]

Teach your dogs to put the slip lead on at home, then that's a job you don't have to do when there.

Hold out the loop and hold a treat the other side, so they put their heads through the loop. You need a huge loop to begin with and make smaller as they get better.

Then when they are putting their lead on well, add in the next steps for whatever you do to add collar, harness or whatever.

Proof this until you are all really slick at it. Then whenever you go to an event, you know they know what to do. No sense waiting until you go out to introduce new behaviours when you can do all the basics at home. I love an easy life!

[MPbandmom]

Ohhhh thank you Nettle. We have a week, probably not enough time for good proofing, but we can certaintly get started and be better than we might have been.

[Erica]

I do this with the extra clip whenever I'm not using it:


I fasten the clip to the handle loop, then slip it to the base where it's out of the way and fairly unobtrusive.

[MPbandmom]

Thanks Erica, I never would have thought to clip it like that. Unfortunately, I also don't think it will work on the leads that I use, which are bought leads with a much thicker diameter rope. It is a good thing to keep in mind for the homemade long lead though.

With Nettle's advice to practice ahead of time and with rope available. I cut a length and carried it with me to the dogs' morning outing. Being Sunday which is usually tight on time, I had determined to do a dog park outing hoping that the dog park would be empty. Which it was. In between throwing the ball for Sky, I fashioned a loop and slipped the line through it. Not yet knowing where to tie the slip limiting knot, that was as far as I took things. Then I held a large loop and had Sirius put her head in a few times for treats. She had no trouble putting her head in whatsoever. She was somewhat aroused as a dog had been passing through the park parking area when we first arrived, so my fingers were being included in the treat sntaching. (ouch but no injury)

Then it was time to head home. I had moved the dogs from the small dog area into the vestibule when a vehicle came in with a dog hanging out of the window. That meant I needed to get Sirius leashed up pronto and out of there. My first attempt with her regular lead failed, so I took out the slip lead, looped it over her head which then enabled me to get her regular lead clipped easily. I think I am in love with the slip lead already and I haven't even finished it.

Another question for Nettle, do I just have the dogs put their head through the loop at a large size and then take it right back off again? Or I guess the real question is at what point do I use the lead as a lead? This morning, I did some of just having her put her head through the loop and then also tightning the lead after she had put her head through. She was a little freaked out by that. I'm not sure if it was because of the pressure, or because she was in the section of the dog park where she is usually free to roam. When I used it to detain her to put her regular lead on her harness, the slip lead landed on her collar and didn't seem to tighten beyond that, because I was able to quickly clip her lead.

I also started taking their harnesses off without unthreading the girth strap.

[MPbandmom]

We have played several sessions of "lasso the doggie" today. Sirius is getting pretty good at putting her head through a head sized loop. Sky still needs some work, but I will have to work with her while away from Sirius. Sirius just loves the game too much to give Sky much of a turn.

I determined where the limited slip knot should be and then determined I needed a slip lead for each dog. While their necks are close in size a knot at the right place for Sirus was too small for Sky and a knot at the right place for Sky left a risk of Sirius being able to slip out. So much for economizing on equipemnt.

Because I got Sirus down to putting her head through a fairly small loop, I have been tightning the loop and then releasing it and removing the lead. Sky seems a little concerned on the tightning, so I definately need to work more with getting her comfortable with it.

[Nettle]

You are doing fine lots of lead on-lead off, lead on, count to 5 lead off, lead on walk a few paces lead off, lots of treats. Don't forget to link in a command that means 'please put your head through the loop.'

With a dog uneasy about the lead tightening, teach this as a separate exercise - lead tight, lead loose, reward etc. Then you don't teach the dog to be uneasy about lasso-ing, the way that would happen if it was lasso and tighten - which would not be a reward.