25/09/2025
Here at Midlands Mutts, we 🧡 slip leads. They’re brilliant for teaching lead pressure, communication, and secure handling for flight risks.
But, like any tool, they’re not a ‘one size fits all’ situation- and utilising them should come with the same level of caution as everything else.
Here are 5 situations I won’t use a slip lead in, and why:
1️⃣ Dogs who have spinal issues or injuries, such as IVDD and spondylosis. Neck pressure on dogs with these issues can cause flare ups, particularly with a tool that tightens if pressure is ever applied. You’d be much safer using a well fitted harness and ecollar pairing!
2️⃣ Dogs with neck or throat issues. Wounds, internal and external, can easily be irritated by something being in the area where they are. For quick healing and a safer recovery- a harness would be a much better option.
3️⃣ Young puppies who’s tracheas are still developing. Not only am I a massive advocate for allowing your puppy to pull and explore the world, putting a slip lead on their neck before the cartilage has hardened can be painful and cause ongoing damage. Using a harness is much safer for a young puppy.
4️⃣ Heavily brachycephalic dogs who already struggle to breathe in certain situations (many have soft palate elongation, hypoplastic tracheas and laryngeal issues too) can be made worse through tightening around their neck. If the dog understands pressure and release, a slip lead would not be an issue- but it would not be my tool of choice for teaching an understanding of lead pressure.
5️⃣ Dogs with severe arthritis or chronic pain issues. If a dog is in pain, they are likely to tense or brace against pressure applied- which risks further injury. The act of adding light pressure on the slip has the potential to feel way more aversive to a dog in pain, and can cause negative associations to the lead or handler. Dogs in pain may also favour one side of their body, which can distribute pressure even when none is applied, and cause a pain response.
At Midlands Mutts it’s simple: dog first, tool second.
