Ruffwear sent me a Roamer Leash in exchange for a review on the mom blog. It is one of their most popular leashes and can be worn around your waist as well as held in your hand like a traditional leash. I received a large roamer leash for my 60 pound dog. It allows her to walk out a little farther from me than my “traditional leash.” My kids prefer to hold this leash by the handle since they are scared that Dakota will see a squirrel and “drag” them down the road! With this being said, I would recommend that this leash only be worn around your waist when you have a well trained dog, who listens to your commands and does not take off quickly without warning!
Dakota was a very WILD puppy and did drag my 4 yr. old across the driveway, which cut up his knees a little because he did NOT let go of the leash. So we had her trained by a local dog trainer from K9obey.com and I have no worries about using the Roamer Leash with her, but the kids are still a little leery of it.
As a matter of fact, our dog trainers, Bob and Linda Holmes dropped by for a visit and personally tested out the Roamer Leash for me. They liked the idea of the hands free dog walking and also loved the easy to use, one handed clasp that hooks to the dog collar. They did point out the sizing of the “waist belt.” I received a large roamer leash, but a large person may have trouble clasping it around themselves since the largest waist size for this particular size leash is 42″. Make sure to check out their Hoopie Collars which match and work well with the Roamer Leashes.
In terms of exercise, this roamer leash could be a goal setter for you. Pick out your favorite color and use it with the traditional hand loop and the more you walk your dog, the closer you’ll get to fitting this leash around your waist! Dogs are great exercise companions, remember they need exercise just as much as we do!