Show Lead/Collar

AdrianneIsabel

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#1
Any recommendations? It's been ages since I stepped foot in a show ring and even then it was for my boss and UKC.

I have talked about it several times and I think I'm going to bite the proverbial bullet and try my hand at showing Sloan. It will be mostly just for kicks and experience. I realize she's too thin for the show ring and she has, well, non-Stannis (Stafinois' new puppy) ears. lol But hey!

Anyways, I don't think I have any nice, thing collars. I think I have a few thin show leather leads but they're very old (like, 14 years) and I'm not positive where they are.

So I'd love to know where you buy your gear and what you buy.

What would look best for Sloan?
 
M

MyHorseMyRules

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#2
I know a lot of my customers just use show leads from Mendota.
http://www.mendotaproducts.com/show_accessories.html
They get the really thin ones (even the customer that shows her Dogos), but that's all I really know. Keep in mind that I have no actual experience with showing a dog. I just know that's what a lot of our customers come in and buy for their shows.
 
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#3
I'm no pro, but what I found I like best for a collar are the hex-chains/snake-chains. Enda has two gold ones, sorry this picture is huge, Facebook doesn't have a resize feature:


As for lead, I've found most important, is to get one that fits neatly bundled into your hand (I have smaller hands), and make sure it feels soft in your hands, I've gotten a blister from a lead that was too rough in texture, but Enda is notorious for random flighty moment. The one I'm using in this picture, is actually an entire non-slip martingale lead in itself, that is why there is a second loop, but this single layer paracord is the best I could get for now that doesn't chafe my hands into blisters. I did order a really nice custom lead 2 years ago, but it was lost in shipping, someday I might try again.
 

Aleron

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#4
I tend to like a thin chain with a thin leather lead, preferably with a snap. Flat or braided doesn't matter much to me. Cherry has a fancy pink and black braided kangaroo lead that has held up real well but I don't know where it came from. I had a black and silver braided kangaroo lead as well that I loved but as it old old, a lot of the silver wore off of it and it got longer and longer. Jagger finally broke it at a very bad time! Now I have a flat very soft, thin leather lead, a thin black leather slip lead tied so it fits Whim without having any "choke" to it and a nylon cord lead. Some what you use depends on the dog too. Whim hates every thin "choke" leash or collar. I think it tickles her ear hair or something and it makes her shake her head a lot. Not exactly what you want in the ring!

Now if you're going to show in UKC, a snap lead can be handy for the assisted animation.

And you don't really need a $50-100 leather leash to look nice in the ring. I have a nice nylon cord leash that looks and feels just as nice and I think it was $5 or something.
 

AdrianneIsabel

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#5
Thanks all, it's an AKC show and last years records show there was one mal in the show. Lol we'll see what happens... I'm going to try for at least 2 classes and maybe a private before the show. I'll look up the hex chain collars, those are very clean looking I think!
 

kady05

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#6
I just use a nice, thin snake chain, and a fancy braided lead (which was like $30, a local woman makes them, she's great!) on Sako.. you can see it here:



It's not the comfiest lead by any means, and I get worried sometimes if he pulls that either it or the chain will break, but so far, so good!
 

Saeleofu

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#8
For now I just have a thin nylon collar/lad combo from one of the local pet stores. I think ultimately I'll get either a collar/lead combo from OnLead or a nice snake chain and a thin lead from somewhere. I had a snake chain but I have no idea where it went, and I think Logan's outgrown it by now anyway.

The one think I don't like about the leash thing I have now is that if a dog backs up, it loosens and the dog can escape. If you pull, it loosens and slips down. It's definitely workable, but not really all that convenient. It's also fairly long (4 feet) and with Logan being tall it's a lot of lead to gather up quickly. I think when I get a permanent leash I'll get 2 or 3 feet instead.
 

stardogs

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#9
LOL I've contemplated the same thing with Aeri! I need to get off my butt and try it, but the local KC's classes are on hold, so I'll have to go it alone. :p

I have a friend who hates how easily snake chains break, so I'm steering clear of those. I bought the materials for a custom kangaroo lead and am having it made to go either with a matching braided leather slip or a regular light weight show chain.
 

