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Best retractable lead?

28 replies

Jungfraujoch · 21/05/2016 17:38

Don't want to,waste my money - recommendations please?

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juneau · 21/05/2016 17:42

These are very dangerous for dogs. Google 'dangers of retractable dog leads' and you'll see what I mean.

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SavoyCabbage · 21/05/2016 17:44

We got a tape one rather than a cord one when we brought our rescue dog home. We didn't want to let her off the lead when we were out but she wanted to explore everything. They are not good for ordinary walking around the streets though. We got the longest length which was 5m.

She bit through it almost immediately and a friend loaned us a lunge lead for horses which was much more sturdy. We used an ordinary lead till we got to the park then swapped.

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LetThereBeCupcakes · 21/05/2016 17:46

Lunge line or I think they call them Training Lines in places like P@H.

Juneau dangerous to people too! You can still vaguely see the scars on my fingers from the rope burn! Shock

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SnoopDoggyDogg · 21/05/2016 17:50

Tape one is better than rope, I got a couple on offer in PAH. I only use them if I know I'm going straight to the park and not along many roads and I want my dogs to have some freedom but I can't let them off eg. when it's busy and there's cricket/rugby matches on.

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Jungfraujoch · 21/05/2016 18:55

Thanks. New rescue dog - 2 weeks - so not off normal lead yet. Thought it would be useful in park to practise recall etc?

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pigsDOfly · 21/05/2016 19:02

Flexi is a good make. I use it when I don't want to let my dog off the lead for safety reasons but want to give her the freedom to explore. As pp said they can cause problems if not used sensibly around other people.

Tape is much better than cord and never use them with a collar only with a harness otherwise you could be in danger of seriously harming your dog's throat.

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SexLubeAndAFishSlice · 21/05/2016 19:05

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

pigsDOfly · 21/05/2016 19:06

Just to add a long training lead is better for recall practice. I bought a very long one when my dog was in her adolescent period and decided that she was just too cool for recall:) You can leave a long lead trailing, which you can't do with a retractable lead obviously.

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Jungfraujoch · 21/05/2016 19:23

Have to say before we got our dog I was never a fan of them - some people just seem to let the dog wander way off paying no,attention to what they're doing or who may come a cropper on the lead!

I'll investigate a long training lead I think. Thanks for all the input.

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LetThereBeCupcakes · 21/05/2016 20:43

Congratulations on your new rescue, btw! Does he have any specific recall problems or is it just whilst he settles in?

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Jungfraujoch · 21/05/2016 20:54

It's just while he settles in really, I'm about 95% confident! He's a little nervy around men so I worry he could get spooked in the park!

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LetThereBeCupcakes · 21/05/2016 21:00

If you're a bit worried he might spook and do a runner I'd definitely avoid a retractable. They're Ok for old, plodding dogs that don't really get speed up, but a dog trying to bolt on one is not a good thing! Especially if it's a larger breed with some weight behind them (see previous comment about rope burns!).

Training Lines are great, and you can build up what you do gradually. And reel them in!

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Jungfraujoch · 21/05/2016 21:13

Thanks for that - training line it is then - any recommendations?!

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Whippet81 · 22/05/2016 06:06

Yep - one that's in the bin. I nearly ran over a spaniel last week that ran into the road whilst his owner was locking the front door.

Being horsey I always used a horse lunge line - if we go on a walk now I clip to leads together and put him back on to one for roads etc - I have a greyhound who is never going to recall though.

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MothershipG · 22/05/2016 06:15

Having had a dog who's been on and off a training line most of her life I would recommend looking on eBay. Loads to choose from on there.

Depending on the size of the dog get the lightest weight you can safely get away with, you don't need one that's strong enough to hold a horse!

Get a non absorbent one so it doesn't soak up the water on wet days.

If you use it as a trailing line tie some knots in it so you can step on it and it doesn't just run under your foot.

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LetThereBeCupcakes · 22/05/2016 06:18

We got ours at a bootsale so no idea of brand afraid! I prefer one that doesn't have a loop at the end as it can snag on things, and a strong clip.

Tbh we've used strong cord with a carabiner tied on (you need to be good at knots!) at a push, but unless you've got good cord lying around its probably just as cheap to buy a proper line.

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Whippet81 · 22/05/2016 06:54

Mothership why the dog at me? I never said she needed one strong enough for a horse just that I use a lunge line as I have quite a few so wouldn't know what lead to advise.

I've been off Mumsnet for over 6 months because of this passive aggressive nonsense.

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SexLubeAndAFishSlice · 22/05/2016 08:43

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

LilCamper · 22/05/2016 10:40

If you use a long line, never attach it to a collar. Always use a harness.

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MothershipG · 22/05/2016 11:01

Definitely no dig intended Whippet! And apologies if I wasn't clear.

I was just trying to say get the lightest line you can according to size of dog! I've had to carry one for most of the past ten years, so just trying to make the OP's life easier!

Happy to report that at 10 my Mini Schnauzer finally seems to be a bit better and is off her trailing line! At the end we were just using a puppy house line. But she's lulled me into a false sense of security before... 😊

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HarrietSchulenberg · 22/05/2016 11:21

I have a flexi lead for my 26kg lurcher and have no issues with it at all with. But, you do have to be sensible about where and when you let it extend. I tend to walk my hound when it's quiet as he's nervous, and he's a hedge/wall/fence surfer so sticks his nose to the nearest vertical surface rather than trotting all over the place. I can let it out to its 5m extension as long as there's no other dogs or bikes around, and in fields. His recall is ok when he's on the flexi lead but awful when he's off it.

The only hiccup I've had was one icy December night when he took off after a cat at the exact moment that I slipped on the ice. I landed on my arse and he towed me 20m down the street in hot pursuit until he realised something was amiss and stopped inhis tracks. We must have looked like a cut-price dog-sled team.

If you get one, make sure you get the right one for your dog's weight (go higher rather than lower if he's borderline).

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LetThereBeCupcakes · 22/05/2016 11:26

Sorry Harriet buy I did Grin at your cut price sledding! Hope you weren't hurt.

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LimeJellyHead · 22/05/2016 12:40

Retractable leads are a god send if used correctly. I use a cord one for my skinny little old girl who doesn't go far but for our terriers we have always used the Flexi tape ones. I highly recommend them. Fantastic pieces of kit www.dfordog.co.uk/flexi-vario-tape-retractable-dog-lead.html

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HarrietSchulenberg · 22/05/2016 16:32

I wasn't hurt, Cupcakes, as I had a long, nylon, arse-covering coat that nicely skimmed me along the sheet ice on the pavement. It actually made me chortle to myself once I'd recovered my dignity.

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Noitsnotteatimeyet · 22/05/2016 19:02

I had a run-in with a retractable lead just now - a woman walking a beagle on a retractable lead was walking towards us - as her dog was on the lead I called my dog to heel

I didn't expect her then to let her dog lunge towards mine, at which my dog goes to hide behind my legs (as he's a) the workd's biggest wuss and b) hates dogs he doesn't know getting in his face).

The owner starts twittering on about how her dog is 'only being friendly' while said dog starts chasing mine around my legs, wrapping the cheese wire-like cord around my legs - it bloody hurt but she said she couldn't let go as her dog wouldn't come back Angry

I told her her lead was lethal and she countered by telling me that my (completely under control) dog should be kept on the lead too


Arrrhghhh

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