Recommend me your retractable leads

[Lolatt]

Button release for strong dogs who pull.

Any recommendations?

I use a flexi lead for my dog who has a high prey drive. Walking him on a long line with DC in tow was absolutely lethal. We've all had trip injuries, I had a pulled shoulder when he bolted and of second time he bolted the lead hurt my hand, I've had a nasty ankle burn when it was trailing too. I've seen the videos and know how to use them but the reality of a family walk whilst using one is not the same. Flexi lead is a great compromise and none of us have been injured whilst using it so it works well for us. I wouldn't use it in the streets and I always carry a short lead to switch to for close control when needed.

Best of luck finding a good strong one. Our dog is small so I can't help on that front I'm afraid.

NotJustACigar the theory is that you hold the lead in loops then let it in and out as they run or you let it trail (we have a biothane one which wipes clean) and you can stand on the end if they go to far. Great in wide open fields/the beach with no one else around but an absolute nightmare walking with any other people, any kind of undergrowth/trees that they can get tangled in. You have to be fully focused focused really have your wits about you. I've had no injuries from using the flexi lead and multiple from using the long line.

@NotJustACigar, I've had injuries from both: a few trips, a yanked shoulder and few friction burns to my hands from the longline, friction burns to my legs from someone else's retractable. But I've used my longlines for hours and hours, many times longer than I've been near retractables.

The difference is that a longline is wider so more easily seen, and will give you a wide but shallow friction burn but will never give you the sort of really deep wound that a thin retractable can dish out. Also, if you wind a few turns of the longline closely round your hand, friction burns are much less likely. A dog on a clipped retractable or at the end of the line could give your shoulder just as good a yank as a dog on a longline. You can also let a longline trail (and I've used mine in woods and cover, I just make sure that I know where the dog is), plus it is much less likely to break than the works inside a retractable.

One of the things that I really don't like about retractables is that they teach dogs to pull. Pull a bit, lead extends... This is absolutely what you don't want a dog to learn, so unless you are rigorous about the dog walking to heel when told to or on a different type of lead, I suspect you will end up with a puller.

As I said upthread, I can think of circumstances where a retractable is helpful, but on the whole I don't like them.

The flexi XL is almost an inch thick bright yellow tape. It's the best of the retractables, I think, as that alone negates much of the danger.

It's easily seen, easily avoided and thick enough to wrap around your hand rather than rely on the lock. The handle just ends up being a tidying tool for any excess length.

“The difference is that a longline is wider so more easily seen, and will give you a wide but shallow friction burn but will never give you the sort of really deep wound that a thin retractable can dish out.”

The tape on a flexi giant xl is wider than some longlines...

“if you drop them the solid part rockets towards the dog which scares them.” It doesn’t, it’s too heavy... I mean I’m sure some smaller ones do that, but not the size I use.

They’re handy to have as well as other stuff, but they’re not a direct swap for a longline - you’d use them slightly differently.

I have a flexi XL for my elderly Lurcher, but wouldn’t use one with a young, powerful puller.

It works for us, because he only potters and sniffs, verrry slowly. He can’t pull and we had to give up on the longline, because he’s unsteady on his feet and kept tripping/tangling himself. The flexi helps with this as there’s no excess slack for him to trip on. He’s only on it because he’s a bit deaf so can’t hear us to recall, plus his vision is reduced and he kept trying to follow the wrong people out of the park! The entrance to the park is also literally a few seconds walk from our front door, but I still use it locked and held in both hands like a traditional flat lead until we’re inside the entrance.

I think this is actually the only situation I would ever use one in. I’ve always used longlines for my other dogs until recall was sound.

This is the injury I got from a trailing long line

@RoastedHazelnutLatte

The flexi XL is almost an inch thick bright yellow tape. It's the best of the retractables, I think, as that alone negates much of the danger.

It's easily seen, easily avoided and thick enough to wrap around your hand rather than rely on the lock. The handle just ends up being a tidying tool for any excess length.

God no. Don't do that! In fact, don't wrap ANY long lead round your hand, retractable or not. Don't grab at a retractable, either, instead of using the brake.

Long lines are way safer than retractables. Preferably the kind without a 'handle' or loop at the end.

