I use the animal backpacks attached to my wrists at all times. I will not take any chances because we walk down busy city streets and one time a little boy dashed the wrong way all of a sudden. If he hadn't been attached to my wrist I would be in the insane asylum right now from watching him be killed. I take NO chances. By the way, I call them my TODDLER RESTRAINT SYSTEMS, not leashes and I don't care what people think. I start children practicing before the age of 2 and right now I have a 17 months old peanut, he's so tiny, practicing to walk 1/2 a block to strengthen his legs and get used to the process.