Trixie Hands Free Waist Dog Lead

I bought this back in March and have been nothing but happy with it. Used for walking and running my lab. Walking is better with this as I use the drawstring bag for rewards and hands free for training. She now comes to heel so much better than training with a standard lead as I'm able to reinforce quicker. Running is amazing. Larger 'phone' pocket wasn't big enough for my armoured case; used for poo bags. Velcro reflector: I used around the back buckle to deter anyone from quickly undoing it.

Firstly may I say I cannot understand the negative reviews for this item and I did think twice before ordering and I am so glad I did buy it. It has many features and IS well made. I am a 62 year old 60kg female who runs/ walks with my 15kg collie on roads, lanes, fields and mountains and find this Lead perfect. I cannot understand the negative reviews,excellent value, suppose you can't please everyone.

I borrowed this waist lead from a friend and unfortunately the metal buckle has snapped off the front. Our dog is a Cocker Spaniel and weighs 11.2kg, so not heavy and fairly well behaved. Sadly I cannot recommend it. Our dog could have been killed by a car if it snapped off near a road (we were up on a hill so all safe). I have contacted Trixie directly and await their response.

It’s great! I find walking one of my clients a lot easier using one of these now! She’s a hyperactive Stacie who constantly pulls and it’s so much easier! My only problem if when they pull all the pockets fall to the front marking it quiet uncomfortable which is a shame x

My 15kg Staffy managed to snap the rivets attaching the lead to the belt before we even got out of the driveway on our first walk with this. I can't recommend it even to small dogs as the (VERY long) lead would be too bulky for them, and it's definitely not strong enough for big dogs! Other points to mention are: the waist band is entirely elasticated, but seems fairly strong; the pocket for the phone just barely fits my 13cm x 7cm Anroid; 3rd pocket isn't a pocket? Zooplus issued full refund.

I bought this belt/lead combo to train my young ridgeback to run with me. He is still very distracted by smells and other dogs so doesn't always trot by my side. I found this belt comfortable to wear with enough room in the velcro pocket for 2 poop bags and a small (non-smart) phone. I have taken the other corded bag off. The lead is long and has a lot of give in it. Though some reviewers have found this irritating I have found it useful for when my boy is distracted I can continue running and it doesn't suddenly jarr against him. The handle on the lead is useful for more control but it would be useful to have a 2nd handhold between the clasp and the stretchy bit to actually have total control if you need to hold your dog tight. I use it in conjunction with a Janus Harness which again prevents sudden jarring of my boy's neck if he stops and I continue. I would not use this combination for walks, sticking to a Dogmatic (halti type head harness) for better control. All in all I think this is excellent value for money and I would recommend it for anyone wanting to run safely with their dog.

We bought this hands free dog lead and it is great for training the command "heel" when out jogging. The waist belt fits comfortably and is simply perfect. It is a little annoying that the two removable pockets slip off , but we have attached our treat bag on instead, so we are satisfied! The service and the entire atmosphere at 'zooplus' is very friendly and pleasant.

There are already a few negative comments about this waist belt. Sadly, I will also add to this. I find the waist belt too flexible, as it readjusts in length with each step and then no longer sits as comfortably. Also, the end of the belt cannot be fastened adequately - the front buckle which hooks onto the lead squeaks with every step. However, the pockets are practical and detachable, yet I doubt the protective padded cover for the waist belt buckle will stay in place. It is only fastened with Velcro and could otherwise slip off the belt. The lead was also too long for our intention; we did not want to go jogging wearing the belt, rather I just wanted to walk with my hands free, as I often like to use a clicker training device and then give my dog treats - this can be awkward with one hand. However, due to the shock-absorption, which is certainly useful, the lead extends to just 30cm if the dog takes a big sideways step, which could be crucial. Throughout the whole walk, I felt uneasy. Even when I held the practical hand loop instead, my worry about the flexibility of the lead remained. My dog was on a slack lead for about 90% of his walk but I couldn’t ever tell for certain, as the lead quickly extends by the pull from my dog. It’s just not right for me, plus the trigger hook is very big and heavy. Sadly I have sent back this Hands Free Waist Dog Lead after one round of testing. There were many things I disliked and I did not want to get used to it.

