DOG Copenhagen Urban Trail Leash
DOG Copenhagen
So before I start reviewing the leash I thought I would talk a little about the brand behind it: DOG Copenhagen. It is a Danish brand based in Copenhagen and founded in 2015, so a relatively “new” brand. Their mission is to develop comfortable and sustainable dog products with functional and attractive design. As a Scandinavian myself, I can really see the Scandinavian design in their products, and I’m loving it!
Their products can be bought in over 20 countries around the world.
You can find them here: dogcopenhagen.com
This leash sells for 45.95 GBP/399 DKK/52.95 EUR on their website
About The Leash
Here is what DOG Copenhagen say about their Urban Trail leash:
The Urban Trail™ leash from DOG Copenhagen is a 160cm versatile dog leash that comes with our Pouch Organizer™ leash bag included to conveniently carry pick-up bags and treats. Two products in one! The leash also features a soft neoprene padded handle, efficient 3M™ reflective trim, and four different traffic-handles for secure and close control making this an ideal urban walk leash.
The leash is made from soft nylon webbing with a neoprene padded handle and the carabiner is made from aluminum making it both strong and lightweight with a locking option. The leash comes in two different sizes, S and L, and we have size L. As stated above it has four different traffic handles, although the older version had five, so that you can choose the length of the leash for more urban environments for example. It also has reflective trims around the pouch and at the bottom of the leash near the carabiner.
REVIEW
First of all, I wanna say that I have their older version of this leash, I think it is their 2020 edition. So I have used this leash for over one and a half years now. The leash that they have now looks pretty much the same, but with some improvements, which I will get to later. The leash feels overall very sturdy and of good quality, none of the seems have started to loosen except for at the bottom of the treat pouch where you can put the bags through. The hardware doesn’t feel worn at all and feels stable. The reflective trim is what have been most worn out on this leash, mostly at the bottom of the leash, which is not that weird because that’s where I sometimes hold the leash in really tight situations. So overall I think that after this long, the leash has held up really well and I use it for our daily walks!
Appearance wise I really like how this leash looks! It has a sleek style with a pop of color that you can match together with their harnesses and collars. Our leash is in the color Ocean Blue and there are seven other colors to choose from on their website. The DOG Copenhagen logo can be seen on both the front of the pouch as well as on the handle. The pouch is a very handy design and element to this leash. At the front is a tiny mesh/net holder where you can put stuff in. On the inside is another small mesh/net holder, perfect for storing your keys, AirPods or your card holder to keep it separated in the pouch. You can actually fit a lot in there like poop bags, treats, keys etc.
The leash is 160 cm long with four traffic handles, ours has five as it is the older version.
The traffic handles do really help, although I found it a little hard in the beginning to quickly get those loops “opened”. After some use though, it became a little less stiff and a lot easier to quickly grab. When you have a reactive dog, tight spaces can sometimes be a trigger. That’s when those traffic handles really come in handy (no pun intended).
ISSUES
Some issues I’ve faced with this leash is that the carabiner on this old version didn’t have the best locking mechanism. It would slide up and down and not stay locked through our walks. On their newer design however, they have a different type of carabiner and locking mechanism, which I think is a safer option, so if you buy this now I don’t think you will face the same issue as me. I think they had more people talking about this problem and decided to change it for the better!
Another problem I have is that the hole at the bottom of the pouch that is designed to have your bags go through is really small. It is very difficult to get the bags through and if you have longer nails, bigger fingers or maybe not very strong fingers, you will struggle. I’m sure you could make the hole bigger somehow and I’m not sure if this has been changed within their new design, but for me it was a problem, but not that big of a problem in reality. I just put the bags in the mesh/net holder on the outside of the pouch. Works just as well!
PROS
- Perfect length for urban environments
- Reflective trims on the pouch and further down by the carabiner, making the leash visible
- 4 traffic handles for easy maneuvering and better handling
- Strong aluminum carabiner with locking option
- Leash pouch that can hold all of your necessities like poop bags, keys or treats
- Easy to wash
- Comes in 2 different sizes
- Lightweight
CONS
- Locking option on the old leash is not ideal
- Traffic handles are a bit stiff and hard to get your hand through at the beginning
- The hole at the bottom of the pouch is very small and difficult to get the bags through
- Length is a bit on the shorter side with only 160 cm
- Reflective trims wear out pretty quick (but not too quick)
SUMMARY
Does this leash get my approval? YES! Like I said before I use this leash daily and it still feels of high quality. The pros definitely outweigh the cons! But, is it approved for reactive dogs? Also a yes for me on that one. It feels strong and of quality, the traffic handles are really good when you have a reactive dog and you need a tighter leash or better handling in some situations. It was one of the things I was looking for in a leash, having that extra handle for a shorter leash when needed. Two different sizes make it possible for smaller dogs as well as a bit bigger dogs to comfortably wear this leash. Marvel is a medium-big dog and it still feels very safe. As mentioned the carabiner and the lock weren’t ideal on the old leash, but since they updated it, it looks a lot safer and I haven’t heard any complaints about the locking mechanism on the new version.
There are always some things that could improve, for instance I would’ve liked to see some padding on the traffic handles for easier access and grabbing and I would’ve also loved more reflective trims. The spaces between the traffic handles could easily have trims going around, but those are some smaller things and don’t really affect the overall usage and quality of this leash. I think it’s a really good leash for people with reactive dogs or nervous dogs that might live in a more urban environment like me and Marvel, where you want to quickly be able to shorten the leash, without twisting it around your hand (been there done that).
WEATHERPROOF
Works well in most weather. Does hold a bit of water after heavy rain.
DURABLE
Very sturdy and durable material. Hardware is strong and well-sown seams.
WALKING
Suitable for daily walks and city walks. Also works well on shorter day hikes.
VISIBLE
Has reflective trims on two places making it visible at night.
Disclaimer:
Always make sure that you test the product yourself first to see how it fits your dog or you and if it feels safe. Don’t go hardcore after our measurements as every dog is differently built.
If you have any further questions about the product, please reach out to me 🙂