Why I Almost Gave Up on Dog Leashes

One morning not too long ago, I found myself on the sidewalk — coffee spilling down my coat, arms tangled in two leashes, and my small dogs pulling in opposite directions. One had locked eyes on a garbage truck; the other was happily digging through someone’s flower bed.

It wasn’t the first time that kind of chaos hit. And honestly, I was starting to wonder if walking both dogs at the same time was even worth it. I’d tried all the gadgets and “life hacks” the internet could offer... and none of them actually made things better.

Then a friend mentioned the LeashMate Duo — a leash made specifically for two dogs. It had two retractable cords, a swivel to stop them from tangling, and just one handle to hold. At first, I brushed it off as another gimmick. But I was tired and out of ideas, so I gave the LeashMate Duo a try.

No, it didn’t solve everything. But it made a big enough difference that walking them started feeling manageable and even enjoyable again.

Two Regular Leashes: A Daily Disaster

When I brought home my second dog, I figured walking them together would be no big deal. I already had two leashes — what more did I need?

Turns out, a lot more.

Walking with two separate standard leashes felt like trying to walk two stubborn toddlers who had just learned to sprint in opposite directions. One dog would bolt toward a moving leaf, the other would refuse to budge until they sniffed the last blade of grass in a five-foot radius.

It wasn’t just chaotic — it was physically impossible to manage. I had both hands full, constantly trying to untangle cords while juggling coffee, keys, or anything else I needed to carry. Forget trying to answer a phone call or pull a poop bag out of my pocket — I had to stop dead in my tracks, loop both leashes around my wrist, and hope neither dog used that moment to stage a jailbreak.

By the time we got back home, I was more exhausted than they were. And somehow, always a little bit sticky from spilled coffee or something one of them dragged me through.

 The Y-Coupler: A “Hack” That Backfired

After enough sidewalk wrestling matches, I decided to get clever. Enter the Y-coupler — one leash, two dog attachments. It looked like a genius move. One handle! No more tangled arms! What could go wrong?

A lot, actually.

The Y-coupler only works if both dogs want to go the same speed, in the same direction, at the same time. Mine? Not even close. One charges ahead like they’re on a mission, the other is a casual stroller who stops every five steps to sniff a rock or greet a bug.

With the Y-coupler, the faster dog ended up dragging the slower one — or worse, both would get frustrated and start pulling in random directions, turning the whole leash into a mess of crossed wires and confused pups. If they tried to split around a tree or pole, I had to act fast or risk tying myself to municipal property.

It went from “this leash will simplify everything” to “this leash might ruin our morning walks forever” in about three days.

 Two Retractable Leashes: Freedom, But for Who?

Next up in my trial-and-error saga: two retractable leashes. I thought, Okay — let’s give them both the space they want. More freedom, less tugging. That had to be the answer.

It wasn’t.

For one, the handles on those things are massive. I was suddenly gripping what felt like two handheld vacuums. No free hand for coffee, no easy way to grab a treat or respond to a text — just two clunky plastic handles awkwardly banging into each other while my dogs zigzagged in opposite directions.

And let’s talk about that part: the zigzagging. Without a way to coordinate the cords, my dogs were constantly wrapping themselves (and me) around trees, trash cans, each other, and random strangers' ankles. I spent more time rewinding and detangling than actually walking.

The brake buttons were hard to manage too — trying to stop one dog while keeping the other moving required a level of thumb dexterity I just don’t have before 9 a.m. There were plenty of moments where one dog would dart toward something and I’d fumble to react, knowing full well I looked like I had zero control.

Eventually, I gave up and started walking them one at a time. Twice the time commitment, double the guilt trip from the one left behind — and somehow, still not stress-free.

 I Wasn’t Looking for a New Leash — I Just Wanted a Break

So when I heard about the LeashMate Duo, I didn’t expect much. But it had a couple things going for it: two independently controlled retractable cords, a 360° swivel so they wouldn’t get tangled up, and even a built-in flashlight and poop bag holder. Best of all, I could walk them with just one hand.

The next day, I gave it a go.

And for the first time in ages, we walked — no stops to untangle leashes, no accidental yanks, no coffee on my coat. I even managed to check a few emails along the way.

Final Thoughts!

The LeashMate Duo didn’t magically turn my dogs into angels on a leash. But it gave me a way to keep up with them — without feeling like I was being dragged through the morning.

Walking two small dogs shouldn’t be this complicated. But most leash setups just aren’t made for that kind of unpredictable energy. This one actually is — and that’s made all the difference.