# Leash claps came un hooked!



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

This is the 2nd time this has happened to me with 2 different leashes. Both leashes had the common bolt snap clasp (Rogz Utility and EzyDog shock absorber). 

The first time it was attached to his collar and we were just playing in the yard, all of a sudden the leash was no longer attached! I figured it was just a one time fluke or the leash was defective. The second time (last night) it was a different leash which was attached to his front clip harness. We were walking along the sidewalk and it just un-clipped, luckily he didn't know and didn't bolt into traffic.

I think because he is wiggly that they happen to just put pressure on the right spot of the clip and push it open. Has anyone had this happen before? I don't think I can ever trust another leash wish those kind of clips again! I went out and bought the ruffwear leash with the locking carabiner clip.


----------



## CptJack (Jun 3, 2012)

Yeah, I have. It actually isn't uncommon for the 'spring' bit that holds the leash up to wear out and be less... springy and therefore they don't stay so securely closed. I still use basic leashes with the basic clips because - well, apparently I'm a masochist but also because my dogs were trained from tiny to sit and stay when the leash pressure abruptly released (I also tend to do stupid things like drop leashes and attach their leashes to the rings that connect their tags instead of the actual D ring) but it's a not uncommon thing.

And it's scary.


----------



## BernerMax (Mar 15, 2013)

Yup I pretty much switched to all carbineer clips and usu have an extra on the leash handle for emergencies (or for quickly tying up the dog, its nice to have a clip on the leash handle)...


----------



## CandyLeopard (Oct 14, 2013)

That's so scary!! I've never had it happen to me... and how unlucky for you that it happened twice.. but at least nothing bad happened!


----------



## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

It's happened to Bella often enough that I now have two clasps on her tie-outs that hook to her collar AND the stake at the same time. 
One typical snap hook thing and another C - O shaped clasp:






I figure if her rolling around unhooks one, the other one should stay put....hopefully. But half the time she doesn't realize she is "free" and just sits there. Not willing to take the chance though!


----------



## Rescued (Jan 8, 2012)

http://www.ruffwear.com/Knot-a-Leash-Rope-Dog-Leash?sc=2&category=15

the carabiner has this spinny thing that makes it so you can't unhook the leash until you spin it back down again. its my favorite for when I want to be SOOPER sure doggy isn't going anywhere.


----------



## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

BellaPup said:


> It's happened to Bella often enough that I now have two clasps on her tie-outs that hook to her collar AND the stake at the same time.
> One typical snap hook thing and another C - O shaped clasp:
> 
> 
> ...


Just wanted to mention that the O-clasps can have the same problem since they are also held closed with a spring. I had the leash fall off a shelter dog's collar because the spring in the O-clasp stopped working. (Thankfully we were inside and the dog in question was too insecure/emotionally attached to me to go very far).


----------



## RoughCollie (Mar 7, 2011)

I consulted Ella's Lead about what to do when Aidan broke 2 leashes in 3 days last year. The first leash broke when Aidan lunged after a cat that suddenly strolled through my mother's yard. The second one broke when Aidan was being held on a short leash because a Yorkie was flying across a parking lot intending to attack him. Both times he had his Ruff Wear harness on, and I grabbed the handle to prevent Aidan from getting away.

He now has a leash that attaches to both his collar and his harness with trigger snaps, and another leash that has an attachment (all with trigger snaps) so the leash will be attached to both collar and harness. Both mountain rope leashes are from Ella's Lead.

The trigger snap looks like the second one in BellaPup's post, except Aidan's is stainless steel.


----------



## BellaPup (Jul 7, 2007)

gingerkid said:


> Just wanted to mention that the O-clasps can have the same problem since they are also held closed with a spring. I had the leash fall off a shelter dog's collar because the spring in the O-clasp stopped working. (Thankfully we were inside and the dog in question was too insecure/emotionally attached to me to go very far).


Yea, that's why I have it paired with the other type of clasp at the same time. It's odd that one would come undone, but I figure two of different types *might* be nearly impossible. 



RoughCollie said:


> The trigger snap looks like the second one in BellaPup's post, except Aidan's is stainless steel.


Trigger snap -thanks! I had no idea what they were called.


----------



## ireth0 (Feb 11, 2013)

gingerkid said:


> Just wanted to mention that the O-clasps can have the same problem since they are also held closed with a spring. I had the leash fall off a shelter dog's collar because the spring in the O-clasp stopped working. (Thankfully we were inside and the dog in question was too insecure/emotionally attached to me to go very far).


