Product Review: Zumi Dual Lead

The Zumi Dual Lead is a hybrid slip/regular leash that is basically the Transformer of the dog gear world. It clips onto a collar or harness. It works as a slip lead. I can wear it around my body at work without it turning into a fun toy for a certain Labrador. It also comes in pink and black, to match my everything.

Photo by Erin Koski

With the exception of the Euro lead, my leashes all fall into a couple of categories. See, there's the regular snap leashes that have a snap, clasp, or other piece of attachment hardware at the dog-end, for attaching to a collar, harness, or head halter. Then there's the slip leashes, which have an integrated collar in the form of either a martingale loop or just a ring to form a slip collar. Slip leashes are great because they just pop over the dog's head and snare them in an escape-proof collar. Snap leashes are nice because they attach to whatever the dog is wearing and don't have to go over their head.

Photo by Erin Koski

The Dual Lead by Zumi combines both of these functional tools into one magical piece of gear that apparently solves all of my problems. This leash has a regular snap at the end, but it also has a floating ring and leather stopper that can be moved along its length. When the snap is attached to this ring, the leash becomes a slip lead.

 I work at a cage-free dog daycare and boarding facility, and employees are supposed to carry a slip leash while in the yard with the dogs. There are numerous Timberwolf rope slip leashes around for me to use, but the Zumi is outperforming them all.

Today alone, I:
1. Snapped the leash to the harness of a very elderly poodle with a neck injury so I could gently coax him away from the rowdy puppies without picking him up or touching his neck.

2. Snapped the clip to the ring to make a slip leash around the neck of an enormous Labrador puppy wearing a ridiculously huge Cone of Shame. There was no way a regular slip leash was going over that dog's head without folding something.

3. Used the Dual Lead as a slip leash to wrangle, direct, and move dogs who don't like their collars grabbed.

4. Attached it to Brisbane''s harness as a snap lead to take him to and from work with me.

5. Used it as a slip lead to take Brisbane to the beach, did not bring home a pound of sand.

Photo by Erin Koski

But wait! The Zumi Dual Lead has one more superpower! It has a ring on the handle for attaching...things. This is now my greatest weapon against That Dog. Every daycare and dog park has at least one That Dog. Our That Dog is a chocolate Labrador that enjoys swimming, sitting on my feet, playing tug, and playing keep-away. It's those last two that are really a problem, anything that's not nailed down will become a toy for That Dog. Lock the water buckets to the fence, keep a good grip on your leash, and leave your jacket at home because That Dog loves nothing so much as grabbing something and parading around with it in the hopes that someone will try to take it away.

That Dog particularly loves stealing leashes. Most people either slide their slip leash down and drape it around their neck feather boa-style, or open them all the way up and wear them across their body like a machine gun bandolier. Or a purse strap. That Dog likes to sneak up and snatch draped leashes. When the leash is opened up and worn around the body, the handle also makes a nice tug toy for That Dog. He particularly enjoys the sounds new employees make when they suddenly realize that the slip leash can still tighten when they wear it like that. I can clip my Zumi Dual Lead to the ring on the handle, keeping it handy and theft-proof while utterly baffling That Dog when he tries to intitate a game of Torture Tug.

Pros: Works as a snap leash, a slip leash, and a slip leash that can snap open. Snaps to itself for secure and handy storage. Doesn't pick up sand or get all fuzzy like some of the well-worn Mendota leashes I have used. Comes in a bunch of color choices with two different lengths available.

Cons: Not quite the right shade of pink, needs to be darker to match Brisbane's Front Range harness. The hardware is a tad heavy for Ru, a lighter option would be nice for bitty dogs.

Bottom Line: Everyone who has seen this leash has been enamored with it. Our daycare should totally carry them in the boutique.

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.

