Retractable lead recommendations

[rosieday]

Anybody got any recommendations for a strong retractable dog lead. Looking for one that I'm confident won't snap! TIA

A lung rein for horses is good if you want a long lead but it’s not retractable.
We had a retractable one which was all tape, rather than a bit of tape and then cord which was good and our lab didn’t break it.
It’s a good idea to use a short normal lead then swap when you reach an open area, reduces the chances of retractable lead mishaps!

Whatever make, check the weight limit on it (which should be clearly stated) and check the length of it for damage. That applies to non-retractable leads, collars and harnesses too, of course, but harder to spot on a retractable. There was a thread a while ago which IIRC was someone whose dog chased a sheep when a tape-type lead broke - almost certainly a tear propagating from a nick.

Good idea to swap between leads as the PP suggests.

Ah, you won't get much love for retractable leads on here lol. They're not very popular on MN but as a dog walker I definitely think they have their uses in selective areas.

My advice would be to use a tape lead (not a wire-type one), make sure it's strong enough to hold your dog and only ever use it on a harness. Never use it around livestock or on a road just in case it snaps - I would keep a short rope lead with you and swap between the two just in case.

I use them regularly and find them much easier to control than a long/lunge line as they're much nicer to hold and "reel in". The brand I have is "Flexi" from Amazon :)

I don't recommend them. I was walking my dog on one and the tape / cord thing came away at the clip to the dogs collar and came flying back through the air towards my face. If it hadn't been for my glasses I think I would have lost my eye!

Retractable leads can be extremely dangerous for human and dog.

www.bbc.com/news/health-48382570
www.rover.com/blog/the-hidden-dangers-of-retractable-leashes/
hartpets.org/10-reasons-not-to-use-a-retractable-leash/

I second Flexi (tape one). I have one that I can't remember weight limit on (but it is a strong one). I used it for my 32 Kg dog for many years with no probs. I use it now for my 18 Kg staffy and have probably had it at least 13 years so far.

I could never ever recommend a retractable lead. Too many injuries and deaths to dogs to ever want to use one.

I even see people using them on dogs attached to their collars

Use a long line about 5metres if safe to give you dog distance otherwise use a normal length lead to protect your dog and others around you.

You just have to be careful to check you have securely clipped it to the dog's collar every time and practise with the catch a lot before you go out with it. Keep the dog on a shortish length on pavements, especially going round corners! You quickly learn to flick the stop setting of the catch on and off as needed. It helps, as with any type of lead /walking a dog in general, if you do a lot of looking ahead and anticipate things to be ready for / shorten lead for- i.e cat under parked car, fox other side of road, etc

@mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork sorry to be that poster but using a 13 year old retractable lead is worrying.

The mechanism inside the lead is made of plastic teeth. Over time they wear down and this is when accidents occur. Dogs have been killed by walking by the road and the mechanism gives no warning and no longer locks the lead length and the dogs walk straight in to the traffic and you can imagine the outcome.

I had one incident with one of my clients and it was heartbreaking.

She was also walking with her young granddaughter and her dog, a small spaniel on a retractable lead which failed to recoil and the dog was able to step into the road and was run over by a lorry which did not even notice.

They stood at the road side for 15 mins with a dead badly mutilated dog until someone stopped to help them

This one incident alone is enough to traumatise me to never use retractable leads although unfortunately it is not unique.

@mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork

You just have to be careful to check you have securely clipped it to the dog's collar every time and practise with the catch a lot before you go out with it. Keep the dog on a shortish length on pavements, especially going round corners! You quickly learn to flick the stop setting of the catch on and off as needed. It helps, as with any type of lead /walking a dog in general, if you do a lot of looking ahead and anticipate things to be ready for / shorten lead for- i.e cat under parked car, fox other side of road, etc

Never ever use a retractable lead on a collar always attach to the rear clip of a harness.

If you get a strong, well made retractable lead and use it responsibly I can't see a problem. I see on one of the links posted a reason against was someone being pulled over when their dog saw a squirrel. That can equally happen on a normal lead, if your dog is too strong for you to stop or you weren't expecting it. It also claims your dog will always pull on the lead if it is a long retractable one, which is utter nonsense - that is down to lead training your dog, not the kind of lead you use.

mrsjoyfulprizeforraffiawork the big issue is you only know when it is broken when it is too late.

