Flexi-lead

[Acheypain]

Hi, I feel like flexi-leads are frowned upon in general, but I think I want one!!
My working cocker spaniel is 14 months and although she stays close most of the time, her recall goes out of the window if she spots a bird. She always comes back within minutes but I hate it when she does it.
I’m thinking of getting an 8m flexi-lead to use when we’re at the beach/in the fields, just for those times I’d usually let her off. I will continue with a normal lead on our training type walks or around the streets.
I’ve tried a ridiculously long training lead but can’t get on with them.
Is a flexi lead in these circumstances a terrible idea? If not can anyone recommend one?
Thanks

We have one for situations like you suggest OP. My dog is happy to mooch along and sniff stuff and pee while on his flexi that he won't do on a short lead. They are good for national trust type place where there are signs saying dogs MUST be on a lead. I feel mean when he's on a short one and every other dog is on a flexi.
At the end of the day, your dog sounds like a lead is necessary in some situations and tbh no amount of training would give me the confidence that mine suddenly wouldn't have a teenage moment!
I hate having to shout at my dog in public and would rather he was on a lead than having recall lessons all the time. Means he can switch off a bit too and just follow the lead.

We put toddlers on reins, hold older children's hands. Hold on to friends hands in pre Covid crowds. Why wouldn't you hold your dog? A flexi allowing someone freedom has to be nicer than a short lead

Totally agree with @DaffodilsAndDandelions , our dog is 10 and has a very good recall but my daughter has anxiety and there would be no way if she is with me that I could allow him off near cliffs etc . and it’s really not fair on the wildlife for him to be off near them as he’s a demon terrier and no amount of work on recall beats chasing a duck / fox .

Oh and... what length lead do you have? You get just leads, but longer as well.

Thing is though, her concentration span for games/hunting balls/retrieving is about 15-20 minutes and then I put her back on her lead and bring her home.
It's great that you are doing this. I'm wondering how you can keep her going for longer, or break it up so she gets two play sessions...
Will she sit-stay? Because to be released from a longish one of those (3-5 mins) for more playtime would probably build her focus and the length of time she'll play.
Also do you do lots of different things? If she's bright, she's well able to learn all sorts of different things - directional work, being sent back for something she saw you drop or throw, learning to fetch different things, or find things like leads and gloves.

Also you can try and teach the command 'close'. To my dogs, this pretty much means, you can mooch about within about 20-30 feet of me, and now and again a treat will drop from the heavens. It's very handy if there's a scared puppy on the other side of the football pitch, or some cows further down the field - saves putting them on the lead, keeps them near me (though my old dog is a git so he's quite often put on the lead anyway...)

Re longlines, apparently biothane ones are fab as they don't soak up water and you can wipe them clean. But you won't want a longline dragging on the ground for a walk with the extended family...

We use a normal lead when roadside and switch to flexi when in an open area. As soon as you spot a dog I bring her back in (my flexi has a built in shirt lead with handle)

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman can I just send my dog to you so you can teach her to do all those things? Sounds fab but I wouldn’t know where to start.

Ha! No! I have my hands full!

Is there a gundog club or trainer near you? That's where I learned most of what I do with my dogs. Plenty of people go who only intend for the dog to be a pet (but some get hooked).

I did teach sit-stay on my own though, using a fab system called paper plate recall (you can find it online). The blog 'raised by wolves' also has a photo essay how-to for it.

And 'close' just involves calling to the dog to get its attention as it wanders just too far, then calling 'close' and chucking a treat. Rinse and repeat about a dozen times a few times a day for a couple of days: your dog will get the idea. Gradually reduce the treats to just the odd bribe - once every 50-100 yards or whatever works. It's a damn sight easier than teaching off-lead heel.

Sorry to bind on, but I'm a bit evangelical about engaging gundogs' brains. We didn't do enough for our first gundog, and the second is so much easier and so much more fun for having that input.

I have twice (with different dogs, by different dogs) been brought down by dogs supposedly 'under control' on flexi-leads; the first fall brought down my dog too and injured his back. The second was in the middle of a pedestrian crossing and nearly got us all run over as the first car driver in the queue took his foot off the clutch and shot forwards.

I also regularly see people grabbing at the cord because they can't or don't know how to 'lock and reel' a flexi, dogs wandering into the road because their handlers can't seem to work out that they have freedom sideways as well as forwards and as others have mentioned, the burns to people and dogs.

Used safely in safe locations they can be useful for the right dog but used as they mostly are - and particularly as a first lead for a puppy - they're at worst a danger and at best a nuisance. The handles are too easy to drop and then clatter along behind the dog if they're not getting wedged into things and there is always resistance on a flexi which can teach a dog to pull against it (or encourage it out of a stay if you try and teach that using a flexi).

To avoid a wet and sandy long-line try searching for Biothane and practice for a bit with a shorter one (5m, say) before moving up to 10m or longer. It's really much easier and safer once you get the knack.

I use one a few times a year..when my girl is in season. But not in town. I use it when we are on country walks and she wants to sniff and mooch but can't be let off. I've only had to reel her in quickly a few times and if I have to grab the tape (never get cord one!) it's no different to her long line..just less to trip over.
However... I won't use one near roads or where there are lots of other dogs... then it's a short lead...just can't risk her dashing towards something.

The tape ones are better.. cords cause horrid injuries and my friend had her finger degloved last year with one and it was grim.