Extendable dog leads

They're extremely dangerous and give zero control over a dog. I wish they were banned!
I work with animals and I immediately pop a slip lead on dogs that are brought in on a retractable lead.
Just Google retractable lead injuries and you'll see. A woman actually died after her dogs strangled her with them.

I use one for my dog because she's deaf and I can't let her off, so it's the only way she can have a wander round really. But I keep it short if there's other people/dogs around, and if there's joggers or cyclists, and if we're by the road.

Yanbu. I had to walk a dog with one once, total headache and I ended up keeping it short after about 5 mins. Next day I swapped back to a fixed lead so I had control.

I don't like them as a pedestrian, runner or driver either. Don't trust daft owners and daft dogs to not suddenly step in front of me. I'm sure they're great for the middle of an empty playing field, but not for footpaths.

They are like anything, used incorrectly it will cause issues. I use a ribbon style one on my dog who is 5kg. It's short by roads, I keep an eye out for hazards and will call my dog back if I see anything so it can be shortened. My dog doesn't run off to other dogs or people so no getting wrapped around others. All my leads, collars and harnesses get tested regularly. It's worked well for us for the last 10 years so I'll carry on using one.

They are dangerous in my opinion. For all reasons listed by others above. No control & usually used by the same people, who shout at you from 20 foot away that their out of control pooch only wants to play. When they are in fact aggressive little shits who have no idea how to be a dog, which is not the dogs fault. I blame COVID to an extent & people who should never have got a dog. Christ knows how they parent actual children of that's how they let a dog behave. Sorry rant over, have been on recieving end of those stupid bloody leads many times.

I dislike them, and have never used one

I would ban all those where the cord is metal (degloving injuries are horrible, and if the dog on the lead is prancing round, could be inflicted on 3rd parties not just the dog and the owner who chose the dangerous type).

The Highway Code also says that dogs should be kept on a short lead along roads and on paths shared with horse riders or cyclists (rule 56).

https://www.bluecross.org.uk/advice/dog/wellbeing-and-care/dog-laws-uk#anchor3

But many dog owners appear to be unaware of this law, just like picking up after their dogs and keeping them under control in public places.

My mum had a terrible injury from the cord, her dog dragged her along the road and it got tighter and tighter wrapped around her hand and cut her hand down to the bone. They’re definitely a danger

Exact thing happened to me this summer.
Driving along a seafront road, thankfully slowly, man not using the extending lead properly, ie not locked on. Dog went out into the road in front of my car.
Dog ok as I stood on the brakes fast. No acknowledgment from the owner but I arrived shaky and a bit sick at my friend’s house thinking what could have happened.
There seem to be a lot of dense dog owners since Covid.

I’m not overly keen on them for the same reasons you mention.
I had one for my Lab but I found it was always on the shortest length to keep him to heel.
We bought it thinking it would give him more freedom in open spaces while being able to recall him (ie on a beach when his listening ears would always fail 🙈) but as you say it just got tangled all the time and I was worried about jolting him. It was never the same to him as being let off so I reverted to an ordinary lead on a body harness and obviously as he got older his recall improved. He was still a sucker for a dead seagull but as I say, he was a Lab ❤️

They’re awful.

I’ve had one wrapped around my legs by a dog which was completely out of control. Suffered quite nasty injuries.

My brother came off his bike when a dog in an extendable lead cut across the cycle lane.

I use a longline to train my young dogs which is very different. I either have a consistent tension, letting the dog out a few metres and then gathering it in, or I let the line run loose on the ground so I can stand on it if he attempts to bugger off. It’s a thick lunge line with knots tied in it, as opposed to a thin wire.

I hate them and don’t have them for my dogs. My relative has one for their dog but if I walk the dog, as I did today, I use one of my leads. The leads I use are normal length but with a handle lower down which effectively shortens the lead for walking on streets or the when I want my dog close by ie busy places, other dogs etc.