How to Make A Minecraft Lead & Use It + Pros & Cons

In Minecraft, just as in real life, you can keep pets. Taking them for a walk is fun, but the Minecraft world isn’t as friendly as reality for animals. Hostile mobs don’t discriminate between defenceless creatures and your armed character. That’s why a lead is handy.

What is a Lead?

A lead in Minecraft is a leash used to attach animals, some monsters, and most “passive“ mobs to a fence or a wall (Bedrock Edition only). This lets your companion stay safe while you deal with threats or obstacles that could pose a danger.

Who Can I Use a Lead On?

You can use a lead on the following creatures:

In Bedrock Edition, you can use a lead to tie a boat to a fence or wall.

The Salient Features and Limitations of a Lead

A lead isn’t very durable and has several limitations to be aware of:

1. A lead has a maximum length of 10 blocks, but mobs usually stay within 5 blocks.
2. If the mob dies, the lead stays intact.
3. Leads break if a mob moves rapidly in the opposite direction.
4. Using the “use item” control on a mob breaks the lead. It’s usually right-click on PC, tapping on mobile, or the left trigger on consoles (LT on Xbox, L2 on PlayStation, ZL on Nintendo Switch).
5. Breaking the fence, hitting the lead knot, or damaging it with a projectile will break the lead.
   

   

6. Leads can be used on attacking mobs without breaking.
7. Multiple leads can connect to one fence, but they all break if the fence is destroyed.
8. Angry wolves can’t be leashed.
9. Mobs that can despawn will do so even if they’re leashed.
10. If a leashed mob enters a nether portal without the player, the lead will break and drop in the other dimension.
11. A hoglin transforming into a zoglin will break the lead.
12. A leashed mob can be removed from a boat using the lead without destroying the boat.

Where Can I Get a Lead?

A lead is an uncommon item, but it can be found in three ways:

1. 1. Chest Loot

1. 1. Wandering Traders

1. 1. Crafting

Let’s discuss each of these sources in detail.

1. Chest Loot

Chests are sources of rare and uncommon items in Minecraft, including leads. For trail ruins, search for suspicious gravel instead of chests. Here are the locations and drop rates for leads in Java Edition:

In Bedrock Edition, there’s an additional source, making it easier to find a lead, with a chance of dropping up to 3 leads.

2. Wandering Traders

Wandering traders are randomly spawned mobs with 2 trader llamas. They don’t sell leads, but you can obtain leads from them by doing any of the following:

1. 1. Kill the trader

1. 1. Kill the llamas

1. 1. Drag llamas apart

1. 1. Place the llamas in a boat or minecart.

3. Crafting

This method is popular for Minecraft players. You can stockpile materials and craft leads whenever needed. Here’s what you’ll need:

1. 1. 4 Strings

1. 1. A Slimeball

Here’s how to gather these components:

1. String

The string is a common item that can’t be crafted. There are several ways to get it. You might find some while hunting for leads. The easiest way is to kill spiders or cave spiders. Breaking cobwebs also yields strings.

2. Slimeball

Slimeballs can be a bit tricky to get. The most reliable way is to go underground or into a swamp biome and kill slimes. Slimes are block-shaped hostile mobs that spawn below Y level 40 or between Y levels 51-69 at light levels below 7.

A wandering trader might offer a slimeball for 4 emeralds, although this is rare.

↪ Crafting the lead

Once you have the materials, follow this recipe on your Crafting Table to make the lead.

Using the Lead

Using a lead is simple. Follow these steps:

1. Equip the lead from your inventory.
   

   

2. Use it on the creature you want to leash.
   

   

3. A rope will tie to the creature. Gently lead it to where you want it tied. Remember, the lead’s range is 10 blocks.
   

   

4. Use the lead on a fence post to tie down the creature. In Bedrock Edition, you can also tie it to a wall, but the lead must be in your main hand.