Retractable lead injury (dog)

[Lovemusic33]

So Ddog is now settled in and has come out of his shell, because he’s now more confident he no longer stays close by and his recall has kind of gone out the window, he’s also started to chase anything that moves. In order to give him enough exercise and let him have a bit of a run I have been trying him on an extendable lead, it’s not really been a success, he keeps running full pelt and then when he gets to the end of the lead he almost dislocates my arm and causes himself to back flip, he doesn’t seem to realise and will do it again and again. Today he took off so I thought I would press the button on the lead before he reached top speed but the lead wrapped around his front legs and caused rope burn , he yelled but we continued our walk and all seemed fine. He now has 2 bold lines where the lead was caught around his front legs and I feel terrible. He is fine (sleeping next to me).

I’m not sure what else to try with him. I want to start classes with him and hopefully work on the recall and pray drive but there’s a waiting list for training. If I keep him on a short lead he just doesn’t get tired. We have tried a long lead but he just gets tangled all the time. I can’t risk him being off lead unless we are miles away from roads or live stock as once he sees something exciting (bird, dog, sheep) his recall goes out the window. He’s not interested in treats as rewards when out so getting him back isn’t easy.

Vet he’s on a harness not collar so I haven’t risked injury to his neck and throat.

Ok so just spinal and limb injuries then.

I do appreciate that you’re asking for advice but your OP seems to be blaming your dog for failing to understand a system of restraint that you are repeatedly choosing to put him in despite the dangers. You are responsible for this, not him. Ditch the flexi, get a decent lead or long line and work on training

Vet I’m not blaming the dog 😐, he’s only been on the lead for a week, my mum gave me the lead to try, obviously it’s not working for us so I’m here asking for an alternative. I’m not continuing to use it or putting my dogs spine at risk. We walked this morning in a short lead until we were in a safe place where he could have a run off lead. I tried the long lead (not retractable) but because he doesn’t stay in a straight line he just gets tangled and so do I. I am working on training every day, this morning we did some using his favourite treats but sometimes he’s interested in food, other times not. I think your being a bit judgemental as I’m obviously trying to train him but finding something that interests him more than chasing a bird is tricky. I came on here asking for advice and have got it. I didn’t come on here to be told I’m being cruel or lazy.

I have a tape retractable rather than the cord. Much less dangerous and injury causing to whoever gets ‘whipped’ by it
Doesn’t solve the jerking stop problem though

A good book to start with is it is for puppies but the advice will apply to your issues

Also a good trainer 10 miles away (that is local!) is worth getting in contact with. A couple of one to one sessions will set you up with a plan - that is right for your dog and will mean you will know what to do and help with the frustration you are feeling. Just check the trainer is a positive reward based trainer. (They will not give you abuse like MN's will just the correct advice you need )

Total Recall by Pippa Mattinson is also a useful book. She takes you step by step for building up a reliable recall past distractions (though some of the later chapters are a bit tricky if irrc). To be honest if you get the dog's focus on you and teach general obedience, a lot will just fall into place anyway.

Are there no dog exercise pens in a local park?

I've never seen a 'dog exercise pen' in a park in the U.K.

I've found a site listing dog training areas which maybe could be useful?
www.dogwalkingfields.co.uk

You need a long lead, like a horse lunge line, and someone to show you how to use it. You have to keep releasing more as the dog needs it, and gathering it as it spools. It is doable but you will need to concentrate on the dog and nothing else, and avoid areas with a lot of trees!

Sorry, posted too soon.

Ask at your local dog training club or dog agility club for enclosed exercise areas for rent.

Continue recall reinforcement in small, safe places, e.g. the recall game, reward every time he is near you, etc. using very high value treats.

Does he walk well on a short fixed lead? Or does he pull all the time? He needs to be trained to walk well on a fixed lead first, then there should be no problems on a retractable.

It can take weeks to train a dog to walk well on a lead with them noticing changes in pace, focussing on you, not on distractions, etc.

does he like a ball?
you can do the training yourself surely, as said above, he doesnt just need walks to tire him out. something else to fulfill his brain

First thing to do is make sure you have total control of he's recall in the home and garden, if not then working in a field just won't work.

