Retractable dog leads yay or nay?

[Marthar31d]

Not had one before, are they safe?

We use them sometimes on a small dog in quiet rural areas and have had no issues.

In the right circumstances, possibly.

If you ARE going to use one, make sure it's the tape kind as they're far less likely to cause injuries than the stringy/ropey ones.

But I agree they do cause confusion in dogs. I have a long line I do use at National Trust properties so dog can go a little further safely, and it was used for training but I used to lunge horses so I am well versed in using one safely.

Other than that it's double ended lead or off lead for us.

This is a neat demonstration of the lazy method of walking a dog. The dog stops to sniff, you walk on with the dog on the lead behind you where you can't see what's going on. Dog wanders around, possibly in the path of oncoming or following pedestrians or cyclists and forms a trip hazard. You need to have your dog in your sight and under your control.

Previous mentions of all the people with small dogs who stand around talking while the dogs weave a massive tangled trip hazard and tie knots around peoples' knees are very familiar.

I think they’re fine and much safer than letting dogs off lead in a lot of places. Very few dogs have 100% recall in all situations so I wish more people used them. I use a tape one not the cord and use with a harness and not near roads/people. Although I work in an office looking over a busy park so see hundreds of dog walkers all day and I’ve never seen anyone get tangled up by someone else’s retractable lead so I don’t think that’s a common occurance. I can’t let my dog off lead because he’s a reactive rescue, and simply training a dog like that to have bomb proof recall is just not realistic. Personally I think the people who don’t use retractable leads and let their dogs run everywhere when recall is not absolutely perfect are they bigger danger. Retractable leads work well to give him freedom and exercise. I have a long line too but this does get tangled in bushes and is more likely to trip people up, plus is difficult to use in the mud.

Definitely yay

They're so easy to co tell, you press on or off to extend or not it's so easy I don't see why people have a problem with them.

People who are saying yes - what are your thoughts when you're standing there giggling while the dog owner with the regular lead is untangling your retractable one to avoid their and your dog getting injured?

No idea because it’s never happened

I don't think there is a single person who has said they are fine the hands of idiots. Just that the 'fault' lies with the human holding the lead, not with the kit itself.

As per a pp, I had one for my old dog when he went deaf. Otherwise, the only way I could get him back was to run after him and catch him. It gave him some freedom for a sniff when he couldn’t be off-lead (as in our area there are actually some appropriate places where I could run and catch him if needed).

As with many things, they’re fit for purpose as long as you’re using them for the right purpose!

That literally never happened to us, not once. Because if we saw a person coming we reeled him back in.

I have one but it's a wide tape rather than string type suitable for larger dogs

Have used them for years and years and not one single issue. They are not complicated and I cannot understand why people cannot lock them off to make a short lead when necessary.

They have one 'control' on them to make them into a standard lead or let the dog roam in a safe way - honestly you do not need a manual to work a retractable lead.

Walking my dog is a pretty lazy, laid back affair yes. He’s a calm little thing. So it’s really easy to keep an eye on him even when he’s lagging behind. My head turns quite well. Never in 8 years have we ever got tangled with anything (except the odd lamppost when we both go different ways and I have to double back on myself). I’m also not moronic enough to walk him next to a busy road, during a school run, in a city centre etc etc. He also doesn’t approach other dogs.

Why is it so hard to believe that people who have a more relaxed attitude to dog ownership aren’t completely irresponsible idiots? You’re also forgetting that some of us live in the relatively empty countryside.

I can't say as that's never happened to me, and I've never seen it happen to all the hundreds of owners around here who also use retractable leads.

My dog is on a retractable lead as he has poor recall (he's a beagle) and longlines are (IMO) more of a danger and a trip hazard than a retractable, especially around here where they get stuck in undergrowth or tangled around trees.

A retractable lets him run about but also allows me to recall him back to me if needed. He will happily come away from other dogs/people/cars/bikes but if he gets a scent, his ears switch off and I'm not prepared to risk him bolting with his longline still clipped on to him.

Have used them but they are a nay from me. Use a long line. Much more control and less damage to hands and legs when they suddenly run

You'll usually get the majority opinion on here that retractable leads are the work of the devil.

Of course they are if used irresponsibly. Like anything, used sensibly and properly they're fine.

