Dogs are everywhere right? People are walking them around the neighborhood all the time, at the dog park, and on vacation. one year while on vacation we FORGOT THE LEASH!!! It was a travesty, the dire situation required immediate attention (Our dog Coco is a runner, incredibly friendly and also ferocious at the same time) I had to come up with something, so naturally I went for the trusty reel of paracord I keep in my back pocket(next to the wallet)

Step 1: Paracord! Yessss!

Where to start? Well with the paracord, of course!
I went out and bought a pack that actually said it was 50' (15.24m) of braided paracord since I wasn't able to buy a smaller cut amount. I measured it, and I had quite a bit more than that, I had about 75' of it.

Step 2: The Handle

The handle of my leash, the heart and soul of this project, is quite a famous knot, or infamous depending on your point of view, the root of this project is the noose. Don't worry, you aren't going to use the noose for its original purpose, I use it for its wide handle-like core. Fears set aside, lets get started, shall we?

Take the paracord and start as if you were tying a noose (I tried a spur-of-the-moment alteration to see if it would give me a wider design, but it didn't. It did however make an interesting design)

1) Start with your basic noose, make sure that it will extend OUTSIDE of your hands by at least an inch (2.5-3cm) on either side as the noose will compress/squeeze when the loop is tightened.
2) Thread the lead(see picture) through the noose Tighten the noose almost all the way with just enough of the lead on the handle side that you are comfortable with holding.
3) Tie a simple knot in the lead around the noose loop to keep it from sliding out.

There are some extra steps to follow for the fancier handle I did(I was attempting to make the handle a bit thicker). It involves pretty much the same steps except for some slight variations

1) As you wrap the lead around the core(the 3 strands in the middle of the noose knot) of the noose, leave a large opening.
2) Keep your lead moving in the same direction around the core and thread the lead down and under the first side of the large opening.
3) Now the lead hops over the opposite side of the opening in that same direction.
2 & 3 alt.) Reverse the side you thread the lead on to change the direction of the spiral bump.
4) Tighten down the lead so the loop is choked onto the lead
5) Repeat steps 1-5

If a video will help, let me know.

Step 3: Clipside

This is the side that has the clip on it. First you need whatever kind of clip you prefer (personally, I like carabiners because they are easier to attach and detach)

1) Slide your clip down the end of your lead so it is at just the length you want
2) Tie a short noose(don't tie it with too big an opening) around that end (with the clip being in the exposed noose loop) and tighten it.
3) Tie a simple knot with the remaining lead to prevent it from slipping out.
4) Cut off remaining paracord.

Step 4: Testing

Now that you're done making it, you should test it out.

video coming very soon.

Step 5: Other Benifits

With this inexpensive and very heavy duty leash, you can go walk that Great Dane you just so happened to name 'Duke' around the block with no fear of it breaking on the way. This will get both you and your dog exercised, so its a win-win situation!

Have fun and enjoy!