Lunge line is the best thing to use, you get used to it, the trick is to not let it touch the ground. Once you've got the recall on the lunge line, you can let it drop so he drags it around, it makes catching much easier if he does decide to have a moment.

I would definitely switch food, pop to your local dog food store and talk to them, they will be the best to talk to you about it.

Training will take a lot longer if he's a rescue, just bear in mind that the "golden weeks" when he was younger was missed so it's extra difficult.

I would try boredom toys/puzzles in the home before trying any training, they help to get them switch on with out all the jazz of play. Worked wonders for my mad collie

Hi @Lovemusic33.
Try clipping the lead to the front chest D clip rather than the one on the back.
This limits the movement of the shoulders and was the first thing the dog trainer I employ changed during a 1-1 session, and it made a huge difference.
I do have to say that my dog doesn't bolt in the way you describe, but is a very strong and energetic young lab who could pull me off my feet if he spotted something that warranted immediate investigation, so I hope by changing the lead anchor point it helps you too.

Just use a longline / lunge line and this is not a hyperactive dog it’s a young dog with with what sounds like a normal amount of energy considering its breeds .

Retractable leads are the work of the devil.
Try a horse lunge line - a short one so not too much to carry about. Pay it out and bring it in, don't let it touch the ground = watch what you're doing not on the phone!
It also helps on recall to go out before breakfast and take it with you, dish out one piece every time he successfully comes back to you when you call.

I hate flexi leads with a passion. Just last week a friend’s wee boy had a nasty burn across the back of his leg after a dog got tangled up with him. You have no control over a dog on a flexi.

With regard to treat rewards if he is not interested then you are either in too distracting an environment or your treats are not yummy enough or both. You need delicious treats like real meat or hotdogs and to start training in a quiet non distracting area indoors. Then you slowly build up to more distractions and can cut back on the treats.

When you say he is not interested in treats do you mean that you skipped his meal and then offered him sausage/cheese/black pudding/liver and he still wasn't interested?

Why do posters on doghouse have to be so passive aggressive ?

Retractable leads are the work of the devil.
They have their place, just not when's dog isn't trained properly.

I use mine when I go to national trust properties with lots of open space. Dog needs to be on a lead, her recall off lead is excellent and the long lead gives her some freedom.

I wouldn't use it with a dog that hasn't got recall or commands yet.

Thank you all, I will try clipping his lead on to the front of his harness.

I just can’t get on with the lunge line as he darts around so much, will run in one direction and then back to me and off again not giving me time to rein in the lead before he gets tangled.

He’s not really interested in a ball, I did buy him a new one today which he showed interest in but then destroyed it, he won’t play with a tennis ball at all, before he came to me he had never seen a toy or treats.

Booboo I walk him before he has his breakfast but he still shows little interest in any kind of treat, someone offered him a sausage on our walk the other day and he turned his nose up at it. There’s no treat he does like but after having one or 2 he’s lost interest.

He has a few treat puzzles, lick mats etc.., they can be hit and miss. I think he would love agility if we could find classes near by, he loves to jump, run and dodge 🤣

You cursed us! Dd unclipped ddog and the metal clasp hit dm in the knee ... ouchy!

That is really bad luck then! Food is the easiest reward, but occasionally there will be the odd dog who is not interested. Is he equally disinterested in food rewards at home? If he likes food rewards at home, it’s worth persevering and building conditioned responses at least at home, with the hope that they may eventually generalize outside of the home. Is he any more interested in squeaky toys, balls, etc.?

Jouska are you talking to me?!

Boob he’s a little more interested in food at home but still leaves it sometimes, he’s the first dog I have had that will leave his dinner and save treats/chews for later.
I walked him this morning before breakfast so he was a bit hungry, let him off the lead and he returned most of the time but seems to have selective hearing and totally ignores me sometimes, he then took off after a crow but came back as soon as he realised he wasn’t going to catch it (we were in a big field away from roads, no other people about).

Is his main drive just to chase when he sees movement, or does he also hunt and sniff things out first?

he chases anything that moves but also scent follows (nose to the ground).