Shai

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#10
I bought the materials for a custom kangaroo lead and am having it made to go either with a matching braided leather slip or a regular light weight show chain.
Oooh where'd you buy the materials?
 

stardogs

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#11
Ebay! Luckily I have a friend who can braid - she hadn't done kangaroo leather and wanted experience so it was a win-win! :D
 

Emily

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#12
At the IKC show, I grabbed a really thin (1/8") black leather lead without a snap, and had them braid it onto a pretty, fine hex chain as an all in one for Keeva. I wiped it with a little oil and now it's nice and soft. It's about 3' which is perfect for a shorty dog.
 

Shai

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#13
Ebay! Luckily I have a friend who can braid - she hadn't done kangaroo leather and wanted experience so it was a win-win! :D
Hmmmm interesting lol.

I have a nylon lead and a nylon slip & a chain slip. I do covet a pretty one though...and I can braid...
 

stardogs

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#14
If you do decide to make your own, you'll want a core for strength. My friend used paracord, but that does add a bit more width than some people like. HTH!
 

Shai

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#15
If you do decide to make your own, you'll want a core for strength. My friend used paracord, but that does add a bit more width than some people like. HTH!
I have some 550 paracord around here somewhere...and I have a biggish dog :)
 

kady05

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#16
Thanks :) Let me try to find a better picture that shows the lead..



There ya go! The lady who made it took this. I wanted something "pretty", but still masculine (kind of.. LOL). They aren't leather, they're made from some kind of nylon. Makes them cheaper, but still strong. I keep saying I want a leather one just to switch off, but I'm superstitious now and don't want to change anything haha.
 

SizzleDog

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#17
Here's my take on show leads and collars.

#1 - NO snap. The leash should be securely attached to the collar. Snaps break, but more importantly snaps easily come loose if you're fumbling around with the collar, which you will do a lot in the conformation ring. I can't tell you how many dog fights and/or escapes I've seen because of a slipped snap.

#2 - I use a jeweler's link chain collar. Those snake chains look nice, but break easily and pull out hair. They are available at shows - they are just tiny little chains. If you don't want to use a metal chain, just go the standard nylon show collar route.

#3 - Leads... if you're going to want leather, either get a very thin leather lead (1/8" or so) or go braided kangaroo. Not all braided kangaroo leads are created equal! Braidaroo made two of my leads, Steve Guitron made the third. Steve's work is insanely expensive, but Braidaroo has good prices.

If you don't want to waste the money on kangaroo, try finding a Resco show lead (maybe 5/16" wide) and breaking the snap off - then looping it onto the collar. The resco leads have a bit of wax worked into them, so they ball up nicely in your hand and don't cut your skin.

*deep breath*

And just a bit of a soapbox speech... keep in mind I've had very old, traditional mentors that have been showing/finishing/specialing one of the most cutthroat and competitive AKC breeds for decades, so take what I say next with a grain of salt.

This fad of "glitzing up" show leads annoys me.

Show equipment needs to not overshadow the dog - you want the judge looking at the dog, not the collar and leash! So it should always be a color that blends in nicely. I think the bright, glitzy, heavily beaded leads overshadow the dog and are a bit, erm... I don't know. Showboaty. Like the dog needs beads and fancy colors to be noticed. One of my leashes does have subtle beadwork, but honestly I'm too embarrassed to use it except on silly puppies in non-licensed UKC classes. I try very hard to be respectful to the judges, which to me also means not presenting my dogs on leashes that fight for the judges' attention.

In AKC, the judge sees very little of your dog. I believe the suggested time limit is 2 minutes, and usually you don't even get that. Don't waste precious seconds on the judge glancing at your flashy lead. And in UKC, most judges I've shown to do not like "showboating" in any form... so again, out come the plain leather show leads. ;)

Lastly, this is how I loop my chain and lead together so it looks nicer. It also keeps your show leads in better condition. The chain in the photo is the jeweler's link chain that I use on red dogs. Black dogs have the same thing, but with a black coating.

 

Shai

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#19
Thanks, Sizzle :) But it's not nice to recommend lead makers who are on vacation and closed their etsy shop so I cannot peruse their stock! (Braidaroo)
 

SizzleDog

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#20
Thanks, Sizzle :) But it's not nice to recommend lead makers who are on vacation and closed their etsy shop so I cannot peruse their stock! (Braidaroo)
HA! I totally forgot Maeve was on vacay! Here, feat your eyes on THIS....
http://www.custombraiding.com/store/agora.cgi?product=slip&hdr=leads
the lead in my photo above is from that website. Honestly the best show lead I've ever owned, and it'll last for decades.

Also, Maeve at Braidaroo can make LEATHER "beads" - which honestly I have no problem seeing. They're WAY cool.
 

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