Why We Love Our Hands Free Dog Leash

For as long as we have had Judy and Bill, they have needed to run daily. Unfortunately, yard space in Hawaii is at a premium, so running the dogs means on a leash. Our dogs are strong and to be honest – Bill is horrible on a leash despite training. After doing a bit of research, Dane decided that running one dog at a time and with a hands free running leash would be the best option for both him and the dogs. We took the plunge on a top rated Amazon dog running leash and put it to the test! Today I’m sharing how the first run went, how the running is going now and why it just might be the best hands free lash for running 🙂 

Why We Love Our Hands Free Dog Leash

Since Dane is the one who wanted to run with the dogs (honestly not my jam), he was the one who did the research on the running leashes. We knew it needed to withstand up to 100 pounds and we also wanted it to have reflective components since early morning or evening runs aren’t out of the question. 

The leash we landed on is less than $20, but has over 1,000 reviews on Amazon and an almost 5-star rating. We were sold, so we ordered one. We didn’t see any sense in ordering two dog running leashes since he planned on running each dog individually. 

Best Dog Leash For Running

TaoTronics Retractable Hands Free Dog Leash is a waist-wearing running dog leash, which means that the leash wraps around your body and clips, then attaches to your dog’s collar or harness. Both the leash and the waist component are adjustable, so you can make them bigger or smaller to suit you.

There are extra handles on the leash itself, and they are great for controlling your dog, particularly if they are prone to getting off track during regular walks. 

The leash also features a double bungee feature that helps ease any sudden jerks or lunges from the dog and reduces back strain for the human. I love this, because if I ever work up the courage to run with the dogs myself, them jerking suddenly is one of my concerns. 

Dane was so excited to take the dogs out for their first run and he said that Judy ran like a dream. She trotted nicely beside him and she didn’t stop to sniff and ‘put on the brakes’ (a huge issue with her during normal walks). Bill, on the other hand, wanted to full out sprint and took a little bit more time to get used to the new leash. 

Our dogs are typically walked using a hip switch with their normal leashes, so just having a collar probably left Bill feeling more ‘free’. On Dane’s second run with Bill, we transitioned to a harness and he runs much better.

The extra handles on the leash itself are terrific for Bill, in particular, who has a tendency to see other dogs and want to go say hello 😉

We are about one month into using the hands free running leash and Dane takes each dog about 1.3 miles every morning. They worked up to their running amount, starting at just .5 to see how they did. Our dogs have a ton of energy, so getting them out and running each day is crucial, especially given the size of our small yard. 

Dane admits that the consistent pacing of the dogs also helps to push him along on runs.

What we love best about this leash is that although it has rained for weeks on end here in Hawaii, it absolutely does not smell! All pet owners recognize that smelly leashes is an issue – I think that’s just part of owning a pet. So, we were pretty shocked and pleasantly surprised to realize that something we use daily for both dogs has maintained an odor-free existence despite use, rain showers and being stored outdoors.

Overall, we love the hands free dog running leash we purchased and would definitely recommend it!

So, let’s chat — do you run with your dogs? Why or why not? Do you have a running leash that you love?

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