Mekuti Double-Ended Lead

Each format of lead is designed to be used in conjunction with a correspond size harness.

Note, the lead which goes with the Mini Harness is 1/2" wide and made fromn the same material as the harness.

The LONG 3m leads are particularly useful when you do not need or want to be so close to the dog's wanderings. These could be along country roads and paths to avoid the handler having to negotiate arond puddles and mud or if the dog wants to go for a paddle somewhere.

Goodness knows! We've never seen a purple dog yet purple is a popular colour. Some go for fashion and style and others go for something less obvious.

Our colour range is fairly broad beyond the red and black in most sizes. While we have to remember that the Mekuti Balance Harness & Double-Ended Lead have a primarily functional use we try to offer as wide a range as we can.

Please also note that because the Mekuti Harnesses and Leads are made from different materials, the colours do not actually match, but they can be said to 'co-ordinate'!

Some striped alternatives are available for the lesser matching colours are which can make the difference less distracting.

Using the double-ended lead as guided, gives the dog the sensation of a gentle change in its balance position and it therefore makes and adjustment to its body position in response.

The Mekuti Double-Ended Leads are purposefully designed to be lightweight to enable it needing the least amount of effort on the lead to bring the dog's attention to its balance.

Fistly, we urgently need to talk about The Puppy In The Room!

The lead is made from a 'Softex' padded material and can be bitten through, particularly by young dogs with their sharp teeth. We have some picture which show some example of damage by teeth in our 'Rogues Gallery'.

Mekuti equipment is guaranteed for two years covering failure of the manufacturer's stitching, rings and trigger hooks.

However, wear, the breaking or snapping of materials is not covered by guarantee.

Particularly soon after purchasing, harnesses and leads can appear to have broken or snapped. There is usually an 'innocent looking pup' close by which got curious.

We understand this can be most frustrating, but Mekuti is not here to profit from people's misfortune, so do contact us for how we can help, though broken equipment cannot be replaced for free.

These things do not happen through an owner's neglect and there is no fault attached, but it is the sort of things that pups and some dogs do, even when we think they are being supervised, and 'never chew'.

How to get more life out of your equipment.
The Mekuti Double-Ended Lead is easily washed and dries reasonably quickly above or over a radiator, so they can conveniently washed regularly. Keeping the lead material clean will reduce wear over time, and keep the material soft, bright, and comfortable in the hand.

The metal fixings can become corroded, especially when being used in salty conditions nearby the sea. For this reason it is more important to rinse and dry the leads and harnesses after use. Hanging it up will help it dry out before the next trip out, so avoid creating a damp pile of equipment in the car or near the back door.

It is also useful to use a mineral oil on the metal fixings to keep them clean and offer some protection from damp and wet conditions. We recommend 'Ballistol Universal Oil' as it is food safe and more kind to animals than WD40, but something is better than nothing. A quick wipe every so often will help.

Remember, looking after the material and metalwork on your harnesses and leads will make them last years.

Use the lead to make a contact with the dog (i.e. bring a small amount of tension to the lead), and then release it soon afterwards.

The dog will respond to its change in balance when the tension starts, and also when the tension is released.

By making these contacts to the side or back of the harness the dog will respond accordingly in equal and opposite directions. This is why the tension once applied is then released very soon afterwards, perhaps a second or two.

Repeat the manoeuvre after a few seconds, and keep changing the end of the lead being used, and the length of time the contact is being made -- make the pattern of contacts random. The dog should not be able to anticipate what is going to happen.

Thes contacts also help to draw the dog's attention from the usual attractive happenings, but still allow your dog to engage with its surroundings.

The more gentle and subtle the handler uses the lead, the more more effective is the response. It is difficult to notice for an observer, which is why videos do not show it very well -- the contacts of tension are noticeable, then they are probably a bit too much.

Perhaps it is easier to think of the contact as creating pressure more than as bringing tension. The action with the lead is not a tug, jolt, pull, yank or jerk -- these will always indicate too much effort or force is being used.

Some simple psychology!
Well, it is not always to do any of the above if there is an excited and bouncy dog on the other end of the lead, so just keep things as gentle and supportive for the dog as possible.

Remember a bit of psychology: we all like to be allowed to do something, rather than be stopped from doing something. So, perhaps it is best to think of 'helping the dog walk nicely' rather than 'trying to stop the dog pulling'.