Extendable dog leads - please please please stop using them

[violentovulation]

I am the owner of a large senior dog. He is always on lead, and wears a harness. He is not an XL bully before anyone asks, and I am always in control of him. He used to love saying hello to other dogs on our walks, and now he's an anxious mess because people can't be bothered to train their dogs due to them being small. There is an assortment of small shouty dogs in my area, chihuahuas, jack russells, pugs, daschunds, bichon style dogs, miniature schnauzers, westies, cross breeds of them all. Most of them are walked on those bloody extendable leads. These small horrors will yell at us from across the road when we are minding our own business. Then they try to come over the road and the owner inevitably has to yank them back because the lead doesn't retract properly, and in the event that we can't avoid walking on the same side of the road, my poor dog gets a faceful of angry ranty little shit because their owners think an extendable lead means they don't need to teach a dog recall, heel, and other calming techniques. I'm tired of telling people to control their dogs.

Do they have to attack a child before you'll give a shit, honestly? Or maybe your dog has to run out into the middle of the road and get hit by a car first? If any of this doesn't apply to you and your small dog, please scroll on and thank you for being a responsible dog owner.

I've lost all patience. truly. There is a house at the bottom of my road with three small dogs, one of which is a really nasty little shit. When they are walked, it's always out in front of everyone else yelling at anything that goes by. There's another family across the road with a chihuahua, and they all yell at each other from across the road, it's so noisy and initially I thought someone was hurting one of them. When I went to go and check things out, they were honestly just screaming at one another. Nobody ever does anything, you just have to listen to it until they run out of steam.

You have ZERO control over a dog on an extendable lead. ZERO. Train your fucking dogs. It might be your little bundle of joy, but you're failing them hard when you don't train them.

I'd like to see a ban on extendable leads, but I realise it probably won't happen. AIBU for wanting a ban on them? You can buy long leads to give dogs some room to run about in large spaces while they burn off some energy, but you still have more control over those because YOU control how far a dog goes on it.

I have changed the times I walk my dog to avoid times when there are more people around. I take him to different areas etc, but this nonsense still drives me up the wall. AIBU? Sorry for all the swearing, I'm just so frustrated. We went out at 6am this morning and it was so lovely and quiet. I don't expect quiet perfection, just people controlling their dogs. Thank you for reading my wordy rant.

That's ridiculous. I keep.mine on an extended lead (in parks, not on the streets) because of off lead dogs with no manners who chase and harass my dogs constantly.

The extended lead allows me to still have control of them but a little.more freedom to run/sniff.

I lost a dog, who was in the middle of recall training, because she was attacked by a dog. She went into panic mode and ran
I was with the trainer in the park!!
She ran straight through the park gates and I to the road and was hit.

THAT is why I will never let my dogs off lead, because other people have dogs that ate out of control

I don’t like them either. It’s a hazard to everyone including dogs in populated areas.

We use one, its never been a problem for us or for other dogs.
Its like anything else, a bad idea if used by idiots

Same here. I have a reactive rescue that can’t be off lead and an extendable gives him that little bit of freedom to go sniffing etc. I’ve used them forever (the tape variety, not the cord ones which are lethal tbf). However we’re rural so barely encounter anyone else anyway, and - the biggie here - I am NEVER not paying attention to him and the lead. That’s where I see accidents waiting to happen; dogs on extendables and owners on their phones or yapping to someone and not paying the slightest bit of attention to what their dog is actually doing.
As usual it’s not the lead or the dog in fact that are the issue, it’s the idiot owners.

Not always I have a very well trained Huskie, perfect recall, friendly, stops and sits when a child comes near her or passes her right up until she sees a squirrel at which point everything goes straight out the window as she just zones in on it and disappears after it ignoring everything else. I've tried everything training and behavior wise and all I'm told by vet dog trainers etc is that she has a very high prey drive and squirrels are the natural prey for her breed and there's nothing that can be done about it as its literally only squirrels she does this with, she has no interestin cats or the thousands of wild rabbits.
So if we are in any of the parks near us all of which have large squirrel populations she's on her extendible lead. That lead has saved many a squirrels life🐿

I know of two quite bad injuries caused by them when out of control dogs have caught people in them. I think the cord ones are worse than the ones that are flat if used recklessly.

