In recent years kangaroo leather leads have become extremely popular in the dog show circuit because of their strength, durability, and beauty but the history of braiding with kangaroo leather goes back much further.

"Leather braiding was highly developed in Australia in whipmaking shops. The Craft was carried to Australia by thongmakers trained in England, who were fimiliar with the thongs used on the finely braided carriage whips. Kangaroo leather, one of the finest leathers available for braiding, provided the material for high-quality work. A large and discriminating market supported many shops, large and small. Competitive conditions provided incentive for the refinement of techniques. New techniques, particularly those developed in the large shops, were quickly recognized and adopted throughout the trade. While whipmaking is no longer a major trade in Australia, it is still carried on, and the techniques developed in more harshly competitive times are still used or remembered." (David W. Morgan, Braiding Fine Leather: Techniques of the Australian Whipmakers [Centreville, Maryland: Cornell Maritime Press, Inc., 2002], x)