Caring for your Natural Cotton Lead
In the design of our Natural Cotton leads, we’ve selected materials that are optimal for your dogs comfort, and styles that maintain their character with use. Taking correct care of your Willow and Porter lead will help to ensure its longevity for you and your dogs enjoyment.
Our Leads - Design Transparency
The design of our leads at every level takes into account 3 key considerations:
The first - that the materials we use are comfortable for your dog, as a priority.
The second - that the materials we use are biodegradable - which means that they must be natural, and must leave no trace when they reach the end of their lifecycle.
The third - that wherever possible, we source and manufacture our products in the UK, to support local artisans and reduce our environmental footprint as much as we are able to.
In practice, this means that we use cotton rope from Yorkshire as opposed to synthetic fibres, as well as brass and Italian Leather from our leatherworker in Leicester. Why? Because Cotton biodegrades - plastic doesn’t. Cotton is significantly softer against the skin, and more comfortable for your dog.
Because our products are manufactured by hand in the UK, our products cost more than if we were to do so internationally. Does this cost mean that our products are indestructible, or as long lasting as synthetic fibres? No. In fact, quite the opposite. The reason that plastic rope is so tough, and why it lasts so long, and why it rubs and burns the skin, is the same reason why it causes a significant environmental impact - it doesn’t break down easily.
We rigorously test our leads, and use them every day during our training with dogs that have advanced behavioural needs and most certainly put our products through their paces. We are always continuing to improve our designs, to satisfy as many of our customers as possible. We are confident that our designs strike a balance between the positive impact they have on our customers and the lasting impact they have on the planet.
Caring for your Natural Cotton Lead
Wearing in your lead
As a natural fibre, cotton has several key characteristics which makes it different to synthetic fibres. Cotton is a hydroscopic material, meaning that it absorbs water. Our rope behaves in a similar way to a pair of jeans - it will swell and become heavy when soaked, then shrink and contract over time. Just like a pair of jeans, you will need to wear your lead in through several wet dog walks - this process will cause your lead to shrink in thickness, and should also loosen your leather stopper over time - which will arrive fitted tight to your lead. We ship all our leads with a tight stopper in response to customer feedback.
Waterproofing your lead
If you and your dog regularly spend time out in the wet weather, we recommend that you take the time to properly waterproof your cotton and leather lead. We recommend and use a natural beeswax leather proofing treatment and wax cotton dressing, which ads a naturally hydrophobic layer to your lead, in the same way as a waxed cotton Jacket or a pair of leather boots. Wax and oil has been used as a waterproofing treatment since the 15th Century, and remains one of the best natural and environmentally friendly ways to take care of your natural lead. Waterproofing will help to stop your cotton lead from swelling in heavy rain, encourage quicker drying, and prevent damage to your leather stopper.
Care Instructions.
Do Not Machine Wash - Do Not Hot Soak or Submerge | Cotton fibre shrinks when exposed to warm or hot water, which over time can damage the strength of the cotton fibres. Leather can become significantly warped and stains when submerged in water.
Do Not Use Detergent | In the process of removing dirt and stains in cotton fabric, detergents also break down and weaken cotton fibres and damage leather. Powder detergents can act as an abrasive, particularly when combined with the spinning action of a machine wash.
Do Not Tumble Dry | Cotton fibres shrink significantly when exposed to high heat settings on a tumble drier, and can become brittle - damaging the strength of the fibre and causing it to become rough and tight. Leather becomes brittle and dry, and will begin to crack if tumble dried.
Do Not Expose to High Heat | In the same was as tumble drying, the high heat of your oven, fireplace or radiator will damage the cotton fibres in you lead, making them brittle. Leather will crack, warp or burn when exposed to high temperatures. Do not leave your lead in direct contact with hot surfaces, or unreasonably close to a fire.
Our Care recommendation
Air Dry after walking | Allow your lead to Air dry after a walk. In the cold winter months, hanging your lead in a warm room, or on a clothes airer at a sensible distance from a heat source, will allow the cotton fibres to dry gently.