I am not sure anyone can be 100% sure they can use it responsibly as the mechanism can fail at any time.

Although to be fair it is almost impossible to train loose lead walking on a lead that is always tight which a retractable lead will be. They are never loose. However safety it the major issue with them

Although to be fair it is almost impossible to train loose lead walking on a lead that is always tight which a retractable lead will be. They are never loose.

They're loose (or not) if you lock them at the desired length.

I do use a retractable lead with my dachshund though, because they stay taut - a loose lead and a short-legged dog too easily ends up with it wrapped around their legs.

Flexi - giant XL is I think the strongest they do, from memory it’s for up to a 75kg dog... but double check that.

I’ve never had one of them fail and I’ve walked Rottweilers on them, the tape is huge so if it did fail you’d be able to just use it almost like a longline anyway, yeah you still don’t want to touch it if it’s mid getting reeled out at full speed, but other than that it’s not going to damage your hand if you touch the tape.

They’re big though, so not the handiest for carrying when you’ve got them on a normal length lead, they sometimes fit in inside pockets in jackets... yon kind that run round the whole front of your jacket, other than that - they’ll not fit and need carried.

You might trip over a long line, but it won't take a finger off.

Not a fan of retractables. They just teach a dog to pull.

We have flexi tape one and you need to be careful but think they have their place. We never use on pavements as they don't give enough control but we use one on our spaniel in the woods as if not he'd disappear. He doesn't pull but it gives him some freedom.

What breed do you have?

@GrumpyMiddleAgedWoman

You might trip over a long line, but it won't take a finger off.

Not a fan of retractables. They just teach a dog to pull.

The problem I have with longlines isn't the tripping over them, it's the fact that you can only really use them in open spaces as otherwise they get caught and tangled up on everything.

DH used ours up in the woods once and it was a nightmare - it got caught on every branch, bramble, tree root and rock - at least with retractable lead you have more control (imo anyway) and you can easily lift the tape so it doesn't get caught.

Whereas a 20+m longline is very heavy and cumbersome to carry as it's designed to drag behind the dog. Fine on beaches or open fields but it's not suitable everywhere, just as retractable leads aren't suitable everywhere either - I'd never use one near a road or livestock, but I find them really useful in other places.

Ultimately it's personal preferences. Dogs can slip collars, leads can come unclipped and the clasps can fail on even the best harnesses - very few pieces of equipment are totally fool-proof. They all have pros and cons.

A 20metre long line is massive and as you say only be used in wide open places.

5m long line is more than adequate. Professional tracking teams would not use a line much longer . The whole point of a long line is that you have a physical link to your dog but more importantly that you can communicate through the line. You can see body language with a 5m but this would be impossible with a 20m line.

It is a personal choice but it needs to be acknowledge that retractable leads do have very common dangers that need to considered and there are safer alternatives.

The hate of retractable leads is the one thing all dog trainers and dog professionals agree on- that must mean something.

We use one bit are very careful to only use it on a harness and take other precautions.
Like most things they can be dangerous if not used correctly. We use a Flexi XL

I witnessed a horrific degloving injury (to the owners hand) when her dog on a retractible was startled and bolted. Binned mine the same day and would not ever use one again.
My dog trainer hates them.. a) they can break b) if you drop it the bulky handle rockets towards your dog which will either scare or potentially hit them c) they DO encourage pulling as there is always tension on the lead.

I use a short lead through town and a 10m long line other places... enough for some freedom but not too bulky to carry once we are free and she can go off lead for a bit.
And I hate seeing them on collars!

Why shouldn't you use a retractable on a collar?

@WeWantAMackerelNotASprat

Why shouldn't you use a retractable on a collar?

Because if they suddenly run full pelt and the lead is fully extended it can cause serious neck injuries due to the lack of control you have with the tape.

Always always use them on a harness to prevent injury.

Retractable leads are awful. I always look down on dog owners that use them. For very good reasons.

I hate extendable leads, don't feel I have full control over the dogs safety.