Best Floating Leash for Dogs? Top Picks for Swimming Safety.
Okay, so I saw this "floating leash" thing for dogs online and thought, "No way, that's gotta be fake." But my dog, Max, he's a puller. A serious puller. Like, drags-me-down-the-street-like-a-sled-dog puller. So, I figured, what the heck, I'll try to make one myself. Worst case, it's a hilarious fail. Best case, my arm stops feeling like it's going to be ripped off.
The First Attempt (aka The Epic Fail)
My first idea was pretty simple. I got some strong, lightweight rope – the kind you use for, I don't know, tying up boats or something? – and a helium balloon. A big one. I figured, attach the rope to Max's harness, tie the other end to the balloon, and boom! Floating leash! Yeah, not so much.
I took Max to the park, all excited. Tied everything up, let go of the balloon… and it just kinda… drifted. Max looked at me like I was an idiot. The balloon wasn't strong enough to lift anything, let alone a 60-pound lab mix who thinks he's a husky. It just sort of bobbed there, a few feet off the ground. We ended up with a regular walk, except with a bright red balloon trailing behind us. Got some weird looks, that's for sure.
Back to the Drawing Board (aka My Kitchen Table)
So, balloon number one was a bust. I needed something with more… oomph. I started thinking about kites. They stay up, right? But kites need wind, and I wanted this to work even on a calm day.
That I decided, no more messing around, I needed more balloons to make this thing really working, I got a lot of balloons, maybe 20 or 30, whatever I could carry back from party shop.
The "It Actually Works!" Moment
I found another very strong and long rope, tied up all balloons to one end, and I tied the other end to Max's harness very carefully, I need make sure Max can't break free.
And… it worked! Not perfectly, mind you. It didn't exactly float Max, but it took a HUGE amount of the pressure off my arm. He could still pull, but it was like he was pulling against the balloons, not directly against me. It was like… power steering for dog walking!
It looked ridiculous, I'll admit. A bunch of colorful balloons bobbing along behind us. But honestly, I didn't care. My arm felt SO much better. And Max seemed pretty happy too, probably because he could still pull to his heart's content without me yelling at him.
Lessons Learned
- One balloon is NOT enough. You need a whole bunch. Like, a ridiculous amount.
- Strong rope is key. Don't cheap out on the rope, or you'll end up chasing a runaway dog and a bunch of escaped balloons.
- Be prepared for stares. People will think you're crazy. Embrace it.
- It's not perfect, but it helps. It's not going to magically make your dog stop pulling, but it can make walks a lot more comfortable.
So, there you have it. My adventure in making a "floating leash." It was a bit of a process, with some definite failures along the way, but I'm calling it a win. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go buy some more balloons…
