We didn’t know much about Winston’s past when he arrived from Hungary, only that he was calm, affectionate, and ever so slightly complicated. He had a love of adventure that sometimes looked a lot like a talent for escape. He’d find any gap in any fence and vanish, leaving us teary-eyed and panicked as we hunted him down.

We worked on his recall at the beach, but the second he spotted a seagull, he was off. Eventually, trust began to build. Now and then, we’d drop the lead to let him sniff around. That small freedom, the lead trailing behind him, gave him the confidence of independence, while giving us a safety net if things got out of hand.

The problem? The leads never kept up. They’d collect sand like magnets. The lobster clasps would jam. Another lead in the bin.

So we made our own.

We borrowed spring bars from equine hardware and designed a lead that adjusted in a flash, from city walks to open roaming. Something that could handle the mess, the sea air, and the unexpected.

HOUNDED was born. And Winston, our laid-back escape artist, is now free to roam the beaches of North Devon, while we hold on to a little peace of mind, knowing our gear won’t let us down.