Is a retractable lead the universal sign for foolish dog owners?

[MrsJoeHart]

I appreciate I'm generalising, so probably being unreasonable it just seems to me that every time I encounter a foolish dog own they're using a retractable lead.

I don't know but they're awkward to use, I find. Perhaps the uncoordinated people have standard leads?

I use

Yes!!

Having recently seen a finger nearly amputated by one I have to agree.

I don't use a retractable lead but doubt they are a failsafe indicator of rubbish dog owner

I use one and I'm clearly not co-ordinated because I couldn't even post that, rofl.

I use it where you'd usually have a dog off lead and swap it for his normal one to pass people.

I do meet people who seem to just not use it though...as if having a dog attached even if you don't bother to actually control either the dog or the lead is somehow better than just having a dog off lead?

what is a foolish dog owner???

I use a retractable lead but wouldn't class myself as foolish

Hmmm, I have one and couldn't take permadog out without it as she has little or no recall and is a terrible 'puller' (we are working on this). At least she gets to wander off and sniff around a little, where it is safe.

Can you elaborate as to why it is an indication of a foolish dog owner?

I don't know, but it's very funny watching people franticly winding them in as you drive past them on our narrow lane.

Although my favourite is the golden retriever who is walked off the lead. He was beautifully trained to sit when he heard a car. Unfortunately he used to sit in the middle of the road!

There has obviously been some retraining, because now he sits by his master at the edge.

What examples makes you say that op?

I use a retractable lead so my dog can have a little more freedom to have a sniff about but I don't feel comfortable letting him off (mostly if there's loads of other dogs about or there's a possibility of a cat/squirrel he'd chase - greyhound so I wouldn't stand a chance of catching him)

I think that's more responsible than letting him off lead in a place that might cause an issue, but makes for a nicer walk for him

We used to have a dog which had poor recall and had a habit of disappearing across the fields. We used a retractable lead so he could have a run about without escaping. It took us a very long time to realise that the reason for his poor recall was that he was virtually deaf.

I hate retractable leads personally, my mum used one all the time but she had a jack russell that would have never come back if you didn't.
Have seen lots of injuries from them.
We have a white shepherd and we walk him on a long training lead and a short clip on hand grip for road walking but thats cos he's 12 and he's gone deaf. He always used to be good on voice command we could get him in a down stay from half a football pitch away but not now. Glad we also used hand signals with him from a puppy so he still does what he's told but only if he is watching you.

I've only ever used a retractable lead, never had any problems whatsoever.

My dog is trained though and has good recall.

I know what the op is getting at though. In the hands of the ignorant they are a bloody death trap. I've seen someone get tripped up by one and I also heard about a dog running into the road before it's owner could get it under control.

It must be handy to be able to let your dog have a run about in safety but you need to know what you're doing.

I wouldn't let the dog have free roam on the retractable lead on a busy road, only in the park or woods when it's instead of letting him off lead completely

Yes.

I nipped out earlier to the 24 chemist, it's dark and rainy and tripped over a small/medium sized dog on a retractable lead. The dog was some way in front of its owner walking along a pavement and was allowed to dictate where it wanted to go, so even though I was walking on my side of the pavement in a straight line it just walked right under my feet.

What's to stop that dog to walk out onto the road?

I understand the use of them with a dog with poor recall etc in a park or field. I regularly see a woman with a large Akita using one because the dog turns nasty with other dogs and this way it's gets a bit of freedom, which makes sense.

However the occasions that I encounter dog owners who have badly or even untrained dogs they're nearly always holding a retractable lead. The people whose dogs are walking them, not vica vers, the ones who allow their dogs to approach other dogs on lead, the ones who panic and pick up their dogs because another dog is nearby and the ones who don't pick up poo.

I did say I was generalising, I don't think all retractable leader owner are foolish, but I do think a lot of foolish dog owners are the retractable lead lot. BTw I went to puppy classes and have had one to one dog training sessions and neither would allow retractable leads.

I use a retractable when my bitch is in heat.

Other than that we only use a lead when on the bus

Just this morning I witnessed a dog attempt to hurl itself under my wheels whilst on a retractable lead, fortunately my habit of having my foot hovering over the brake when I pass 'untethered' small children or dogs who are on long/retractable leads and pulling saved him.

My training class ban them due to the number of owner injuries they have seen and recommend a long line for dogs whose recall is poor.

Used responsibly by someone that can operate them properly they are useful - I've used them on 3 dogs in the past - and never tripped anyone up because the dogs were always back at heel to pass someone - and of course they were on short lengths for road walking. We don't use one now as our dog can get up to about 40mph in 3 secs so could easily break the lead or worse if she started accelerating from behind and then overtook. However, people that let their dogs wander around on a long lead near other walkers or dogs are irresponsible - I got a rope burn from someone that let their spaniel tie me up.

It depends how you use retractable leads. I use them for dogs that can't be let off the lead because of recall issues to give them a bit more space to explore but still keep them near when necessary. It is very important to keep the lead locked on a short setting near a busy road or other risks and not to grab the lead, which can cause injury.

I do actually get your point, the idea is to use it as a short leash in places where incidents can happen, ie, I set it very short and on the brake on pavements, near roads, going round corners etc. I literally use it for field walking and green areas away from roads.

Slightly high-jacking but can I ask if all those who DON'T use a retractable lead are able to confidently let their dogs off the lead, even near roads? (To be fair, a dog running off can encounter a road at some point, though).

Perma - no, I'm not comfortable letting them off lead near roads, so I just don't go to parks that are set up like that. I tend to go to open countryside or playing fields, I'm lucky that place like that are just fifteen minutes drive away.

Perm.... I only let mine off away from roads too. In my book even a perfect recall is not enough to chance that one slip up.

As an aside, you said you use it as DDog is a terrible puller. Imo that is due to the use of a retractable lead! Every time they pull and the lead releases them towards some interesting smell etc you are reinforcing the pulling! A longline is much more effective when recall is an issue

Oh dear, I'm afraid I have to bow my head in shame.....ddog ran into road (quiet, back road with little traffic, luckilly). I was picking up poo (which I do, even if in a hard to reach place) and forgot to brake it, ddog just skipped into road.

Also, the pulling theory sounds completely spot on, time to re-evaluate. What is a long line?