The only time a leash clip has broken on me was also with a shelter dog. It was at a Doggie Expo and she was a 100lb+ Bernese mix. Fortunately, she was also one of the best natured dogs I have come across and patiently waited for me to loop the other end of the leash around her harness for a temporary fix. (we traded leashes with another volunteer after that so I could walk her back to the car more securely)

We were using this type of clip;










Ironically I picked that leash because I thought it would be more secure since she was an XL dog. Silly me.


----------



## Miss Bugs (Jul 4, 2011)

happened to me years ago when Misty was a puppy, i was potty walking her outside our training building when she pulled and the leash snapped off, she went bolting straight for the highway and was in that teenage "who what??" stage. it was terrifying! thankfully she did cut short of the highway and come back tho. I still use just regular bolt snap leashes, but my dogs dont pull or go anywhere..I've accidentally dropped leashes a few times and none of us noticed lol


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

I'm surprised this has happened to so many people! It never even crossed my mind that the latch could just come undone. Both of the leashes were less than 6 months old so I don't think the springs were worn. 



Rescued said:


> http://www.ruffwear.com/Knot-a-Leash-Rope-Dog-Leash?sc=2&category=15
> 
> the carabiner has this spinny thing that makes it so you can't unhook the leash until you spin it back down again. its my favorite for when I want to be SOOPER sure doggy isn't going anywhere.


Yes! I just bought that same Ruffwear leash after the incident last night.


----------



## petpeeve (Jun 10, 2010)

jade5280 said:


> I'm surprised this has happened to so many people! It never even crossed my mind that the latch could just come undone. Both of the leashes were less than 6 months old so I don't think the springs were worn.


 Can't speak for everyone else's experience, but I've seen the clasps get full of dirt, sand, or even snow fairly easily, causing them to hang open and 'fail'. I always make sure to maintain / lubricate them regularly with a little spray of Gigaloo or WD40 etc. Helps to flush out any accumulated debris and keeps them working smoothly.


----------



## JTurner (May 19, 2013)

I had that happen to me only once and luckily it was far from the road and he has a good recall. I can't imagine how frightening it would be if that happened next to a busy road.


----------



## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I have had it happen a couple times where the leash is suddenly not attached to the dog's collar with no apparent reason (no wiggling, pulling, broken springs, etc.). Just plain fell right off. It's all very puzzling but I couldn't rule out the possibility that I just didn't clip it on properly in the first place, but why wouldn't I have clipped it on and how was it staying on the collar before it fell off anyway? Just weird. Fortunately it's never happened when anything important is going on.


----------



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

It is scary and I've had it happen several times with different clasps and different situations.

I've noticed that the thinner the ring (like the flat rings used for prong collars), the more likely the clasp will be to let it slip loose.

The older a bolt snap is, the more likely it will be that it can be pushed outwards and the collar ring pop loose.

This type as posted by ireth0 is horrible IMO, the "gate" will slide side to side and pop open that way. Very insecure.









For a dog that likes to roll while wearing a harness, if I face the bolt clip latch towards his body rather than away, it seems less likely to catch on the ground and come open. 

I remember one time I had Luna ( my first foster pit bull- an absolute nutcase) and we were walking in a big urban park and she was trotting along beside me and the leash felt odd. I looked down to see the leash dragging on the ground and the dog trotting next to me, not yet having noticed she was free.

Just a few weeks ago out at another park, Chester was on his harness and rolled around on his back and stood up and started to walk towards my friends, sans leash. I said "Wait", he waited, I clipped the lead back on. That one was less a mechanical failure than just the right angle to push the bolt clip lever down.

The easiest quick (as in, stuff that can be bought at the hardware store) back-up fix IMO is a double ended clip with one attached to the base of the leash clip and the other to the end of a long choke chain. The choke chain will never engage unless the collar or leash clip fails. 
A clip like this:









Since I've also dropped the leash about as many times, I practice "Wait" a lot so at least the dog will pause and look back at me while I pick up the leash. I was visiting my parents yesterday and we had both dogs outside on the patio while we sat and chatted. My dad was holding Chester's leash and then was scratching Chester's back. About 10 seconds later, I see Chester walking towards the garden....trailing his leash that my dad had forgotten he was even holding. I said "Wait" and my dad stood up and got the leash while Chester looked at all of us like we were dummies


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Shell, that double ended clip w/choke chain is a good idea. I practice "wait" with him all the time and he's pretty good with it but I think if he saw something good enough to chase, a "wait" wouldn't work. I did check the clips to see if they were dirty but both looked clean. Maybe they are just cheap chinese made clips. Either way it freaked me out enough to not just trust a clip or even collar. I think I'm going to use the carabiner locking clips attached to both collar and harness from now on.