Brush off heavy soil and dirt | Once dry, gently brush off any heavy dirt, soil or sand using a soft brush or cloth. Sponge off any heavy dirt with a damp cloth.
Do not Store when Damp | Make sure your lead is dry before storing. As a natural material, cotton will begin to degrade if left damp for prolonged periods.
Use a Waterproofing Treatment | A suitable leather cream of natural beeswax can help protect against the elements and maintain the supple feel of your leather, reducing the risk of cracking. Beeswax or a cotton wax dressing are both suitable waterproofing treatments.
Incorrect care of your Willow and Porter lead may decrease material quality and lead longevity. We strongly recommend following all material care instructions.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Our leads are made of 100% natural cotton, which is a strong natural fibre that has been used in rope making for centuries.
However, no natural fibre will compete with a synthetic alternative when it comes to strength and wear. Synthetic fibres are incredible tough and robust, which make them much more resident to friction, abrasion, and mechanical actions like chewing. This strength also makes the fibres tough and abrasive against the skin, whereas cotton is a much softer and more comfortable material - albeit one that requires additional care and maintenance.
Our leads are not for everyone. If you have a dog that is constantly straining against the lead, lunging from left to right, or you use a lead as a shortcut or replacement to proper training instead of as a compliment or aid, our leads may not be for you. If the products you buy are typically more 'abused' than 'used', or you are not someone who is inclined to take proper care and maintenance of your products, this lead may not be for you.
However, if you want a soft, gentle and comfortable lead that is environmentally responsible and UK manufactured, then our leads are the perfect fit for you.
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Because it's the right thing to do. There are plenty of leads on the market that use synthetic fibres, with the benefits that they provide - but we feel that plastic pollution is the single biggest problem of the 21st century, and we don't want to add to it. Our original 1st generation leads used cotton acrylic and BCF fibres - they were incredibly soft, but we have no doubt that they will have added to the problem of microplastics. Thats not a legacy we want to leave, which is why we choose to switch to 100% natural cotton.
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The brass tri- glide is a safety component which acts as a lock and stops the lead from over tightening when your dog pulls. This needs to be properly sized and fitted when first introducing your dog to a lead.
Note: Some people use this tri glide to make a '00' configuration, where the brass sits under the dogs chin. We do not recommend this, as it changes the leverage angle and contact point of the lead, and does not allow the tri glide to perform its intended safety function.
For more information, see our full fitting video here:
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In response to customer feedback that the leather stoppers loosen over time and with use, all our stoppers are now shipped with the stitch tight to the lead.
The best way to loosen the leather tab is to use it. The leather will naturally expand and soften with use, particularly once it gets wet. We encourage our customers to use a waterproofing wax such as beeswax to aid in the care of the leather. As your rope stretches and gets used, it will also shrink in girth, loosening the leather tab further.
If you are concerned that your leather tab is too tight even after regular use, please get in contact so that we can assist you.
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There are a lot of black leads on the market, and we don't feel that we need to make another one. Our colour selections are controlled by market availability and minimum order quantities, so we cannot order in custom colours. However if you have a strong preference, we always make note of requests.
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Absolutely. Willow and Porter launched in 2022, and since then we have made 6 different designs of leads, including the 3 that we currently use today. We always listen to customer feedback, and whilst we cannot always make immediate changes, we are always paying close attention to the people who use our leads.
Please be aware that everyone has their own opinion, and that your needs, use or perspective may not be the same as that of other customers. We try to design for the benefit of as many of our customers and their dogs as possible, but we cannot satisfy everyone.
Please also be aware no one knows our products better than ourselves. We use our products every day at our dog behaviour centre on the North York Moors. The leads are rigorously tested on dogs that have a wide range of behavioural issues and needs - in every possible weather and condition. We design our leads for ourselves, our dogs and our clients - it's what makes us different.
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We have a small team of passionate customers who volunteer to test new lead designs before they come to market, and whose job it is to put the leads through their paces. We are always looking for customers with a passion for our leads, and an optimistic attitude to telling us how to make things better. If you're interested, get in contact!
