To put a dog lead on the baby?

[WhiteTrash]

A friend of mine took her (then) toddler to a festival, he was just walking so had reins on him, and attached to that, a retractable dog lead. It meant he had a little freedom but stayed safe and she could sit with her friends.

We've booked a short camping trip, the baby will most likely be walking by then and Im not sure if all babies do this but our first, once he started walking would literally aim for the horizon and just go. Over and over again. No amount of distraction would prevent it. It lasted 5 or so months and he was a bit easier. Im assuming DS2 will be the same, and we'd love to sit on the beach have picnics etc.

Anyway when my friend told me what she did, I thought it was a genuis idea. But apparently, she said people hurled abuse at her for it so clearly not everyone agrees that its a good idea.

IS it unreasonable? Totally prepared to be flamed. But I figured Id ask her first then have abuse hurled at me on the beach.

Blimey wilde have you got sunstroke or something? Why the bitching?

Actually for what it's worth I think reins would be ok, but extendable lead wouldn't, for practical reasons and because it gives a false sense of security -
Just because you are connected to your child by a lead doesn't mean it's safe for them to bolt off far away from you they could still - trip over, have time to pick up some dog poo and smear it on themselves, somehow wriggle out of lead and then get totally out of sight.

Then you have the whole scenario of toddler bolting then suddely jerking the lead to stop them, slightly undignified for the toddler and bound to cause a tantrum.

Even at a festival I can imagine there could still be delivery vans, ambulances, someone on a bike, a big dog chasing a ball, plent of things that could knock a small child with no sense of danger over.

My little one loved the rein that ties to the wrist, she happily toddled alongside me when out and about in town for a good couple of months when she first started walking.

But it wasn't needed in parks and open spaces as long as someone was on 'bolting' duty.

My reins i bought in boots, and tehy clip on one each side, so when in the park or what not and he can have a little more freedo,. i just unclip one side so he can run around with more freedom, it gives him a sense of freedom but enough so mummy still has control!

How about a lunge rein? It is long and thick :o (i have considered this for my children)

I had friends who lived on a houseboat, they used to tie a rope to the back of their dd's harness and the other to one of these incredibly heavy (a grown man would struggle to pick up) weights so that when playing on the bank she couldn't go near the water (yes she was supervised) genius :o

I've only pointed out they're dangerous, why you would still do it knowing the dangers is your business.

I'm sure op will do it, people will raise an eyebrow and nothing will happen and she can justify that it was ok.

Dog cage, play pen. Same thing really.

I just read the instuctions on one of our flexi leashes. It says in bold letters, "Avoid using near young children." It doesn't, however, say "Avoid using ON young children."

I still think it's a horrible idea though

:) so are you going to do it op?

she's doing something potentially dangerous to save herself movement = lazy

Im not sure. Probably, yes.

And pp youre right, pointing out a danger is totally different from accusing me of being lazy.

So, is putting the baby in the buggy while we eat lazy? Or in a travel play pen?

YANBU to use reins (I use them), but you are mad to use a retractable dog lead on your dc. They are dangerous, for that reason I wouldn't use them on my dogs; no way would I let the dcs near one.

Please buy reins or a wrist strap - they cost next to nothing and are designed for this purpose.

I rolled out of bed at 1pm, perhaps I've been a bit sarcastic. Buggy and playpen are designed for babies, if they were in there all day then that would be lazy, just for you to eat then no. Put him in his buggy, eat your sausage roll, then run after him for the rest of the day :)

I think its a really good idea and I wish I thought of it. I have a bolter and dd3 is an expert at wriggling out of her buggy straps, honestly it doesn't matter how tight I do the straps or cross them over she can silently and very quickly wriggle out of them. She is small and nimble and crafty.

I've got reins and a dog lead, im giving it a go!

Quite a few dog owners I know won't use extendable leads on dogs because of the risk of friction burns if wrapped around a leg. Having grabbed one myself I can tell you it bloody hurts.

They are quite thin but extremely strong and i'd worry that a child could get themselves in a really painful tangle, if not worse.

Reins are probably short for a number of reasons, one of which would be the risk of strangulation.

I did this with my DS, it meant he had a lot more freedom than reins gave, so he was happy and I didn't have to keep abandoning the pushchair to chase after him when he suddenly made a bolt for freedom. He's 15 now and not the least bit scarred by me using it.

FGS, don't do this please (for the reasons stifnstav has listed)

DS was a bolter. He hated to hold hands although he would sit in his pushchair quite happily in busy places. He HATED reins and could take them off with wriggling and squiggling no matter how tight they were. He tolerated a back pack and I used to add a non retractable dog lead to lengthen his ranging distance in certain circumstance. Mostly I just used to run after him a lot! I did try a wrist strap but he took it off, handed it back and told me "I am NOT a dog mummee" (he was an early talker)

I think a retractable dog lead would be unsafe and wouldn't use one myself.

Agree with using reins, perhaps with a non-extending lead or strap attached to make them a little bit longer. Wouldn't use an extendable lead for various safety reasons.

I have used reins/wrist straps myself. They saved me no end of tantrums/dead DC. I see people sometimes walking to school with their toddlers out of control near the road and cannot understand why they either don't put the toddler in the buggy or on reins. Some DC can wriggle out of handholding quite easily or you can hurt them, trying to stop them getting out of your grasp.

In short, OP, use reins, but please don't use an extending lead of any kind.

YANBU.

I think its a cracking idea.

I have a bolter and she is lightning fast. By the time she has made a break I find it extremely hard to catch her. She is 15 months and I struggle now. Goodness knows what it will be like in a year. I've ordered reins online not because of laziness but because of terror. If she bolts near something dangerous or in a crowd... I don't want to strap her in her buggy because I like her adventurous spirit and it means she is getting lots of exercise.

Still, I think the retractable lead sounds dangerous.

I can't quite see why you're getting so much flak. Presumably you're planning to use the lead as a rein extension, not have DS running away to the distance on a mile of rope. No different from having a longer reins lead, really - and I do think that's a great idea! Quick, someone, invent a reins/rucksack jobbie with locking extensible strap

In all my dog-walking years, I've never had a dog run away where I can't see it or endangered others with yards of lead. You're supposed to use the retracting function intelligently. And I'm sure you will, OP :) Happy holiday!

Arf at 'playpen is designed for babies so OK'. It's a square of bars.

The only person I know who is snotty about reins insisted her toddler hold her hand instead. Given the choice, I imagine the child would rather not have held his arm practically above his head for long periods - which of us would.

I would add (to the Dragons Den blueprint) a little pennant flag on a flexible pole, stuck to the backpack (the one with the retractable lead - keep up). Like the ones you see on American Chopper bikes? It'd be great for crowds.