Dog long lines in the UK: what to buy for recall work

A long line does not teach a dog to come back. That is the first thing most buyers get wrong. It stops the dog from learning the opposite while you teach it. Every time a dog ignores you and gets away with it, it practises ignoring you, and a line simply takes the “gets away with it” part out of the picture.

So the useful question is not “which long line is best”. It is “which one will I actually hold properly, and for how many weeks”. This guide covers length, material, what to attach it to, three lines I found at UK retailers with their October 2026 prices, and who should leave the whole idea alone.

The short version

If you want	Pick	Price (checked)
The cheapest line that works on dry ground	Heim Long Dog Training Lead, 10m, braided	£11.19, October 2026
One that copes with mud and wet grass	Heim Biothane Long Dog Lead, 5m or 10m	£26.99 (5m) and £47.69 (10m), October 2026
A grippy line for a bigger or stronger dog	Heim Super-Grip Tracking Line, 10m, 17mm	£26.39, October 2026

zooplus showed a 20% voucher on these lines when I looked. The prices above are the listed ones, before any voucher.

What a long line is for

Dogs Trust’s recall advice says dogs fail to come back for two main reasons: something else is more exciting than you, or they are unsure you want them to return. Its answer is to teach the dog’s name, add a short cue, reward every return, and then build distance and distraction slowly. For the later stage it says to use “a long line attached to their harness to keep them safe during training”.

Battersea describes the line the same way: a practice tool before going fully off-lead, with a certified behaviourist recommended if recall is not improving. Neither charity treats it as a permanent way to walk a dog.

Two things from the Dogs Trust page change how you use one:

• Never reel the dog in. It says “never pull your dog towards you”. If the dog ignores the cue, you guide it in gently or walk out and collect it.
• Do not call twice. It says to leave at least five seconds before calling again, and not to call at all if the dog is unlikely to come, because that can teach it that not coming back is fine.

That second point is the real job of the line. If the dog is clipped on, you are never in the position of shouting “come” at a dog that is already 40 metres away, with the whole park listening.

Length: shorter than you think

Battersea says long lines run from 3 to 30 metres and advises using a shorter line than the maximum, because “too much slack can cause you to get tangled up and even lose control especially if you are in a busy environment.”

A practical way to read that:

• 5m is enough for the first weeks, for a puppy, and for woodland where a longer line snags on everything.
• 10m is the length most owners end up wanting once the dog is responding in open ground.
• 15m and over is for large, open spaces and for dogs that are properly practised. It is also the length at which most people lose control of the slack.

If you are only going to buy one, buy 10m and let out only as much as you need. You can always hold the middle of a long line. You cannot add length you did not buy.

Harness, not collar

Battersea is blunt about this: “We always recommend you attach the long-line to a harness and not a collar.” If the harness has front and back rings, it says to use the back one, to keep the line away from the dog’s feet.

The reason is simple. A dog that hits the end of a 10m line at a run puts the whole force through its neck if it is on a collar. A harness spreads it across the chest. So a long line is a second purchase that depends on a first one: if you do not have a harness that fits yet, the guide to the best puppy harnesses comes first, and the lead, collar and harness guide covers the tag you need on the dog whatever else it is wearing.

1. The cheapest: Heim Long Dog Training Lead

The Heim Long Dog Training Lead in orange was £11.19 for the 10m at zooplus in October 2026. The page describes it as braided polypropylene, 6mm across, with a 360-degree rotating nickel-plated carabiner and a wrist strap. The page lists a 20m too, but the price shown for it was unclear, so I am not quoting one.

• Good: cheap enough that a lost or chewed line is an annoyance, not a loss. Very light, so a small dog barely feels it.
• Bad: thin braided line is the kind that burns if it runs through your hand, which is exactly the risk Battersea warns about. It holds water and mud. The zooplus rating was 3.9 out of 5 from 552 reviews, and 68 of those were one-star, which is a lot for a product at this price. The wrist strap is a snag risk if you trail the line.

I would buy this for a small or medium dog on dry paths and wear gloves with it.

2. The one most dogs will wear out: Heim Biothane Long Dog Lead

The Heim Biothane Long Dog Lead in fluorescent yellow came in 5m at £26.99 and 10m at £47.69 on the zooplus category page in October 2026. The product page itself was less clear about the 10m price, so check the basket before you pay. Both lengths are 13mm wide. Biothane is a polyester base with a polyurethane coating, and the page calls it waterproof and antibacterial. There is a hand loop and a metal snap hook.

