Product Review: Mendota Dog Walker Martingale Lead Combo

The Mendota Dog Walker is a slip lead that ends in a martingale collar instead of a slip collar. It comes in 3/8" and 1/2" soft round rope, in a wide variety of colors.

Photo by Erin Koski

I love my Lone Wolf martingale lead for Brisbane, right now it's his default leash. However, the collar on that one is just barely small enough that he can't escape it, so it cannot be used on a smaller dog. Lone Wolf also makes a teensy tiny martingale lead, but I think it's much too tiny to use on a big dog.

My Mendota Dog Walker, on the other hand, can be used on any size dog. Seriously, any size. I use it at work all the time on Bernese Mountain Dogs and assorted mastiffs. The collar portion is 5/8" wide and measures 8.5" from end to end, tiny enough to use on Ru if I ever used any type of slip collar on his neck.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Dog Walker works well on Brisbane, it will choke him if leash pressure is applied, but there is no way he can back out of it. The loop that runs through the collar measures 18" when folded in half, allowing me to slip this leash onto any dog with a head circumference less than 24". A leather keeper slides down the loop to prevent the dog from popping their head through the remainder of the loop and losing the martingale effect.

That huge martingale loop is one of the reasons I love using this leash at work. I can cinch the keeper down to keep the dog securely in the collar, and then hang on right where the loop meets the rest of the leash when I need to keep the dog really close. It's like a nice little traffic leash that won't give me rope burn if the dog suddenly decides they're going somewhere in a hurry.

Pros: Fits just about any standard dog, just not the outliers on the "rodent" and "hippopotamus" ends of the spectrum. Soft, comfortable, and durable. Ends of the flat webbing collar are sewn on the outside to prevent irritation.

Cons: Slightly more complicated than a slip lead, occasionally baffling coworkers when I toss it to them. Harder to lasso difficult dogs with than a standard slip. If the keeper is not employed, some dogs can pop their heads through the martingale loop such that they are then wearing the fixed loop around their heads with the collar doing nothing.

Bottom Line: The collar on the 1/2" rope Dog Walker was big enough for Brisbane to escape, so it clearly isn't this versatile. Right now this is my favorite slip lead martingale universal escape-proof leash thingy.

Product Review: Mendota Slip Leads

Mendota slip leads are made from braided polypropylene rope. They come in two widths and are available in 4' and 6' lengths. The leashes are accented with oiled leather, and have a leather slide to prevent the ring from sliding too far toward the handle. This allows the slip lead to tighten up as much as necessary, but limits how big it can get so it doesn't slip off.

Photo by Erin Koski

Slip leads are super convenient, and Mendota slip leads are soft and pliable. This makes them easy to cram into my pocket or stuff in a purse. They make great my-dog-doesn't-really-need-a-leash leashes, and also wonderful maybe-I-should-use-a-leash-when-we-walk-from-the-house-to-the-car leashes. Brisbane is wearing a small 4' Mendota leash. We've had it for at least six years, and it looks great.

I don't use this for a regular walking leash, so it's pristine. I have seen ones that have been used as an everyday walking leash for several years, and they eventually start to go a bit fuzzy. The rope stays soft and pliable, though. Mendota leads are comfortable enough for dogs that don't pull, but I prefer to well-worn leather for Brisbane's everyday walking leashes because it doesn't give me a rope burn when he spots a squirrel. Mendota also makes martingale leashes called Dog Walkers, but I prefer the Lone Wolf martingale leads because the collars fit Brisbane perfectly without choking him.

Pros: Super convenient, just slip it on and go. Soft and pliable, not abrasive. Very sturdy and durable, will likely last longer than the dog. The thinner leads are very space-efficient and make great spares, car leashes, and emergency leashes. Escape-proof. The slip lead style allows for leash corrections.

Cons: Not as grippy as Lone Wolf or Timberwolf rope leashes. So far the Lone Wolf slip leads get my vote for maximum grip with minimal hand damage. Slip lead design strangles dog.

Bottom Line: I don't actually use this leash that often, but it is perfect for capturing loose dogs. I use it mostly as an emergency backup, a fail-safe for skittish dogs, and a leash that lives in my car. It's much nicer than those skinny little nylon belt slip leads that vet offices give away.