I really hate them too. I've asked 2 owners to control their dog recently because they're walking along oblivious (usually looking at their phone) while their lead is on full extension and the dog is jumping up or snapping at my ankles.

They think because their dog is on a lead their job is done and they're free to ignore it.

I also hate it when they take up the whole path with their extended lead so no one can get past!

This

THANK YOU.

I worry about tripping over them when they are across the path

You can disagree all you like, but you’re wrong, and you don’t get to tell other people what they need or don’t need.
Flexi has been a godsend for my reactive rescue for reasons which I cba to explain here. But, I’m paying full attention to him at all times. And we’ve given a badly traumatised, beaten, starved, disease-ridden stray an extra 9 years and counting of a very comfortable life so frankly I couldn’t give a fuck if some internet random wants to make sweeping generalisations, or thinks I’m lazy or failing my dog.

👏👏👏

I agree with you. I’ve seen people let their dogs roam around off the side of the road on those stupid leads. They’ll have no idea if the dog has done a shite that they will then not pick up. I know it’s a mumsnet cliche but I literally hate dogs and their owners at this point

Don't stop using them
Use them correctly
Use them in the appropriate place.
I used one for years without an issue but I used it correctly in the right place. Never on the pavement.

That would involve seeing the bigger picture

It's the usual.
Irresponsible dog owners. It never used to be as bad as this.

Not normally a fan of extendable leads but found them very useful as our spaniel got old and would frequently stop or slow down. It allowed less pressure on my wrists and his neck. So I can see their benefits. However my dad believes dogs should be free spirits and choose their own walk adventure so likes an extendable lead for that and his dog roams like a radar ahead. Very irritating as you constantly feel like you're about to trip over her as she cannot stick to a side.

I can see both arguments!

Yes. I do use a secure dog field from time to time now. And i used to use them more often when she was younger.

And now - there are about 5 unsecured places where she can be safely off lead.

But, i will only let her off lead when i am on my own and can keep her engaged with me.

When i walk with my friend, and my attention might be diverted, extending lead lets her get her sniffs in without any stress of losing her.

Technically you are right. But my extending lead is causing no harm to anybody at all. I have never had a single complaint about it.

So, although i am happy to pay £12 a time now and again if i need a secure field to train, it just is not necessary when we can safely go anywhere disturbing nobody at all.

Nice.

Good for you. Use a field. They’re not expensive. And no need to swear, manners cost nothing.

Serious trip hazards, I loathe extending leads.

I think there's a problem with people generally not properly training their dogs, and a very specific problem of owners of small dogs thinking they don't need to even try because their dog is small.

DS used to watch animal videos on YouTube - some were funny, too many were just people laughing at a stressed, poorly or untrained small dog displaying behaviours that would be considered worrying in a large dog.

I had a nasty fall last week because of one. I was out running in my local park dog and owner were on the field next to path. Dog saw something and ran straight across path and I fell over the long extendable lead. Wrists now both sprained and gash on my cheek. It gave a me a terrible fright, owner gave a very half hearted apology but thankfully someone walking behind helped me up and over to sit on bench.

Always walk my dog in a long lead. She ignores other dogs. Rein her in if another dog is nearby, no issues here.Short lead on pavement.

For me the ban should be that dogs are never off lead in any places or parks other than private areas ( ie be middle of no where in farms you can hire )
If your a sensible
Owner who walks and is aware of your surroundings rather than on your phone , whilst having no clue where your dog is , then they are usually fine. Again it's the owners and the fact that people let their dogs off anywhere these days which I don't agree with .