Battersea’s advice on materials fits here: lightweight fabric for small dogs, and biothane, grippy material or heavy-duty webbing for larger ones, in something you can hold comfortably. It also says a line should not hurt you if it slides through your fingers, which is the test a flat biothane band passes better than thin rope.

• Good: wipes clean in seconds, does not freeze into a rope or hold a litre of puddle, and the rating was 4.4 out of 5 from 615 reviews.
• Bad: the 10m is more than four times the price of the braided line. One reviewer reported a clasp breaking after a few months of occasional use, so check the clip before every walk, whichever line you buy. Biothane is also stiff in the cold and has memory, so it coils with kinks until you shake it out.

3. The one for strong dogs: Heim Super-Grip Tracking Line

The Heim Super-Grip Tracking Line was £26.39 for 10m in black, orange and grey. It is a 17mm nylon band with interwoven elastic bands, described as rubberised, with a carabiner and a grippy hand strap. The zooplus rating was 4.4 out of 5, from five reviews, which tells you very little.

• Good: the wide, grippy band is easier on the hands than rope when a heavy dog takes off.
• Bad: the listing gives no weight guidance and no maximum dog size, and five reviews is not evidence. At 17mm it is heavy for a small dog.

The one I would not buy: a biothane tracking line without a loop

The Heim BioThane Tracking Line in orange was £65.49 for 10m at zooplus. It is round, 8mm across, and the page says it has no hand loop. The rating was 2.5 out of 5 from four reviews. That is a high price for a thin line from a handful of buyers, and I would not pay it for general recall work. A line with no loop does make sense later, for trailing, since Battersea says a handle-free line catches less on branches. But you can cut the loop off a cheaper line when you reach that stage.

How to use it without learning the hard way

Battersea’s steps are worth following in order. Unravel the line so there are no kinks. Coil it loosely in your hand so it forms a hoop. Hold it with two hands, the one nearer the dog controlling the slack, the other holding the rest. To stop the dog, grip and release with the near hand rather than yanking.

When you are confident, you can let the line trail on the ground. It also warns that lines are a trip hazard for other people and can catch on the surroundings, and that if you or the dog get tangled you should stop the dog moving. Tossing treats on the floor is its trick for a food-motivated dog while you untangle.

Pair it with something worth coming back for. The dog training treats guide covers size, calories and cost per session, which matters when a recall session is 30 repeats.

What I would not spend extra on

A 30m line. Almost nobody can manage the slack on one, and the dog does not need it while it is still learning.

A padded handle. A hand loop is a liability if you start trailing the line. Pay for the material, not the handle.

A “recall” product or a gadget. The Dogs Trust steps are a name, a cue, a reward and repetition. A whistle is optional, as it says, and the rest is free.

Who should not buy a long line

• Anyone who wants to give the dog more freedom in busy places. Battersea says lines are best in open spaces. On a pavement, in a car park or on a busy path, a line crossing the route is a danger to everybody else.
• Anyone walking open country or common land between 1 March and 31 July. The Royal Kennel Club’s summary of the Countryside Code says dogs must be on a short lead there in that period, and near farm animals all year. A 10m line is not a short lead. Local restrictions can go further than that, and the rules differ in Scotland and Northern Ireland, so check the signs.
• Anyone who has not yet taught the dog its name and a reward for coming back. The line gives you control. It does not give you a recall.
• Anyone with a dog that is already chasing livestock or other dogs. That needs a qualified behaviourist, not a longer lead. Battersea recommends one if recall is not improving.
• Very young puppies in the first weeks. They stay close by instinct. Spend the money on treats first.

What to do next

• The puppy checklist lists everything else you need before collection day, in order.
• The best puppy harnesses is the first thing to sort out, since the line should never go on a collar.
• Dog training treats covers what to put in your pocket for the recall sessions.

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Prices and product details were checked on zooplus.co.uk in October 2026 and change often; the Heim Super-Grip Tracking Line was rechecked on 29 October 2026 and had dropped from £28.49 to £26.39. Product descriptions are the retailer’s own claims. Training advice follows Battersea’s long-line guide and Dogs Trust’s recall guidance (the Dogs Trust Ireland page, which I read in full); the Countryside Code summary is from the Royal Kennel Club’s page. The Countryside Code covers England and Wales. I have not tested these lines. Nothing here is veterinary advice — if a dog is injured, limping or showing a sudden change in behaviour, speak to your vet.