If you have a large breed working dog – a Rottweiler, Bernese Mountain Dog, Cane Corso – or even one of the more moderate size breeds like a Doberman, Belgian Malinois, or German Shepherd, you’ll already be aware that the vast majority of leads, collars, and harnesses sold in your typical pet store are completely inadequate.
Designed more for Dachshunds, French Bulldogs, or at most a happy-go-lucky Labrador, and to appeal to a buyer’s desired image for their dog rather than functionality and durability, the materials and construction of your typical pet store kit are a far cry from what’s required to endure the exertions of a 50kg Rottweiler for long.
When one of these is all that’s connecting you to your robust four-legged companion, you’re just a few popped stitches from being no longer connected at all.
Note: Not a paid promotion/sponsorship.
Founded by former Australian Army Special Forces K9 handler, Tom Brown, Origin K9 manufactures a range of collars, harnesses, and leads built to a standard far higher than your typical mainstream pet store offering, and while their equipment design comes from a military background, they have plenty of offer for companion dog handlers.
Designs aside for a moment, the strength and durability of the products are excellent. The majority of their components are load-rated (not something you’ll find in a pet store) for more than you will ever need for dog handling.
If I had to pick the single biggest flaw with most pet store options, it would undoubtedly be stitching; thread that is too weak, and too little stitching is done. In the past, I gave up buying harnesses and leads from retail outlets, as they all inevitably came undone resulting in the sudden and unexpected release of my girl. Instead, I purchased a sewing machine so that I could re-enforce, or make my own collars and harnesses, to a suitable standard.
While the stitching of the hard strop is not rated, the difference in quality is immediately apparent; thicker and stronger thread, with more surface area stitched to hold everything together. After 5 months of daily use with my Rottie, there is no apparent deterioration or detrimental wear.
About the hard strop
A hands-free, quick release and adjustable leash that attaches to a belt or hard point.
This was designed based off our experience working in… confined spaces where you need your K9 close by. It will help avoid tangles, control proximity to other operators as well as give the ability to adapt to an ever changing environment.
It can also be easily utilised to train a close heel or maintain control in crowded places.
Having an active lifestyle in a metropolitan area, this is perfect for me. We routinely visit dog-friendly bars, farmers markets, hardware stores and shops etc., and having free hands to grab items, hold a beer (or beers, if it’s my round), or hold friends dog leads is exactly what I need for my routines, as well as the ability to easily shorten the lead where the situation dictates.
Above: Sitting, walking, laying at the bar.
The strop also comes with a couple of different options on the handler connection end, with either a standard snap-hook or Kong Frog Clip, depending on your preference, for connecting to your dog’s harness/collar. There is also a “quick release” option allowing you to disconnect the lead from your belt.
This makes it equally easy to release your dog from the lead for off-lead time or disconnect the lead from yourself to pass it to a colleague for temporary control. Without the quick-release option, you can’t pass the lead without undoing your belt, which is obviously not practical. I’d always go with the quick-release option.
The quick-release clasp is small and sits basically flush against you with the rest of the webbing and adjuster. I’ve never found it to be a hindrance and never had an accidental release. I basically don’t even notice it’s there.
Personally, I also much prefer the Kong Frog Clip over a snap-hook. Under mild load you can simply squeeze the releases one-handed to unleash your dog; there’s no need to first pull your dog back by the collar with one hand to allow you to disconnect the snap-hook with the other, giving you a one-hand-free benefit.
From a photo alone, the Frog Clip might appear a bit cumbersome compared to the standard snap hook which is significantly smaller, but the Frog Clip is very light. I’ve had steel snap-hooks that were half the size but weighed more than twice as much. For the kind of dogs you’d be using this lead with, the size of the Frog Clip isn’t out of place at all. I’d also say it’s easier to grab correctly too, instead of potentially having to fiddle the smaller snap hook into the right position for your thumb to pull the catch.
A few notes, and a minor gripe
Caveat: Keep in mind that the following is written from a companion dog handling perspective. My dogs and I are not operating in a law enforcement / military setting, so sacrificing some control for flexibility is preferable. We visit bars, not battlefields. Some of this may also be more or less relevant depending on the height of both you and your dog. Taller/shorter handler and taller/shorter dog combinations will affect what may be suitable for you.
Length
The strop comes in 2 lengths; ‘Tall’ which is 85cm / 33.4″, and ‘Short’ which is 65cm / 25.5″. Origin K9 specifies on their site:
Before purchase, ensure your dog can stand up and lay down based on the measurements of the Dynamic Hard Strop sizes.
I would recommend the ‘Tall’ version regardless of whether your dog could lay down with the short version at full extension. I’m 178cm / 5’10”, my Rottweiler is 76cm / 30″ long from snout to backside, and the top of her collar stands 58cm / 18″ high. With the ‘Tall’ strop at full length, she can do a full 360° rotation at my side. I can also stand directly in front or behind her if we need to pass through a narrow space, e.g. navigating doorways with other people, or passing bins on the sidewalk, etc.
With the ‘Short’ version this would not be possible for us; she would not be able to move far enough forward for her backside to clear my legs, we would always have to walk side by side preventing us from being able to move through narrower spaces.
In any situation where I do want to keep her closer, I can always adjust the strop to a shorter length.
Colours
The strop comes with coyote brown and black options, in either a camouflage pattern or flat colour; if you don’t want the appearance of being “tacticool” as you walk around the neighborhood, the plain black option looks just like any other webbing style dog lead.
Handler belt attachment (the gripe)
You can connect the lead to your belt in 2 different ways:
There are 2 attachment options for the belt. You can cat’s paw/hitch the end (left) to a hard point such a belt (recommended). Alternatively, just loop the entire end over your belt before doing it up (right).
Image credit: origink9.com
Because the loop of webbing that connects with your belt is folded flat, when connected as a hitch there is a twist in the webbing that cinches your belt. To be fair, this is hardly the end of the world, it just means you have to un-scrunch things a little to remove or change the position of the attachment, but as I only connect the attachment as a hitch this was a small annoyance for me.
I ended up sewing a replacement webbing attachment for myself with an opposite twist built in so that when hitched to my belt the attachment sits flat. I also extended my attachment slightly, so that the release tab sits closer to my hand’s natural resting position, instead of having to reach up and find it at my belt.
Above: Original attachment on the left, my modified attachment on the right.
For 99% of people, I’m sure these things will make no difference, but I like things to be ‘just so’ and it was worth the effort for me to fine-tune it.
Service
Tom and I exchanged several emails before my purchases from Origin K9, including some ‘outside the box’ requests for spare parts I wanted. Tom was more than helpful, and getting my extra bits and pieces, which technically weren’t items for sale, was no problem.
Wrapping up
My personal tweaks to the attachment aside, the strop is great. If you’re looking for a hands-free handling solution for the kind of companion dogs listed above, the Origin K9 Dynamic Hard Strop is a great option. I would never go back to using a standard hand-held lead as my primary handling tool again. Check out the Dynamic Hard Strop and other equipment over at Origin K9.
# Professional dog handling, large dog accessories, hands free dog lead, strong dog leads, lead for large dogs.
