I ordered this for three reasons. One reason was to keep my curious pup out of trouble on car rides. The second was to help leash train our very eager and curious pound rescue. And third was to ease some of the pain caused by fifty pounds of muscle pulling against my rebuilt shoulder socket. This leash hit the mark on all three.
As a safety belt, it interfaces perfectly on all cars tested so far, both pre and post Y2K. The elastic gives just enough to allow her to look around, see out all windows, and give me a brief nose if she wants too. But it is not so long that she can jump over the back seat or up on the center console to lick my face which was her preferred position prior to this purchase.
For leash training this is a good option. The elasticity begins pulling her back before she even knows it and provides her with constant feedback even when I am not physically doing so. The non-elastic outer sheath is just long enough to make car rides fun and safe but not so long that she could suddenly lunge and get to anything in a store, a soccer ball for example. The length and pull are very manageable and predictable.
The elastic itself is tough. If she begins straying too far its already pulling her back. There is only slack when she is in the perfect walking position, at my heel and in close proximity. I don't know what the material quality is but it feels exactly the same as my old personal safety harness. If the elastic matches the visible materials then I have no doubt it still perform over time.
The metal bits are made of solid metal with what appears to be a very durable coating, maybe cerakote? So far no pitting, chipping or flaking. The swivel is very sturdy but can be a little noisy, emitting squeaks that sound like a rat on the run. But an occasional pass with a pencil does the trick, keeping it fairly quiet.
The handle loop has a rubberized grip that reminds me a lot of the grip on my hiking pack. Suple but sturdy with lots of texture to add grip. My preferred grip currently is to slip my off hand through the loop with a grip on the join while my strong hand chokes up on the leash at a natural hand height. This portion of the elastic is stitched into another piece of solid strapping, making it easier for me to control her when she is being stubborn. When she is behaving, or in a free roam area, holding the leash by just the handle gives her enough room to nose around while her tail is still furiously beating my knee caps. It also gives me enough confidence to let her explore without worrying about a sudden lunge breaking my grasp. The elastic is a life saver! I had a full shoulder rebuild while also missing half my bicep tendon so leash training a full grown pitt has been painful. She was never properly trained and walks were a constant shuffle from one hand to the other in order to spread the load, and inevitable ache, between joints. With this leash I get almost none of that strain. She has to approach almost full tension before I begin to feel it in my own joints. And already, after just a few weeks, she is learning to heed the tension and is self-checking her lead. My joints are very happy to have this gear.
Overall I love this equipment. Its exactly what I ordered and is clearly built to last. I cannot wait to see what other innovations Goat Trail Tactical comes up with in the future. Maybe some proper desert terrain doggy boots that are made with mesh instead of sweaty waterproof materials like the others??