Not good if your dog is a puller as it stretches if your dog is a good healer great then I recommend using the one designed for huskies

If you dog pulls at all you will be sore by the end of the walk, and I would definitely not recommend using this every day if you're dog is not perfectly well trained to heel. Was absolutely unsuitable for my puppy. When the dog pulls it narrows the elasticated belt and digs into your waist and back. Prolonged use caused back and kidney pain and my puppy is only a medium sized breed. I think I nearly ruptured a kidney the time she jumped off a 10 foot embankment after some ducks while still attached to me, too! If you want a hands free walking belt for an energetic dog, or a pup that is still in training, I would recommend one of the ones designed for use with huskies, canicross, skijoring etc as most of these offer sufficient support across the back so as not to cause you any pain.

Bad quality. There is not much to particularly recommend if your dog does not 'heel' and occasionally pulls on the lead. When jogging, the belt doesn't always sit very high, because it is elasticated. Also, when the dog pulls on the lead, it doesn't come down to the shock absorber to stop it, but rather on the elastic belt. This is very irritating.

Up to now, our Pekinese was quite lazy as far as jogging was concerned. However, since I began using the Hands Free Waist Dog Lead, he's had lots of fun and is running really well with me. We have already run for half an hour together and are training to do more! The shock-absorber gently encourages the dog to run further and not to stand still. The trigger hook on the waist belt stops this lead from getting twisted like other leads and is comfortable. Also, there are extra pockets for your mobile phone and treats, plus a strap for a small water bottle. All in all, a very practical way to carry all this on a waist belt. I am totally impressed!

This is a great idea and well implemented. It is of course a necessity that a dog properly 'heels' when walking; the integrated expander should only be employed for exceptional circumstances. If the dog were to continuously pull heavily on the lead and waist belt, the expander would certainly not last very long. It's brilliant for us!

I think this lead is really good and practical. Thanks to the effective pockets, you can have everything you need always with you :-)

Jogging with a dog becomes fun for whoever could not run with a dog on a lead. You have all your essentials on you (treats, mobile phone, keys...) and the lead can take an enormous strain - I have three dogs and it works great! You can affix more leads to the belt at any point and the lead can be taken off for washing or even be replaced with another lead.

Ok was doubtful when this arrived as it is elasticated and stretchy. However after a few runs this is fab! My collie is a puller and the belt stretches to go with her and makes a comfortable run. When she does go there is enough lead to grab hold of and get control of her i.e. when a cyclist or cat goes by. With a normal lead I would end up with my arms being pulled and sore at the end of a run, however this belt taks the jarring and leaves me comfortable and pain free at the end of a run :-) However the pockets are a waist and a bit of let down. The pouch is not secured enough and flaps around with a water bottle in making it uncomfortable. The pouch is only big enough for a few gels and poo bags, my phone would not fit in it. Over all am pleased and will not look back as my runs are more enjoyable and comfotable. Just did a very pleasant 10 mile run and no sore aching back as I would have had with a normal lead.

I have used this once, to go running with my dog, and as she got excited and pulled, the belt went with her - as it made out of elastic rather than nylon. At one point, my dog was way out in front of me, with the belt stretched out ridiculously. The pockets aren't as they look in the picture, there is only the water bottle pocket and a phone holder, and no other pocket for money or keys. They are also only attached to the belt by a loop on the back of them so they move along the belt rather than stay in place, which I didnt like.

I am overall very happy with this product--in fact, it has become my everyday walking kit. However, there are a few things that let it down a bit.

First, the various pouches aren't particularly well-sized or constructed. The draw-string pouch doesn't close fully, so I certainly wouldn't want to put money or valuables in it. I use it to hold a roll of dog bags, my handkerchief and house keys. The phone pouch is really quite tiny, so if you've got a phone bigger than the smallest model, you'll struggle a bit. I've got a Nokia E71 and it just barely shuts around it. The other flap you see on the picture is just a wrap-around reflector that I've since removed.

It would have been great had there been a zip pouch option for money to be carried, but what can you do?

Last gripe is the placement of the hand loop on the lead. While putting it up near the top means you can remove it totally and use it as a normal lead, the fact that there is no grab further down means you struggle a bit to get firm control of your dog when needed. My dog has always been one to dash into the road when we're waiting if she gets startled, so I need to hold her down closer to the collar--there isn't a good place to do that on this one, with the elastic bit and then the buckle. You can work around it--I do!--but still.

Overall, it's a robustly made product, it's just not quite ideal. I haven't had any problems with the strength of the construction and my Dips is a bit of a puller.

Purchased just over a week ago for my Springer Spaniel,we had are first slight incedent with a lamp post coming in between us and the pivot broke on the belt, which left my dog running free on the main road. Lucky I am in a position to repair the article myself, would have expected belt and pivot to be more robust for the money!!! Phone and water bottle holder of poor quality and I have taken them off my belt.