I often get an idea of what to write about while going through life. Yesterday I took my dog Echo out to a forest preserve to walk. It was a weekday & he is not dog friendly so figured midday not many people or dogs. This is not usually a busy place as it is sorta in the country. Well the first dog we see is on a flexi leash or retractable leash. I asked them to stop & wait & moved Echo & myself off the trail & partly behind a tree as a barrier. I am 80% sure Echo is fear reactive, as he has been able to meet a few dog friendly dogs since I have had him & lived with his sister & always been with other dogs. I don’t know what the cause this, but I’m working on finding the right professional to work with us.
If you are not familiar with the term: flexi leash or retractable leash, these are leashes that have a plastic handle for the dog walker to hold & a cord that comes out of the handle by a spring & your dog can have freedom to roam up to 26 feet from you depending on how long the retractable Flexi leash is that you have. I will call it a flexi leash as it is shorter to write out, but the names are interchangeable in this post.
I have done a fair amount of research into these & have seen many used. Am I a fan? the answer is no. I will explain why & if you still want to use one I hope I can give you some tips to help. I have found the disadvantages of these leashes far out way the advantages.
Advantages:
1.Gives dog more freedom to explore, especially for those who like to potty without anyone or anything real close to them.
2.The handle may be more comfortable for some people’s hands.
3.Allows the dog walker to use an adjustable length in one leash depending on where they are walking city or country.
4.You can use it to practice recall with your dog, while your dog is as far away as the leash allows, then you can call them back to you.
Disadvantages:
1.Offers poor control, the dog is allowed to go up to 26 feet from you and no easy or quick way to get them close again fast.
2. Increased danger that a dog could dart into the street. I had a coworker years ago who went home at lunch & she saw a neighbor out walking her dog & that neighbor had stopped to talk to another neighbor near a corner & her dog ran around the corner on a flexi leash & into the street & was hit. Thank goodness it was a corner, so the driver was going slow & the dog was not killed.
3. Unexpected meetups are hard to control, but if a dog is on a flexi leash 20+ feet ahead, they can meet up with an aggressive or reactive dog & a fight could happen. Could meetup with a person that surprises or scares your dog & a bite could happen, or the person could be scared & kick or hit your dog, or could meet up with wildlife. On our walk yesterday I knew Echo smelled something, but I thought maybe a deer. Well about 200 feet away was a coyote that was at least as big as my 52 lb dog standing on a log that crosses a creek. We just looked at each other, but I wondered what if I was walking a 10 lb dog who was 26 feet in front of me. Would the coyote risk it to get my dog? The Coyote did not run off, it just shoot there & watched & we walked on. I love seeing nature in its habitat, so I felt blessed to see it.
4. Your dog could find old discarded moldy or a toxic item & eat it before you could get there & stop it.
5. The thin cords can cause injury if they get tangled around the dogs leg or neck, potentially causing bruising, burns, cuts, strangling, to amputation.
6. Injuries to humans from cuts to burns if it gets caught around your leg or another person walking with you.
7. Sudden jolt when reaches the end of the leash can cause neck injuries to your dog. If you still insist on using a flexi leash, please attach it to a harness not a collar to prevent this.
8. The built in mechanism can break leading to failure where the leash will no longer retract, leading to a total loss if control of the dog.
9. Potential injuries to the humans & dog walkers are: getting leg or hand tangled in the leash causing burns or cuts. Tripping over the leash by walker or another person walking past or with dog walker. & falling potentially causing injury. Muscle strain in arm or hand if leash comes to a sudden stop at end of leash length. This can also cause a whiplash effect & cause injury to the human or dog, sometimes even cause the dog walker to fall.
10. The handles of flexi leashes are bulky & can be easily dropped, especially if you’re stopping to pick up dog dodo or tie your shoe. This can also happen if the dog expectantly pulls & you have lighten your grip. If this happens & your dog may run off & into the street or after a person or animal, a number a bad things could happen. There is no extra grip like with a regular leash that you put around your wrist & hold with your hand also.
11. Flexi leashes reinforce pulling – the constant tension teaches pulling is acceptable, hindering loose leash walking training.
12. There are warning labels on the package when you buy a flexi/retractable leash. To me this probably was put there after multiple issues with these leashes causing injury to humans or pets. Pets are property in the US, so I’m guessing human injury.
13. The handle, & spool are plastic & they can break as can the spring & then the leash no longer works & you have no control. It is dangerous & you are warned not to grab the leash, but in this case you may have to, & then you could be injured if the dog pulls or darts.
14. The cord can snap. I adopted my dog Sam(photo above) in 2002 & he wasn’t a runner, so I decided to experiment with flexi leashes with him. There is an open area behind my house so we went out there & Sam loved to play fetch so I leashed him up to a flexi leash & threw a ball for him to fetch. He snapped 3 of them with little effort, he was about 60 lbs at the time. One broke at the connection of the handle, one at the hook & the other I can’t recall where it broke. If he had been a runner I may have lost my dog that day, or worse if he ran into a street. I was in rescue so these were leashes that were donated (at least 2 were brand new) & no other foster parent wanted them. I soon understood for sure why.
15. The cord can be hard to see & can become a tripping hazard for the dog walker, passersby or bike riders going by.
16. Fearful dogs are at risk because of the sound the leash makes or if it gets tangled or the handler drops it & the sound may cause them to run. If they hear the handle chasing them they may run farther, faster or into traffic.
If you still plan to use an flexi/retractable leash please:
1. Use the type with a wide cord(flat).
2. Use one that is no more than 10-15 feet long, so you have some control.
3. Only use on dogs that are small (under 25 lbs) & no risk of pulling you are pulling & breaking the leash.
4. Only use on dogs with a great recall & come when called in case you accidentally drop the leash or it gets tangled & breaks.
5. Only use in rural or not populated areas.
6. Only use in open areas so you can see all around & know what or who is around then your dog & you are safer.
7. Do not use with fearful or reactive dogs (can effect them psychologically if something happens & cause them to fear leashes or walking on a leash).
8. Attach the leash to a harness that doesn’t put pressure on the dog’s neck.
Our pets count on us to be educated & to do what is best for them. Everyone has their opinions, & doing research & using the common sense you have will help you decide what is best. Just because you always did something one way doesn’t mean there isn’t a better way to do something, keep & open mind & think what would you want if you were the dog at the other end of the leash. I published a post on leashes it is #46 & I did one on using a long line leash, which is # 72. Please check these out if you haven’t yet. You can find a list of all my published posts on my home page under the 3 lines in the upper left corner. Then you can scroll down on the main page to find the # of the ones you want to read.
Now that summer is behind us I hope to get back to publishing more posts. If you have any ideas of a topic please comment or email me. I write this blog to help educate & inform people on ways to better care for their pets. I want all pets to thrive & not just survive. I have had pets my whole life & fostered a variety of pets (hundreds)for 20+ years, so have a lot of experience to share. I have not always done things correctly, but I am always learning & researching. Please help me get the word out about my blog, you can do this by visiting often, sharing it on your social media platforms, liking a post, commenting on my posts, subscribing (you won’t get spam, just an email when I publish a new post). My goal is to reach all over the world to as many pet caregivers as I can & help more pets live a better life. If you want to contact me directly with a question or comment my email is echoinggreatpetcare@gmail.com
Thank you for reading & I look forward to reading your comments. Debbie
Echoing Great Pet Care 