Leave it trailing; if you need to stop the dog, stand on the end first then pick it up and bring your dog back in. Yes, it will get dirty; use either the biothane wipe clean type, or roll it up, tie it in an old pillow case and stick it in your washing machine.

Get a trainer to show you how to use it first and practice with a shorter length (say 5m) before going longer. Use gloves if you've a powerful dog.

Retractables cause more training problems than they solve even without the safety issues.

Also, re mechanical failure. It’s really important to never put a flexi lead away when it’s wet. Instead, spool the entire length out, lock it and leave it to completely dry before retracting it. Putting them away wet traps moisture inside, which contributes to mechanical failure by getting into the mechanism. It can also cause mildew/mould on the tape itself, which weakens stitching and the actual webbing.

I use a Flexi XL (bright yellow) and a 20m long tape (bright orange), depending on what type of walk we are having.
Both take a bit of getting used to so you don't wrap them around other dogs or people, but both have their place.

To control the pulling a halti head collar works best. 35kgs of dog can be held by 1 finger pretty much. So that also comes into the mix depending on the type of walk we are on.

I live in Italy where the law for public places is 1.5m maximum length of leash. So you either block the extensible or use a simple one.

Personally I dislike them because your dog has NO IDEA how far it can go before it starts to “pull”, which leads to mixed messages and a confused dog.
Learning to walk on a loose leash is fundamental IMO and so much owner-dog communication is lost if you use a string extensible.

This is my 4th dog (4mo mini Schnauzer) and I used an extensible on my 3rd, which did cause pulling problems and we had to remedy them with a choke collar. Nasty but necessary.

Having learned from my mistakes I use a simple lead and collar. Now I can feel through the lead without looking if my he’s stopping to meet another dog, for a snuffle, a pee or even to pick up a sneaky find (used hankies being a favourite). And he can tell from me if we’re walking purposefully and he needs to keep up or if we’re just out for a stroll.

I have a hi-vis orange lead and a light reflective one. Using a collar instead of a harness also helps to get the right Mini Schnauzer trotting walk!

Definitely no retractable lead. They have their place with smaller well trained dogs although not really needed in a well trained dog anyway but completely unsuitable for anything that pulls. We have the halti training leads as suggested by a pp. sometimes I clip 2 together. Far more control, not going to snap and far less issue if it's pulled out your hand

No no no. I had previously used retractable leads on our two standard Schnauzers and liked the leads - never any problems. The giant Schnauzer we now have - it was a disaster. Hands, fingers blistered and cut and legs bruised from trying to bring her back. Most importantly I had no control over her. I feel lucky there weren’t more injuries.

Another thing that was explained to me when I'd initially wanted one for dpup when she was small just to run around at home as garden isn't enclosed - because there is a certain amount of resistance in the lead it teaches them to pull as a default so near on impossible to teach not to pull if yours is indeed a puller.

@Shambolical1 I realise you mean well but the lead is wrapped around my hand like any shorter lead would be - with about 1-2m of length for a walk to heel. That was my point.

I wouldn't use the 'brakes' on any lead. Grabbing or lock. My dog is under verbal control with the retractable simply an extra safety line. Such as on open moorland where cattle graze. I would keep well away from cattle and expect my dog to leave them well alone/ignore them as per his training. But would use the lead as a safety measure to ensure, even if verbal commands fail, he's not going anywhere near them.

My point was around it's dangers re degloving, other people tripping over it, the lock failing. All of those dangers are minimised when you use a thick retractable and take care how you use it. And, admittedly unsaid, the dog you use it with. I wouldn't use it as a form of control, just as a back up safety line.

@RoastedHazelnutLatte

I wouldn't personally wrap any lead around my hand. It risks a hand injury for you; it causes tension down the lead which the dog will pick up, and it's fiddly and therefore slow to adjust the length of the lead available to the dog if you need to.

Plus why would you want that big handle dangling about uselessly? Too complicated!

If you're using a retractable as an 'emergency back up' but not using the brake (to stop the lead paying out) or the handle (because you wrap the lead round your hand), why have a retractable in the first place?

If you're actively training a dog you should accept you're going to need two hands at some point anyway.