I've used one on my dog for eleven years and have never had one fail, nor have I 'stood giggling while the dog owner with the regular lead has had to untangle my lead' as a pp seem to think is a usual occurance.

My dog is well trained, has excellent recall and when off lead never strays far from me but because she's small, sometimes when terrain is tricky I like to know that she isn't likely to fall down something and not be able to get back up.

I'd never use one of the metal ones, they're very dangerous, so tape only.
They should never be used with a reactive dog, large or small, or a dog that pulls. They're probably best avoided with large dogs altogether.
And they should never ever be attached to a collar under any circumstances.

There's are a lot of things that can cause injury if used incorrectly, cars, bikes, irons, toasters the list is endless. Retractable leads are just one more thing that if not used correctly can cause problems.

Used sensibly by sensibly people they're fine.

If this is happening to you regularly then perhaps you need to assess where you’re going wrong?

On the whole, no.

I have used them with small dogs when off-lead time has been restricted (e.g. during the foot and mouth outbreak some years back when all dogs had to be kept on lead) but the majority of people you see out and about don't know how to use them safely.

I've twice been tangled and brought down by other people's dogs on Flexi leads approaching mine, both times out in public and on the street where common sense dictates you shouldn't use one. On one occasion both me and my dog ended up injured; on the other, when the other dog's lead lock was released by the owner so the dog could whizz across a pelican crossing at us, we held up traffic, being honked at, whilst we sorted ourselves out.

If you're going to use one, teach your dog to walk properly on a normal short lead first, then practice somewhere safe with the Flexi so the dog understands it.

A Flexi is likely to teach your dog to pull; there is always tension on a Flexi (there has to be, or it would not retract properly) and the dog's opposition reflex will cause it to pull against that tension.

All those people who get a Flexi for little Alfie or Mollie puppy so they 'can have some freedom' from day one tend to end up with a puppy that makes poor choices, frightens itself or gets frightened and becomes reactive, pulls stranglingly badly or who is chaotic on a lead at best.

As others have said, it isn't the tool necessarily causing the problem but the workman. This particular tool, though, is ubiquitous and looks like it's a far better idea than it actually is if you don't know what you're doing.

My personal choice is a good, strong hi-viz longline. These also need practice (or at least a training session) to use and can also cause burns and other accidents but as a rule are less likely to be used inappropriately.

@ReeseWitherfork I walk my pooch on a short lead when in town and try to stay away from dogs on retractable leads but sometimes we can't avoid them. I like to let my dog meet others for a sniff if he's feeling it, just find that there are a lot of people out there that don't know how to use these leads well. Also have a long line to use where appropriate and try to let him have some freedom off lead in specific areas, working on recall is continuous.

I agree..I use mine all the time but keep my finger on the button roadside..that's my paranoia.

In general, no. Train your dog to walk to heel on normal lead first. In some areas (like here) it's against by-laws to use them on public roads and paths. I've been tripped up by them in the pedestrian bit of our local town. The vast majority of users didn't train loose lead walking or recall so they tend to be a marker for that.

I use them without issue, but my dogs only weigh 3kg each and regular leads are too heavy for them. My parents use them for their large Australian Shepherds and when I was a child our dog sprinted by me and the lead sliced my calf open, so that's something to be aware of. Probably more of a concern with larger and stronger dogs.

I also shorten and lock the lead if anyone is nearby, so there's no risk of them going out of control or getting tangled. As for pulling, I've never found that to be an issue as the dogs learn the max length of the lead and don't try to go any further.

I prefer a long line, great for teaching recall and not dangerous like a retractable. I only put the long line on when we're somewhere suitable. I have a 6 month old alaskan malamute cross and his recall is good however he is going through a stage of eating everything including rubbish so whilst we are still training his to be better at 'leave it' I prefer to use it. Also he is very big so it's a good safety net whilst he's still young so he doesn't go up to someone who may be scared of him. I let it trail and make sure I can reach it if need be. I think he'd be really dangerous on a retractable and you can't let them go.

Perhaps I live in a particularly blessed part of the country (though I doubt it)- but I've never seen the tangles, trips, burns, slashes and general mayhem people are attributing to retractable leads. Of course I've encountered plenty of poor behaviour by owners, but it's certainly never been a matter of the lead they were using.