Traditional Lead – premium leather dog leash

Leashes come in different lengths and widths– see information below about the available sizes. 

Leash Lengths:

• 30 inches
• 4 feet
• 5 feet
• 6 feet

Leash Widths:

• Lightweight XS (3/8” / 9.5mm width)–for toy and small breed dogs 20 pounds or less. Thinner and more supple option is braided at both ends (not recommended for larger dogs, or dogs that pull).
• Small (3/8” / 9.5mm width)—Best for smaller and medium sized dogs. Lighter weight leather is braided at both ends; this narrow width is very secure. Small yet strong hardware.
• Medium (1/2” / 12.7mm width)—*most popular choice!* Great for medium sized dogs, yet sturdy enough for larger dogs. Good for people with petite hands, or who prefer a lighter weight leash. Braided at both ends.
• Large (5/8” / 15.9mm width)—For larger dogs, size fits well in your hands. A good sturdy weight with larger hardware. Screw posts used for durability at the “dog end” of the lead.
• Extra Large (3/4” / 19mm width)—Sized for large, giant, and very strong dogs. Great for people who like a big, sturdy leash. Heavy duty hardware. Screw posts used for durability at the “dog end” of the lead.
• Heavy Duty XXL (1” / 25.4 mm width)— Extra wide for big, strong dogs, and folks with big hands. Heavy duty hardware. Made with triple screw posts on both ends (no braids)

Customize your leash!

You may choose to add features or special hardware to your leash order. Custom leads are our specialty, but please allow extra time for your leash to be custom made to order. Popular custom requests may be selected when you order.

Premium Hardware:

Bolt Snaps are the standard hardware. These are the most reliable leash snaps we’ve found. TAN/brown leather comes with solid brass (gold color), BLACK comes with stainless steel (silver color).

The following specialty snaps are available by request.

• Scissor/trigger style snaps are available for 1/2″ or wider leashes by request; please know we don’t recommend these as they are not as reliable as our standard options (NOT available on small width).
• Locking Carabiner Snap (BLD exclusive) comes in all sizes; choose this if you desire a snap that can lock closed, ideal for “Houdini” dogs that somehow shake loose of regular leash snaps. Must be used in the locked position!
• Alligator Locking Jaw Snaps are available for XL 3/4″ and XXL 1″ wide leashes ONLY. These are heavy-duty snaps designed for working/police/military dog applications. Made in Italy from solid bronze.

Need more? See other hardware options here, and other modifications here.

Looking for a different length? See our shorter Traffic Leads or longer Tracking Leads.

Standard Leather and Hardware Color:

• Black leather with stainless steel/silver color hardware
• Tan leather with solid brass (gold color)

*If you'd like to change the hardware color - select “Make with OTHER Color Hardware” in the "Customize It!" section. *Note: brass hardware on collars can stain white/light coated dogs. Sometimes the oil in dogs’ coats can create tarnish, a harmless chemical reaction. 

About our leather:

BLACK LATIGO leather

(Available in all widths.)

Our latigo is a lovely deep black and superior to ordinary leather in texture and quality. Latigo has a high tensile strength and tanned specifically for quality horse tack and premium pet products. Your leash will start out a bit firm yet flexible and will very quickly soften with just a few uses and continues to get better with age. The rich black color will not bleed or fade because it is struck through the leather in the tanning process, not just dyed on the surface. Made in North America from select heavy US native steer hides for durability, Stainless steel (silver color) hardware is standard.

English Bridle Leather in LONDON TAN

(Available in 1/2 to 1 in. widths)

English bridle has a supple, satin-smooth finish  and satisfying hand feel that is simply unmatched. This high-end leather in London Tan, cherished in the 19th century for the finest horse tack, ages to a warm patina while keeping its light brown and orange tones. This full grain leather is 100% veg tanned with no metals or harsh chemicals from only the best North American cow hides. ("English" refers to the style of tanning rather than a location. It does not darken the same our oiled golden tan leather.) Solid brass (gold colored) hardware is standard.

Golden TAN BRIDLE leather

(Available in small 3/8 in. widths)

This lovely brown 100% American vegetable-tanned leather, made with NO dyes or toxic metallic chemicals. Reminiscent of fine English horse tack. Every golden tan leash is HAND-OILED to bring out the softness, so your leash arrives supple and feels great in your hands immediately and only improves with age. The color will darken with use and age. This is our choice leather for products where a lighter weight material with excellent strength is necessary. Solid brass (gold colored) hardware is standard.

Leather care is easy! Don’t worry too much, and don’t be afraid to use your items — we promise leather is incredibly resilient, and regular weather won’t hurt it. If you think your item looks dirty, dry, or just need a little extra love, pouring a little leather conditioner on a cloth, and rubbing it in like lotion will usually do the trick. Baths and a jaunt in the river are just fine, but you might want to offer a little conditioner to your products afterwards. Saltwater can be harsh, so after a visit to the ocean, a good rinse in fresh water and proper conditioning will help preserve and protect your treasured leash or collar. See our Leather Care page for more specific information.

We stand behind the quality of our products. Bold Lead Designs’ handcrafted leather & Brahma products that we make in our workshop are guaranteed against defects in materials and craftsmanship for life! If your leather or Brahma leash, training equipment, or harness ever breaks or is damaged from regular use, simply contact Bold Lead Designs for a replacement or repair at no charge. There is no time limit. This is the best warranty in the industry. Warranty is limited to replacement or repair of covered product only, and does not cover things outside of our control such as chewing, neglect, misuse, normal wear, external trauma or damage from an accident, or customer alterations. Customer is responsible for all related shipping costs. FYI: Even if the item is not covered it often can be made functional again with a repair for a reasonable cost. Exclusions: Items we don’t make in our workshop, such as accessories and consumable items, and items made of cloth/fabric are excluded. Non-leather and non-Brahma items, bldBASICS, any item sold  "as-is", used, on clearance, that is imperfect and any item marked with a star is excluded from this warranty or guarantee. Some customized options may be excluded from warranty; such excluded items will be sold with information indicating a warranty is not included.