Puzzle Toy Review: Starmark Treat Dispensing Jack

The Starmark Treat Dispensing Jack is a flexible rubber toy with four hollow arms and a rope running through the middle. There is an opening in the end of each arm to dispense small treats and kibble. It comes in Small, Medium and Large sizes, our Treat Dispensing Jack is a medium.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is a recent addition to the Starmark product line, and I am very pleased with it so far. We have quite a few Starmark toys, and not all of them are quite so appealing. For some reason, Brisbane is unwilling to fully empty the large Treat Dispensing Chew Ball or the Everlasting Treat Ball. He gets almost everything out immediately, and then sort of loses interest. The Treat Dispensing Jack, on the other hand, dispenses treats slowly enough to keep him busy for a good long time, but fast enough to hold his interest.

Puzzle Toy Rating

Capacity: 3/5
I can fit Brisbane's entire 1/4 cup ration of kibble in there, but that's all. This is a toy for keeping dogs busy, but won't fit a normal dog's dinner.

Loading Speed: 4/5
Using a soda bottle funnel helps a little, but the holes on the Jack are a little too small for truly easy loading. It doesn't really hold that much kibble, though.

Unloading Speed (standard dog): 5/5
Ulysses has to take breaks while emptying this thing.

Unloading Speed (superdog): 5/5
Easily half an hour or more for Brisbane to get 1/4 cup of kibble out of it, and he's willing to keep working at it the entire time with great gusto.

Size: 5/5
Comes in three sizes to fit any dog. Ru would be able to use the small without being squashed or intimidated. The Medium is perfect for Briz and Uly, and the large would work even for giant dogs.

Durability: 5/5
No complaints here, and Brisbane demolished Starmark's Everlasting Fire Plug so I have limited faith in their toys. I wouldn't give this to a power chewer, but it holds up fine with normal dogs.

Photo by Erin Koski

Noise: 5/5
Soft rubber and cotton rope make for quiet play, even when Brisbane is bashing it against the side of a wire crate.

Locatability: 5/5
It doesn't roll or fit under the furniture, so we've never lost it. Meanwhile, our blue Kong is currently at large somewhere in the house.

Washability: 2/5
Not quite as annoying as the Kong Quest toys, but still pretty annoying to wash. The rope makes drying take forever, too. It's pretty tempting not to just give up and not wash it at all, but then it just ends up covered in hair and dried slobber.

Hoardability: 5/5
Brisbane prefers to empty this one out from the comfort of his crate.

Total: 44/50
This is currently what Brisbane eats most of his meals out of. With increased time spent crated, it's helping all of us keep our sanity.

Product Review: Ruffwear Knot-a-Collar

The Ruffwear Knot-a-Collar is a flat collar made from reflective climbing rope. The current model features a tag silencer, a leash ring that remains oriented on top of the neck, and a buckle-free design. It comes in four colors and two sizes to fit dogs with necks 14-26" around.

Photo by Erin Koski

Ruffwear's Knot-a-Collar has gone through several redesigns since I first became a fan of the company. The first one I ever saw was a breakaway design intended to hold tags and come off if the collar got caught on anything. This was eventually discontinued, and the Knot-a-Collar I own was introduced. Mine is an adjustable flat buckle collar with a leash ring, and is made from significantly thicker rope than the original or current models.

The current Knot-a-Collar is made from thinner rope than mine, and has no buckle. Instead, the size adjusts via a pair of sliding knots. It is truly a minimalist collar. Mine is a little more ordinary, but is still a collar made out of climbing rope. The round rope slides into Brisbane's coat nicely, and makes it look as though he isn't even wearing a collar. It does its job of carrying his identification tags and providing a leash attachment point without screaming "COLLAR!" or distracting from anything else on the dog.

Pros: Strong, sturdy, and guaranteed for life. Rounded rope slides into fur without breaking or matting. Keeps leash ring on top. Lightweight design is gentle on sensitive skin. Reflective trim gives night visibility.

Cons: Sliding knot design of current model may loosen up if adjusted poorly, making the collar easier to escape. The current Knot-a-Collar is 7mm rope and thinner than many people expect. Lacks a quick-release buckle in case of entanglement.

Bottom Line: This makes a great tag-holding collar for long-hair fluffy dogs, and also for dogs with thin coats and delicate skin, like sighthounds. It is a wonderful minimalist collar that is almost a necklace.