The WAW flex piece is something completely different from what you are used to!
When out and about, both the dog and the handler are exposed to dozens or even hundreds of leash jerks every single day. Other jolts are smaller - and the worst ones cause a lot of damage. Even small nudges can be very deceptive: Imagine a situation where the owner is walking ahead of the dog and the dog suddenly stops to sniff the ground - perhaps turning back and nudging. In this case, the handler's hand and shoulder are suddenly pulled backwards, so tissue or tendon damage can easily occur without much force.
Repeated, over the years, tens of thousands of small jerks are proven to cause micro-injuries to the dog's neck, not to mention the damage caused by larger jerks. In particular, the soft tissue structures in the development phase of puppies are often unnecessarily hard during learning to use a leash. If you could reduce the amount of damage done, surely you would?
WAW is a flexible piece designed and manufactured in Italy, which significantly dampens jerks, and which can be connected to any normal harness. WAW is made of a sturdy plastic alloy that will withstand both time and wear. WAWes are available in different sizes, so it is suitable for all dogs from a couple of kilos to giant breeds.
How does WAW differ from traditional rubber band elastic?
Many dog owners have tested an elastic piece or strap made of a traditional rubber band in everyday use, and many have also forgotten one in the back of the closet, because going out with the dog has become an uncontrollable "yo-yo". The dog has been able to stretch, e.g. near other dogs and on the side of the bike path. With a piece of rubber band that is longer elastic (and looser than WAW) it is difficult to understand how far the dog can advance. In addition, with an elastic rubber band, the dog can stretch it to its full extent, after which the dog's neck is hit by a jerk back when the rubber band returns. Even one dog owner said that he sometimes had to dodge his own dog, which after brisker spurts flew back to the walker's feet due to the force of the rubber band's recovery movement.
Many who have tested the traditional elastic piece also state that the dog pulls more with the elastic. This feeling is often due to the fact that the dog is able to pull the loose electric rubber band to its full extent and if he wants to also keep it there, so in the end it is the handler who has to use force to brake the recovery phase of the rubber band. This easily creates the feeling that the dog pulls more strongly.
So how does WAW differ from rubber band elastic? WAW is made of a flexible plastic alloy: its elasticity is clearly stiffer than rubber band elastics and the elastic distance is shorter, which means that the same stretching and rebound does not occur. Control over the dog remains the same as with an inflexible leash . WAW's short snappy spring still absorbs most of the jerking force. WAW is at its best when it comes to dampening sudden stops and strong jolts.
- WAW has a progressive (= gradual) spring, which guarantees damping that gets stronger with the pull. When the dog jerks, WAW slowly stretches the rubber band and when the pull ends, it slowly returns to its shape.
- WAW's plastic alloy material does not lose its elasticity when used like rubber bands. So it's a sustainable choice!
- WAW does not absorb water, so it is light even when wet.
- WAW's "genius" can be seen in the fact that practically no attention is paid to its operation. You can clearly see the difference if you leave WAWin off for a while after using it: the jerks feel really unpleasant both for you and for the dog.
If a rubber band were to be used for the same sturdiness, the product would probably become very heavy, and gradual flexibility would not be possible.
How do the WAW Basic and WAW Sport models differ from each other?
WAW's development work has involved several top Italian sled dog sports. The Basic and Sport models differ only in terms of locking/unlocking, the operation is completely the same. In sled sports competitions (canicrossning, dog cycling, etc.), the cloth must not have metal parts on the athlete's end, so the Sport model is made without a lock. In addition to the Basic model, the Sport model is also perfect for everyday life.
The WAW Sport model has been used, for example, by Igor Tracz, the multiple World Championship winner in sledding, whose comments you can see here from the video . Competitors who use WAW Sport state that the feeling for the dog's movements is more accurate, and traditional rubber bands "eat" that feeling. With WAW e.g. cornering at high speed is more accurate. The lightness is also on the mind of many: you can connect a really light string to the WAW.
WAW is also a guy who uses flex, both in everyday life and when hiking
The risk of serious whiplash injuries increases as the length of the leash increases. With a reel leash, or a long leash, the dog can accelerate to a high speed, e.g. when seeing a hare, before the handler has time to react. When the length of the belt ends, the jerk is often very strong. WAW is therefore an excellent addition to even longer leashes.
When hiking with a dog and especially when moving with e.g. hiking skis, a convenient combination is a Canicross belt (e.g. Non-stop Loype Belt ), flexi and WAW. We recommend this combination especially when the dog needs to be on a leash, but you need more distance between you than a normal flexible leash allows.
So in summary
- WAW is suitable for dogs of all sizes (sizes XXS-XXL)
- WAW protects both the dog and the handler from sudden jerks
- WAW is light and unobtrusive
- WAW maintains control over the dog
- WAW is compatible with both normal belts and flexi
- WAW is durable and made in Europe!
Click here for WAW products: