How to Make a Rope Dog Leash

In this guide, you will make a strong 150 cm rope dog leash from polypropylene rope and rope clamps. The cutting and welding techniques from our other articles on polypropylene ropes will come in handy.

What you need to make a rope leash

1. Polypropylene rope: you can read more about rope properties and types in the article Polypropylene braided rope. Choose the rope diameter according to the dog’s weight: 6–8 mm for small and medium breeds, 10–12 mm for large breeds.
2. Metal rope clamps or plastic rope clamps: choose the clamp size according to the diameter of your rope.
3. Snap hook: you can choose from snap hooks for small, medium and large dog breeds, or special snap hooks for lunge lines and horses. For their strength, we recommend stainless steel or brass snap hooks for leashes.
4. O-ring: lets you shorten the leash by half or carry it comfortably over your shoulder. Choose the inner diameter of the ring according to the rope so that the rope passes through freely.

How to make a rope dog leash step by step

You can adjust all the measurements below to suit your own needs.

For a standard leash length of 150 cm, you need 185 cm of rope. Allow the extra 35 cm for:

• the fold at the snap hook loop, 10 cm (about 5 cm for the clamp and 5 cm for the snap hook loop),
• the handle loop, 25 cm (for the clamp, allow for its length: about 4–5 cm for clamps for thin ropes, up to 7 cm for clamps for 14–16 mm ropes, plus 20 cm for the loop your hand goes through). For thicker ropes, make the rope longer.

Leash with plastic rope clamps

1. Cut the rope with a hot knife to the required length of 185 cm and cut the end at an angle of 45–55° (see the article How to cut polypropylene ropes). Never cut the rope with scissors, or the end will fray.
   
2. First, slide two plastic clamps onto the rope (with their narrower ends facing each other). Put the snap hook on one end of the rope and the O-ring on the other.
   
3. Weld the loop at the snap hook end of the rope. You can weld ropes with a soldering iron or a heat gun. Mark on your work surface where the weld will be. The weld on the rope should always be slightly shorter than the clamp. Repeat this step at the other end of the rope.

4. Once the weld has cooled, slide the plastic clamp over it. Try to place it as close to the tip of the weld as possible. Fit the bracket onto the plastic clamp and snap it shut with your fingers.
5. Your leash is now finished. Don’t want to make one yourself? You will find ready-made rope leashes in the Rope Dog Leads category.
   

Leash with metal rope clamps

The procedure is the same; only the way you attach the clamp to the leash is different.

Choose metal clamps for leashes for large dog breeds. The strength of the leash comes not only from the weld but also from the metal clamp. You can attach metal clamps in two ways.

A. Attaching a metal clamp by hand

1. Place the clamp on your work surface with its flat side down. Put the rope into the clamp. Rope clamps are the same width at both ends.
2. Close the clamp around the rope as tightly as possible. Pliers will help: grip the clamp with the pliers and bend it toward the rope.
3. Bend each part of the clamp separately, one at a time, so that the clamp sits as tightly against the rope as possible.
4. Finally, press the clamp fully closed with a few taps of a hammer through a wooden board.
   

    

   This takes longer than with a plastic clamp, but the joint is stronger.

B. Attaching a metal clamp with a press

Attaching metal clamps by hand works well for small-scale production at home. For larger batches of leashes, a press with a tool for closing metal clamps pays off. For now, we only offer these tools for 6 mm rope; for other diameters, ask our customer support about availability.

Working with a press is fast and not physically demanding. With a press, you close the clamp the same way every time, which gives the leash the greatest possible strength.