Looking for a Strong Dog Leash?
Part 1: Consider Tensile Strength
Tensile Strength: The maximum amount of tensile or pulling force that a material can withstand before tearing or failing.
For durable and strong dog leashes, or leashes for large dogs that pull: Tensile Strength is the amount of "pull" the material can withstand.
Remember math class? Newton's 2nd Law of Motion?
Force = Mass x Acceleration
Force is not just your dog's weight, but the pulling force or the accelerated force that your dog exerts on a leash, harness, or collar.
This force can be many times your dogs weight, and when selecting a leash for a large dog, that can be quite a lot!
![closeup of webbing that has been chewed by a dog, reducing the effective tensile strength to less than half of the original strength.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0802/1970/1538/files/Webbing_Strength_1_240x240.jpg?v=1713899053)
Not only that, chewing by the dog, abrasion from regular wear & tear, or mis-use of the product can result in reduced tensile strength and lead to product failure.
![collage of the material types that I use to make dog leashes, and their respective tensile strengths.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0802/1970/1538/files/Webbing_Strength_2_480x480.jpg?v=1713899053)
BioThane®
![Examples of Biothane being damaged by a dog chewing in comparison to being ripped apart by testing equipment.](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0802/1970/1538/files/Webbing_Strength_3_480x480.jpg?v=1713899053)
Buyer Beware: Not all coated webbing products are BioThane®!
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We will cover this in a future article, but be aware that the manufacturing methods for BioThane® can impact the tensile strength of the finished product!
Stay tuned for Part 2: Hardware
&
Part 3: Manufacturing Methods