Extendable dog leads

[CandidaAlbicans2]

Due to their popularity I suspect most people will say I'm being unreasonable to dislike extendable dog leads but here are my issues:

When they're used near roads, unless the user has them short the dog can easily go into the road. It's as though owners think they have control because their dog's on the lead but in reality... I'm extra cautious driving past a dog on a flexi lead for this reason.

Similarly, when used long on pavements the dog can go around a corner way ahead of its owner and straight into a pedestrian or another dog (I've been in the receiving end of inattentive owners with their dogs on long flexi leads a few times!)

They easily get wrapped around people and other dogs and are difficult to use safely. The thin cord can cause nasty injuries

Using a long line for teaching recall, or allowing a dog with poor recall some freedom, is better IMHO.

The constant tension on the lead isn't ideal from a dog training view point apparently (which I can understand)

What do you reckon?

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.

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’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 ❤️

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.

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

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 think they probably have a place for a person with a small dog who wants to have a sniff about when nowhere near roads if the dogs recall can’t be trusted.

They’re a reckless choice for most dogs/ walking situations.

They should be banned. You have no control over the dog and if you forget to lock it the dog can go 20+ feet in any direction.

Like the woman I saw walking down my narrow village street this week - right next to a fast road.

Normally used by people who don't know much about d oh ha and just buy what's in the key shop.

Which is why they should banned.

I use a long line which I have total control over and can let in and out. Only use in open spaces when I'm teaching recall.

Yes it gets muddy, yes I have to activity pay attention to what the dog is doing - that's the point.

They're a pain in the ass.
The only time I feel their use is acceptable is in wide open spaces if the dog can't be off lead for some reason but also isn't prone to legging it (nasty injuries from cords), providing the space isn't busy with other dogs or people.
They should NOT be used near roads, busy areas, or urban areas.
I've lost count of the amount of situations I've dealt with where a dog has been poorly managed because it was on an unlocked flexilead.

Like anything its not the lead thats the problem.
Used by responsible owners and well trained dogs they are fine. DDog has one but he rarely needs to be on lead anyway and we just haven't replaced his old extendable one that we used to use to let him have a wander when his recall wasn't as good

I use them and I’ve never encountered anything that been mentioned on here. They’re great for my dog

@PinotPony I used a long line like yours too when I was training recall to my dogs.

@Allthehorsesintheworld oh my god! 😮It’s mind boggling how oblivious some people are. I see it so much with these leads. My fave is a local young lady who regularly walks her dog on one, nice and long along the pavement whilst she’s wearing headphones with her head buried in her phone. Totally oblivious to the world around her or that her dog has nearly tripped me over on more than one occasion! 🙄

@Imperrysmum that’s horrific! 😮How is she now?

@Bunniemalone oh yes, those “he’s friendly” owners who have no control and seemingly no idea about dog behaviour or training 🙄
From what I’ve seen there does seem to be a link between those types of owners and those who use extendable leads. Funny how dog trainers, from what I’ve observed, don’t use extendable leads.

Extending dog leads drive me mad. Loads of people walk their dogs on our local cycle path and I'm forever trying to figure out which dog is attached to which human. I've been chased by off the lead dogs a few times but I honestly think I prefer that to the situation where the dog is still not under control but also has a mobile trip wire attached to it. Not that I blame the dogs, it's usually dopey owners who are on their phones and have earphones in who are the issue, as they are oblivious to what their dog is doing and to the rest of the environment.

All of those examples are down to the human on the end of the lead rather than the lead itself

Most of my walks are with a short, non-extending lead which I hold slightly behind me so that my dog cannot cross in front of me and, if she wants to change sides, has to go behind me. Her walking etiquette is excellent, and we're always walking to the beach/park where she is off lead with excellent recall.

However, our last walk of an evening (8pm ish) is a street/pavement walk where we use an extending lead. She likes to mosy and sniff on this walk and it lets her have a little more freedom. If we see anyone ahead she has to come back to my side and I shorten it to pass.

I think, like most things, it's how and with the degree of common sense in which they're used that makes the difference.

I hate them. My friend uses one with her 30kg boxer and has no control....she didn't see the issue when I shrieked as dog, on length went round me and was about to cross in front thereby would have pulled me over with the line or cut into my legs.
I've had dogs on extension go for my dog because owner not close enough to realise what's going on.
Honestly I'd ban them.

I nearly ran over a dog that ran into the road on an extendable lead the other day. I’d seen it messing around so slowed right down and was able to avoid it. The owner wasn’t bothered, but I would have been the villain if it had been injured.

I am still only seeing issues caused by idiot owners not the actual lead.
I suppose it could be argued that the leads enable people to be bad owners but they would probably manage to do that with any lead

Used one for 17 years with no probs, and use one now for a dog I look after. Never had any issues. You have to stay alert to hazards to your dog and other dogs and people. In other words, engage in the walk and not be on your phone.