WAW Sport flex

WAW Sport elastic dampens sudden jolts: it is designed for recreational and competitive use in harness sports, but is also very suitable for everyday outdoor activities.

WAW SPORT flex piece:

• It is intended for dog athletes both for everyday use and for recreational and competitive use in sledding sports
• Dampens sudden changes in the dog's speed
• Designed together with top Italian harness athletes
• Complies with the competition regulations of international sled dog sports federations. Suitable for e.g. for canicross, dog cycling and cart and sleigh driving.
• Very light, size L weighs only 36 grams.
• No metal parts at all
• Easy to connect directly to the dog's collar or harness with a light carabiner, e.g. Inlandis Mosqueton Airlink Carabiner or Non-stop dogwear CaniX Carabiner .
• Also very suitable for normal outdoor activities and camping with the dog.

What is WAW?

The WAW elastic protects both the dog and the handler from jerking and jerking injuries, while still enabling good control over the dog. WAWin has been found to absorb up to 40% of jerk force.

The WAW elastic is made of a very durable plastic alloy, which is why the feel is very different from looser elastics made of rubber bands: the sharpness of the jerks is reduced, but the control over the dog remains. The durability is also clearly better compared to the rubber band.

There are two models of WAW elastics: lockable WAW Basic (7 sizes) and non-lockable Sport (4 sizes).

What sets WAWin apart from other springs is its progressive spring, which guarantees damping that gets stronger with the pull. When the dog jerks, the WAW flexes slowly and when the pull stops, it slowly returns to its shape - without the yo-yo effect. WAW's materials withstand time and wear: so it does not lose its elasticity like rubber bands.

A dog often hides its pain. It does not mean that pulling on the leash or the dog rushing to the end of the leash does not cause the dog an unpleasant feeling, pain or different degrees of jams or injuries. Doctors have found that jolts cause micro-injuries to the dogs' necks and also expose the owner to joint injuries. WAW protects against these problems by dampening the jerk, gradually getting stronger, and preventing the excursion also during the recovery phase.

Even if your dog is a very calm sleeper, jerks cannot be avoided. All you have to do is walk forward normally and your dog will stop to sniff the ground without you noticing. The shock absorber is therefore useful for absolutely everyone!

WAW flexibility in everyday use

• Protects the dog from cervical spine injuries. With an inflexible harness, the risk of micro-injuries to the cervical spine caused by jolts is greater.
• Protects the wearer from sprains and joint injuries. Surprise jerks can lead to various wrist, shoulder, ankle and back injuries.
• Especially protects puppies during growth. The puppy's body is still in the development stage and walking on a leash can be full of tempo.

• Size selection for everyday use:
  See the size chart in the last product image. If your dog is relatively calm and on the border between two sizes, you should choose the smaller size. For example, the L size is still very suitable for a 35-kilogram dog with calm leash behavior. For small (under 15 kg) dogs, sizes can be found in the WAW Basic elastic .

WAW flexibility in harness racing

• Enables the dog's power and movements to be effectively transmitted to the dog: for example, in bends, the steering is thus more efficient
• Can also be used as a stiffer elastic in addition to the traditional elastic cloth
• Combined with a simple non-flexible string, it is best suited for more experienced enthusiasts or competitors.
• Size selection for pulling sports :
  The stiffness of WAW varies according to size, so the choice of size is influenced by the size, number and purpose of use of the dogs. There is a table in the product images to make it easier to choose the size. L size is usually used in one-dog pulling sports (for smaller dogs, e.g. under 15 kg, M size). In larger harnesses, e.g. 8 dogs, you can combine e.g. 2 XXL size WAWs, in a row or parallel. We are also happy to help you choose.

WAW durability

Each WAW size has been tested for endurance and stress tests (more than 100,000 jerks with 2-4 times stronger force than a dog can produce). WAW has been tested to work at temperatures from -10 to +50 degrees. Based on practical experience, the product has lasted well even in Finnish winters.

WAW Sport attachment

WAW Sport has strong webbing loops at both ends. You can attach e.g. a harness or a belt lock directly to the webbing loops. You can add a light carabiner lock of your choice to the end of the dog's harness/collar. For example, the Non-stop CaniX Belt Carabiner or the slightly larger Axaeco Twistlock Carabiner are popular options. The locked model WAW Basic is also suitable for everyday use, which also has sizes for small dogs.

Physical size of WAW Sport

Lengths (unstretched) and weights including ribbon loops:

• M: 27 cm, weight 33 g
• L: 27 cm, weight 36 g
• XL: 30 cm, weight 50 g
• XXL: 33 cm, weight 72 g

Experiences from WAW

In the video, watch the experiences of multiple world champion in sledding Igor Tracz from WAW Sport.

You can read more about the differences between WAW and traditional rubber bands in our blog article .