Hey, I’m Andrea!
I’m a multi-certified dog trainer, behaviour educator, and the person behind For The Dogs.
I started studying canine development, behaviour, and health in 2020. The more I learned and the more dogs I worked with, the more I realized that my job wasn’t really about teaching dogs to behave. It was about helping people understand their dogs and give them what they need to feel safe, healthy, and fulfilled. That changed the way I thought about something as simple as a leash.
Dogs experience the world through movement, scent, exploration, and choice. But most leashes are six feet long, and much of the advice around walking dogs focuses on keeping them close and under control. I wanted something different.
So I started making leashes no shorter than eight feet. They’re made from durable BioThane and designed to give dogs more room to sniff, explore, move at their own pace, and actually be dogs on their walks.
It’s a small shift, but it reflects everything I believe about living with dogs: less control, more understanding. Less restraint, more freedom to be a dog.
Why 8 feet?
When people ask why I won’t make leashes shorter than 8 feet, the answer is simple:
Dogs need more room.
I’ve spent years as a trainer watching what happens when they don’t have enough of it. They pull. They become frustrated or reactive. They miss the parts of the walk that actually matter to them, and their people have a harder time seeing what their dog is communicating.
Made With Purpose
The leash is one of the main ways we stay connected to our dogs, so I believe it should support them, not work against them. I make each leash with the same care I bring to my training, prioritizing comfort, movement, and the wellbeing of the dog on the other end.
