“Lead Mate is a simple but effective device designed to make dog-walking safer and more comfortable. If you find yourself wrapping your dog’s leash around your wrist or fingers to maintain a good grip (hands up, all you walkers-of-leash-pullers!), Lead Mate provides a convenient way to keep a secure, comfortable hold on your leash, preventing injuries and making walks more pleasurable.

Lead Mate made gripping Mingus and Dottie’s leashes much more comfortable than wrapping the leash around my fingers and hand, which is my usual habit. I always felt like I had good, firm control of the leash while using Lead Mate, and its grip seemed equally effective on both leather and rope leashes.

Lately I’ve been struggling with carpal tunnel syndrome (ugh), and Lead Mate’s ergonomic design has made holding the leash SO much easier and more comfortable for me.

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Designed specifically with arthritic or carpal tunnel-plagued owners in mind, the Lead Mate is an ergonomic attachment that ingeniously eliminates hazards that clutching at, tying knots in, or wrapping a leash around your wrist for greater control, can impose. When simply clipped on the desired portion of the leash, the lightweight, no-slip sphere—made of 100 percent recycled ABS plastic—provides superb grip and a thoroughly comfortable hand-hold, allowing walkers to effortlessly deal with pullers, and clearly transmit commands.

The Lead Mate can also be used to couple two leashes together for a double dog walk, fasten a leash around your waist for a hands-free jaunt or jog, or used as a tether, for securing a leash to a table at an outdoor cafe.

While you can purchase the Lead Mate with a 6-foot reflective nylon lead with padded neoprene handle, the Lead Mate attachment can be purchased separately and be used with any leash—magically transforming it into one pretty near perfect product.

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The Lead Mate unscrews completely so that you can position it onto any lead in any position you desire. I tried with multiple sizes/shapes/materials of leashes and long-lines and had no problem getting it to “grip”. They appear to work with any type of lead.

Lead Mate seems like a great way to simply and easily adjust how much freedom my dog gets. It will work well for a lot of training situations too, such as using a longline for heel or stay work where you are slowly expanding how much freedom you are giving your dog.

I have small hands that also have arthritis.  All around, the Lead Mate makes walking your dog much safer and gives you a lot more choices when it comes to how much freedom you give your dog. Even more importantly, during an emergency you have the chance to get your dog back to you quickly, something that a retractable leash does not allow.

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