Just get a mid-length long line and carry it so you can reel it in and pay it out as you need to.

I disagree - but maybe I'm just not using the lead like you would use it or are imaging I am using it.

Well, a retractable lead is designed with a handle for you to hold and a braking/locking mechanism for you to control the payout of the lead and lock the lead at a chosen length so you don't have to hold down the brake button.

To reel the lead (and dog) back in, you have to brake to stop the lead paying out further, then release and call the dog back in to you, at which point the lead retracts into the handle. If the dog doesn't come in you have to brake/release while - in effect - shortening the lead by walking down it toward the dog, or encouraging it back towards you with little tugs on the lead (with the brake on) until it does. Not easy to do either of those with the lead wrapped round your hand.

You say you wrap the lead around your hand (which I don't recommend with any lead) and don't use the brake. If you're using it as a simple, backup restraint/reinforcer to verbal commands why bother to lug the heavy handle about?

So, yeah. Colour me puzzled as to your use of it.

no - do not use. I know I have a problem with arthritus in my hands which makes the quick response to LOCK the lead a bit difficult but unless the dog is small - it can be a disaster waiting to happen - for the dog or owner or passers by.

I have had a dog - small lurcher - who pulled when spotting something she wanted to pursue but I managed to get her not pulling via a well-fitting harness and training.
My current dog is 10 kg - she is fine on a normal collar and lead - she responds well to my training techniques and I would never use an extendable lead.
The only instance I can see where a good quality/fluorescent extendable lead would be good is where the walker does not have arthritic hands, the dog has been trained to 'not pull' and is a manageable size
I have been meeting someone on our morning walks where she has a large 'cane corso'? dog on an extendable, grey lead who lunges and barks at my small dog. Woman has to use all her strength to hold the dog. We pass by on the other side and keep our fingers crossed the dog does not escape.

We lost a westie puppy when a retractable lead snapped. He ran straight into a wheel of a car going past. Snapped his neck and he was killed immediately. He was tiny, there's no way I'd recommend one for a strong dog.

I've used a retractable Flexi tape lead for my dog for years, also have a normal lead for when it's needed, and it works really well.

However, my dog is small and does not pull.

I would never use one for a strong dog and certainly not one that pulls because if the lead is extended even slightly and the dog suddenly pulls you are going to be pulled along with the dog and could be badly hurt.

I would also add that the retractable leads made of wire are a disaster and an accident waiting to happen.

They are prone to snap and if you accidentally grab the wire when the dog is moving you can be badly hurt.

Please just proof your recall so it happens wherever you are. Flexi leads are dangerous with larger breeds and the number of dogs trailing a long line is dangerous for everyone else.

Liver paste - Arden grange cor re call only use it or liver for re call as it’s the highest value treat for one of the most important things you’ll teach your dog. You need to be the prize so work on that too.
The retractable lead gives you little control, yes you’re still attached to the dog but they can’t get away easily from an aggressive dog and can run to other dogs still and doesn’t teach much at all. I would never ever buy one. I used a long line once, got tangled with another dog and was a hassle. I just let him off and played hide and seek, ran about the park and he followed me, praised and rewarded when he came to me. Clipped lead on, let go several times so he knows coming back doesn’t always mean home time. Not saying he’s perfect but preferable to long line or retractable lead for us anyway.

I'm another one who hates retractable leads - I was pulled over by a dog who bolted while on one when I was a teenager, as a runner I'm fed up of being tripped up by them thanks to oblivious owners, and as a dog owner I hate dogs on retractables approaching my dog when he's on lead - both in general and because I've seen so many dogs get horribly tangled.

I used a very lightweight long line to teach recall.

I have a relatively small dog but I would never wrap any lead around my hand anyway. It's probably due to my horsey background but I've always held the excess lengths of lead like a lunge line:

images.app.goo.gl/SXSt4MfTLKtUmdSL8

I worked a lot with a trainer when my dog was younger - when walking closely on the lead she insisted on dog on you left side, night of the lead in your right hand (so the lead crosses to the dog in front). That way you can use your left hand for the clicker or treat rewards, or use it to automatically shorten the lead if you need to.

Or alternatively you can let out a loop of lead from your right hand to give the dog more freedom if you need to.