The Small Dog Leash - Hands Free

This review compares the Buddy System to the Paw Lifestyles hands free leash. Both have advantages and disadvantages - though for me the Buddy System has been more effective and comfortable for walking and jogging hands-free.ADVANTAGES OF BUDDY SYSTEM: Overall, the Buddy System significantly improved how much I enjoy walking and jogging with our 17 lb beagle mix (lots of energy and pulling). We have the regular system - and I wear the belt lower on my hips - not around my waist - so the weight of the pulling is distributed lower. I particularly like that the leash in the Buddy System moves around the belt (on a loop), rather than the belt moving and shifting around my waist (as in the Paw Lifestyles system).I also like NOT having the bungee cord, as most of the hands free leashes have. I found that the bungee cord did NOT soften the lunging (with the Paw Lifestyles) but actually somehow made it worse. It also made it much harder to pull the dog back or shorten the leash when needed, even though Paw Lifestyles provided two handy grips for doing this. Basically, having a plain leash with no bungee works better for me.Finally, I like that the Buddy System is a small U.S. company located in Salt Lake City, Utah, unlike several Amazon storefront leash companies out there.DISADVANTAGES OF BUDDY SYSTEM: The Buddy System cost me $8 more than Paw Lifestyles, while using less hardy materials and having fewer accessories. The Buddy System uses a plastic buckle to hook the leash loop into the belt (rather than metal, like Paw Lifestyles). Paw Lifestyles also came with a well designed pouch, which fits a lot of stuff without being bulky.I also found the parts of the Buddy System easy to lose. The plain black canvas belt, leash, and two small loops (which is what helps the leash move around the belt) blend in with our family's other plain black canvas straps (for duffel bags, camera, etc.) and are hard to track. (Note: the larger sizes of the Buddy System do come in bright colors, though the small parts would still be easy to lose).In contrast, the Paw Lifestyles is a durable, weather resistant nylon in a bright color, with a heavy leash with metal hooks; there is no way this system gets lost in the closet among other sports straps, like the Buddy parts.Thus, while both the Buddy System and Paw Lifestyles are family owned businesses, which we prefer over the many leash options out there, the Paw Lifestyles managed to be more cost effective while providing more metal parts, a great pouch, and bright, difficult to lose parts.CONCLUSIONFor the comfort and actual effectiveness of running and walking hands free, I prefer the moving loop and non-bungee simplicity of the Buddy System. I do wish it were more cost effective, especially since we've already managed to lose parts and need to replace them.

I have been using this product for quite a while. One batch had defective cheap plastic snaps that separated. The metal snap that connects to the leash broke on my last one. There is no question this company is using low grade cheap materials to make the connections. This could result in catastrophic loss of a dog, but the company has little liability,because the life of a dog can be assessed a low value. i am really trying to speak the company and tell it to get its act together, and that its quite obvious they are using substandard materials. It may be the company only knows about designing with a computer and marketing and they dont even know and proably dont care about specifying all materials and quality control. The manufacturer must be ignorant or thinks the customer cant tell they are using substandard materials . Now they know that we know. LOL

My dog is about 35 lbs of pure muscle. We’d been using this leash for about a week or so and so far I really liked it, esp that it was adjustable. All that changed yesterday when she saw a cat she really wanted to chase and she broke out of the leash. No idea how in her pulling and excitement she did it but I had a loose dog chasing a cat. I’ll never use this one again. Something is wrong with the connection between the belt and the leash

A wonderful hands free leash as a service dog owner allows me to keep using both hands at work and in public while my companion is safely at my side. I love that the length of the leash is adjustable to allow the dog to be closer to your side or have a bit more wiggle room, and love the quick release of the buckles is useful when a big butt sniffing circle with the neighbor dog leads to tangled leashes too. It works great for running as well as continuing your morning coffee and scrolling as you take your best friend for a morning walk. This leash also is fabulous for owners who are dealing with moderate strength pulling- no more getting your arm yanked off or circulation cut to your wrist if your pup is trying to pull you- its easier to resist from your core. Adjustable to at least US Womens size 28 pants (3X/4X).

I previously bought a similar hands-free leash from Kong. It was close to $40. It is a non-bungee, hands free leash that is sturdy. The downside of it (and the plus of the Buddy Sustem adjustable) is that if you have a dog who likes to zig-zag walk in front of you, the least is free to move side to side across your weight so in essence it moves with the dog. I think that is the best feature. I am not a fan of bungee hands-free leashes because they give the dog too much wiggle room and it is difficult to manage if you need to restrain the dog for any reason or pull him away from a dangerous situation. I think the class on the leash isn’t too sturdy. I double-clip him in just to make sure the clasp on the buddy system doesn’t fail. There is a weird spot on the waist belt where two pieces of material are sewn together. If rubbed against my back. So my solution is to put a small piece of moleskin over the area -OR- I need to move it down lower on my hips so it doesn’t rub on skin.

These leash has worked really well for my dog and I. I can take her hiking with it or use it for training. It fits my waist nicely and the length is adjustable so I can choose how close or far she is from me. My pup is a little over 30lbs and not a huge puller so the leash is plenty sturdy for our use. The buckle is plastic so if you have a big dog who is a strong puller, it might not hold but that is just speculation on my part. I did a lot of research and this is definitely the best hands-free waist leash I could find for a good price.

This is really poorly designed - but I should have taken a closer look at pictures so my bad.If you're looking for something to use for training pull inhibition and loose leash walking this isn't it.First, the fabric of this leash is super smooth/slippery so even when sized tightly is rotates/slides around your hips.Second, the leash part is not attached to the waist part, just slipped on - so your dog could literally run in circles around you and the only way to stop it is with your hands - sort of defeating the purpose of 'hands free'. The leash part is also too long to offer enough control (ie keep your dog right at your side and not running ahead), even on its shortest setting, to be useful for training.Another training tool designed by someone who seems to have never owned or trained a dog. Maybe I can modify it to work. Do not recommend.

Smaller leash width and a smaller clip - perfect for my energetic 12lb dog. A lot of companies that offer leashes for smaller dogs use a smaller width webbing for the leash but then use the usual large clip which is just too big and heavy for smaller dogs. I love that they scaled down both the webbing and clip size.No frills, but it has everything you need. I like that it’s simple because it’s lighter to wear, carry, pack, and unless I was doing difficult hikes I can’t imagine wanting anything different.

Had a buddy leash years ago. Now that I'm back on it, I now remember how useful this is. At first I thought this was a short leash, so I ordered the extender after a few days. But you know what? The original product is just fine - your dog will get used to it.However, yesterday I saw the same product offered for almost 30% less, so that's not cool. Good thing I love the product...

Very happy with all of the buddy system products!! (Bought them all). The hands free leash is sturdy and comfortable. I would highly recommend this product for your dog. Thank you!!

I have a service dog and going back to work was really difficult trying to hold my dog's leash and do things around the office. With the hands free leash I don't feel like I'm missing a hand and can help out more! It has been amazing.