----------



## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Shell said:


> Since I've also dropped the leash about as many times, I practice "Wait" a lot so at least the dog will pause and look back at me while I pick up the leash. I was visiting my parents yesterday and we had both dogs outside on the patio while we sat and chatted. My dad was holding Chester's leash and then was scratching Chester's back. About 10 seconds later, I see Chester walking towards the garden....trailing his leash that my dad had forgotten he was even holding. I said "Wait" and my dad stood up and got the leash while Chester looked at all of us like we were dummies


Practising "wait" is definitely a good thing. I think Snowball has it ingrained... if my husband and I walk Snowball together and one of us has to stop (to tie a shoe or something), the other usually keeps going... but most of the time Snowball will stop dead in his tracks and stare at the person who's fallen behind until they catch up, lol.

You could also use a martingale collar instead of a choke collar, presumably. (I don't have anything against choke collars in that kind of emergency situation, but martingales are prettier, I think.)


----------



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

gingerkid said:


> You could also use a martingale collar instead of a choke collar, presumably. (I don't have anything against choke collars in that kind of emergency situation, but martingales are prettier, I think.)


The choke chain gives the extra length needed if you're using just a basic double snap clip or a carabiner. I find that for a martingale, you need more flexibility in the clip so a small length of rope or covered wire with a clip on either end works 
Example:









Or a leash with two clips. 
Example (hotlinked so may disappear)









For heavy duty hardware, horse leads work and I find the bull snaps and the panic snaps very reliable. I haven't used the panic snaps for dogs, but I've never had either fail when used on a horse.
Example:


----------



## gingerkid (Jul 11, 2012)

Shell, you walk your dogs on a harness, right? I don't think you would need as much slack to use the double clip walking a dog on a flat collar.


----------



## jade5280 (Feb 20, 2013)

Those are great examples! I love that leash. I hadn't thought about using horse leads, I don't know why. My SO works at a grain store that has horse stuff so I will check out their selection. "Wait" is a life saver! I don't have to worry about him jumping out of the car or running out the front door ahead of me.


----------



## BostonBullMama (Apr 20, 2013)

Yup! We've not only had Toby get off his leash, but we've also had him snap the leash entirely. We use just straight up, regular, flat, cloth?? leashes. One was quite thin and was meant for training, it was a long-line, one day we were wandering through the field and Toby took off running towards a Great Pyrenees laying in the field, the leash itself had been balled up in my hand so I had him on a short leash, but as soon as he bolted, the leash gave out and ripped!! - luckily for us, she's old and friendly and was more interested in chewing sticks than playing or even making eye contact with Toby. 

The second leash Toby broke was a bit thicker, this one broke though because he was chewing on it in the house, so it retired to be a tug toy once it started fraying. 

He broke a third when he was tethered in the back of the truck... he stayed put though. It's just a CRV so he wasn't out-outside, just in the trunk space.









So Toby's wait and recall are pretty solid... LOL
Even when he's sleeping, he comes


----------



## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

gingerkid said:


> Shell, you walk your dogs on a harness, right? I don't think you would need as much slack to use the double clip walking a dog on a flat collar.


I use both collars and harnesses on different occasions. 

If you're using the double ended clip between the leash and another collar, because you want the clip attached to the base of the leash clip, it has to have some bend/give to it so it doesn't get pressed up against the main leash clip. Hard to describe but while the clip might reach a back-up martingale collar, it doesn't have the flexibility to not kind of jam into the other clip and the dog's neck. I mean, it does connect them but I find it awkward and annoying. 

If I remember when I get home, I'll take photos of the variety of back-up leads and clips and such that I have found successful and not successful (or simply annoying)

An alternative to using a back-up choke chain for those wanting something a little nicer looking and/or a quieter, is a rope or leather slip collar like this:








Also called "dominant dog collars" and meant to be worn tightly against the neck (minimal slack) if you get a longer length they work nicely as a back-up collar in different configurations

Also good for using with a step-in harness or some of the no-pull harnesses where the dog can back out of them.


----------



## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Willowy said:


> I have had it happen a couple times where the leash is suddenly not attached to the dog's collar with no apparent reason (no wiggling, pulling, broken springs, etc.). Just plain fell right off. It's all very puzzling but I couldn't rule out the possibility that I just didn't clip it on properly in the first place, but why wouldn't I have clipped it on and how was it staying on the collar before it fell off anyway? Just weird. Fortunately it's never happened when anything important is going on.


ive never had a clip fail but ive accidentally clipped the clip around the edge of the d ring before (so its clasping it rather than looped thru) and not noticed until roxie was running down the street... lol


----------



## Jadesy (Mar 13, 2014)

I had the clip on my Bison Design leash fail twice, just completely unclipping while walking, from a harness!
I sent it in for repair, but I can't trust it anymore.


----------

