How to create a dog leash that can be shortened at will.

• 360 degree swivel carabiner
• 6 mm diameter rope — this will be the main leash
• 4 mm diameter rope — used to shorten the leash

Note: I recommend using ropes of two different colors.
This makes them easier to identify when reacing to shorten the leash.

• 6 mm rope: You can make it long as you like, but keep in mind that knots will reduce the total length by approximately 80 cm. For example, if you start with a 5 m rope, the final length will be around 4.20 m after tying the necessary knots.

• 4 mm rope: For a compact setup, 60 cm rope is enough.
  For more flexibility, I recomend using 90 cm.

Create the first knot at the base of the leash using a Scaffold knot.
This knot will pass through the carabiner. Be sure to leave a few centimeters of excess rope for safety.

The Scaffold knot tightens under tension and will effectively “weld” into position.

Note: With the excess rope, you can tie a Double Overhand Stopper Knot.
This keeps the excess rope close to the main rope and improves the visual appearance.
(Also, the Double Overhand Knot just looks good.)

We chose this knot instead of a Bowline + stopper combo because the Scaffold knot has a smaller footprint, which reduces the weight at that point — important for the dog’s comfort.

We recomend using at least 40 cm of rope after the carabiner.
This provides enough length to tie the Scaffold knot comfortably and add a stopper knot if desired.

For the handle, use the Scotts Locked Bowline — a variation of the classic Bowline that’s safer and prevents the rope from slipping.

As always, leave some extra rope at the end for safety.

Note: We previously used a classic Bowline with a Strangle Knot as a stopper.
However, over time, the handle would shrink due to the dog pulling.
The Scotts Locked Bowline solves this by staying secure under tension.

We recomend these following lengths:

• Before tightening the simple Bowline:

  • 13 cm loop length
    
  • 18 cm of excess rope
    

• After completing the Scotts variation and tightening the knot:

  • 15 cm final loop length
  • 12 cm of excess rope (withouth the stopper knot)
    This is a bit too much, we suggest aiming for 10 cm instead.

Using the 4 mm rope, create a Prusik Knot around the main leash.
This is a type of slide-and-grip knot (similar to a triple Cow Hitch) that allows you to shorten or lengthen the leash.

Wrap the rope around the main leash at least three times — more turns will provide more grip.

As mentioned at the beginning of this guide:

• For a compact setup, a 60 cm rope is enough.
• For more flexibility and easier handling, we recommend using 90 cm.

Tie the remaining ends of the small rope to the Bowline loop you created in step 2.
Use a Double or Triple Fisherman's Bend, passing the loop of the handle inside before finishing the knot.

Note: The more turns you make with the Fisherman’s Bend, the more secure it will be. We recommend using a Triple Fisherman's Bend for maximum hold.

Herringbone leashes are made by interweaving ropes in a decorative pattern.
They are generally more ornamental than the functional leash described above.