I don’t tend to make a habit of review products on this blog, so when I do, I REALLY stand behind it (and no, I’m not getting paid for this either).
Of all of the dog-related products I have, my absolute favourite tool is, without question, the Smoochy Poochy traffic lead (the cute name is just an added bonus!).
What’s a traffic lead, you ask? A traffic lead (sometimes just called a short lead) is essentially just the handle of a regular lead without the length. I’ve seen them in 12″ and 17″ lengths, although because of Jasper’s size, I always go for the shorter of the two. If you have a smaller dog they really won’t be much used to you, but for big guys like Jasper, these things are a god-send.
The beauty of them is that they keep your dog close to you without having to deal with wrapping up the unused length. They also store a lot easier (I toss Jasper’s in my purse when we’re out or clip it to my belt loop or around my arm when we’re hiking. It’s great!). Small but mighty, these little leads are ideal for when you’re walking through busy areas such as cities, crowds or, as the name denotes, traffic. I also love how much easier it is when were getting in and out of the car while I’m running errands and he comes with. I even find that it helps with pulling (not a lot, but definitely a bit).
You can find regular leads at any pet supply store, but the specialty leads (thin metal ones for shows, special ones for training purposes, etc) require a bit more digging. So when I first encountered the “Smoochy Poochy” booth, with their wide array of unique and specialty leads, at the Toronto Sportsman Show a few years ago, I was pretty excited. Naturally, I failed to pick up the goods that time but I didn’t miss the chance when they showed up at the Spring Cottage Life Show back in March.
I don’t think the company has an actual store of their own but they do sell their products in various retail outlets (you can contact them to find out where exactly). They’re proudly Canadian (another bonus!) and sell products like regular leads and collars along with the traffic leads (in both nylon, normal or reflective, as well as a waterproof neoprene. Those ones float too!), novelty tags and this crazy hands-free lead that can be worn three ways!
I’m a big fan of the products (and the awesome staff! I haven’t met one person at those booths that I didn’t like). If you’ve got a big dog, I seriously recommended grabbing a traffic lead and if you didn’t know where to get them before, you do now 
