Dog Lead Size & Length Guide
Two questions, and they are not related to each other. Width is matched to the dog. Length is matched to the walk. Answer them in that order and you are done.
Two straps, same widths
Soft and heavy duty are not narrow and wide versions of each other. Both come in all three widths. What changes is how much the strap gives under load.
Soft strap — honeycomb
S/M 1.6 cm · L 2.5 cm
Thinner and more flexible, with a hexagonal texture that keeps its grip when wet. The lighter strap to wear across the body.
Heavy duty — smooth
S/M 1.6 cm · L 2.5 cm
Thicker and sturdier, with a smooth face. It flexes less under load, which is what gives control when a big dog surges. More strap in the hand.
For a fuller comparison of the two materials, see the strap guide.
Width, matched to the dog
Pick by weight and pulling strength. If your dog sits between two sizes, go up — a lead stronger than you need is slightly heavier, and one that is not strong enough is a problem waiting for a bad moment.
| Size | Dog weight | Webbing & clip | Typical breeds |
|---|---|---|---|
| S | 5–12 kg (11–26 lb) | 1.6 cm / 0.6" · small clip | Pug, Jack Russell, dachshund, shih tzu, toy poodle, Maltese, Havanese, miniature pinscher, Italian greyhound, Yorkshire terrier, bichon frise |
| M | 10–20 kg (22–44 lb) | 1.6 cm / 0.6" · medium clip | Whippet, French bulldog, cavalier, spaniel, saluki, corgi, beagle, miniature schnauzer, cockapoo, border terrier |
| L | 18–40 kg+ (40–88 lb+) | 2.5 cm / 1" · large clip | Shiba inu, Labrador, border collie, dalmatian, German shepherd, boxer, husky, doberman, weimaraner, standard poodle, Belgian malinois |
The ranges overlap on purpose. A 12 kg terrier that throws itself at every squirrel belongs in the medium clip; a gentle 20 kg lurcher is well served by the small one. Weight multiplied by determination is the real measurement.
Length, matched to the walk
Nothing here is about your dog. It is about where you walk and whether you want your hands free. Three lengths, three different jobs — not three sizes of the same thing.
| Length | Range | The walk it is for |
|---|---|---|
| Short | 1–1.5 m / 39–59" | Pavements, roadsides, traffic, vets' waiting rooms. Close control, held in the hand. Cannot be worn hands-free — at its longest it reaches over the shoulder but leaves nothing usable underneath. |
| Medium | 1.5–2.6 m / 59–102" | Parks, woods, beaches and loose-lead walking. The most suitable lead to wear across the body, and long enough to do it comfortably. Works hand-held too. |
| Long line | 5 / 10 / 15 m 16 / 33 / 49 ft |
Recall training and open-space work: you stand still, your dog ranges. Not a walking lead — gathered up once you leave the field. |
Which long line
- 5 m — the most versatile. Early recall, gardens and quiet paths, and short enough to gather up quickly.
- 10 m — the dedicated recall length, and what most trainers reach for in an open field.
- 15 m — maximum range, once you are used to managing a line.
Where Short and Medium meet
Both adjust through the 3-glide buckle, so each covers a range rather than a fixed length, and the buckle moves one-handed while you are walking. The two ranges meet at 1.5 m, so they overlap at a single point rather than across a stretch:
- Only Short goes below 1.5 m, so it is the only option for genuinely tight control on a busy road.
- Medium goes above 1.5 m, and so do all three long lines, so those are the lengths you can wear across the body — a long line gathered up first, since it is not a walking lead.
Carrying a long line when you are not using it
A long line is for standing still in open space, but you do not have to take it off between sessions. Gather the slack into loose loops in your hand, or sling the gathered line over one shoulder, and it behaves like any other lead — fine at a pub table, on a park bench, or walking back to the car.
Two conditions. Your dog needs to be settled rather than one that lunges, because a gathered line takes a moment to pay out safely. And it needs to stay gathered: what causes trouble is metres of slack lying loose on the ground where you, your dog or a stranger can catch a foot in it.
Using a long line safely
- Work it in open space — fields, beaches, quiet woodland. Gather it before you reach a pavement or a road.
- Attach it to a well-fitted harness rather than a collar. A dog hitting the end of 10 m of line puts real force through whatever it is clipped to.
- While your dog is working, let it trail rather than holding it coiled, and keep an eye on where the slack is lying.
- Gloves are worth having for the 10 m and 15 m lines.
Still not sure?
- Between two widths, the larger is the safer bet.
- Between Short and Medium: Medium covers more situations and is the one to wear across the body. Short is the one that goes genuinely short.
- A long line sits alongside a walking lead rather than replacing it. 5 m is the most versatile starting point; 10 m if it is purely for recall training.
- Deciding between the soft and heavy duty strap? See our strap guide.
- Still stuck? Get in touch with your dog's breed and weight and we will tell you what we would pick.
Browse the long line dog leads, the lightweight waterproof dog leads or the heavy duty dog leads.