What is it with this retractable leash foolishness?

i don't see what the issue is with retractable leashes ... if handled correctly they are fine to use ... my dog will walk normally on a retractable leash, on a normal leash, and with no leash ... of course there are people who do not use "tools" properly, but that is the owner not the leash that is the problem ...

I don't care so much about the control issue, (I do, but not as much as this), but rather the safety issue.

I see postings all over my area about dogs getting loose because they're on retractable leashes. They often snap, the handle can easily be pulled from the owner, dogs can get strangled in them, it just doesn't make sense. If the leash snaps too quickly back the owner can easily have a broken hand.

I'd rather have a 6ft nylon or leather lead rolled in my hand to an appropriate length with me having secure grip. Even if the lead slips from me, with leather you can gain traction easily, and regain your dog. If you lose grip on your retractable... well, your dog is gone.

ADD-

You guys do realize that there are long leads made of sturdy nylon you can use out in the country and such, right? If I am walking my dog in the woods, the LAST thing I want is that flimsy ol' thing. I'd rather have a sturdy nylon and allow them to run all around, but know for a fact if they bolt after something, I will have a secure grip and they can't break the lead that easily.

And for that poster who said your dog walks perfectly no matter what... Well, that's nice, mine does, too. But I still know my dog is a dog, and a dog in an unpredictable animal filled with instincts. That's why when I see people walking their dogs without leashes, I get sick to my stomach. It takes one squirrel and the dog is dead underneath a car. Just because your dog is trained and obeys, it doesn't mean you know your dog 100% for the rest of their lives and know every move they're going to make before they make it. That's just foolish, and why retractable leashes are just a bad idea.

Again, to me, it is the safety hazard and the fact that your dog could easily get off of it, not the control issue. I have seen MANY retractable leashes break, but never seen a nylon or leather lead break. While I have heard of it, I have never personally seen it.

I'm with you on this one.

IMO a flexi-lead should only be used the way you described.

Here's what I've seen regarding flexi-leads here:

- Little dog almost got hit on the road because idiot owner couldn't lock the leash fast enough when the dog decided to bolt sideways

- My dogs being rudely confronted by dog on flexi-lead, owner too far away to quickly react

- Me being tangled up by a dog on a flexi-lead

- I once saw a dog wearing a prong collar with a flexi-lead, what these idiot owners were thinking, I'll never know


Do you know what I don't get though? Most places have a specified length within the leash laws. So how does a 20ft flexi-lead count if the laws specifies no more than 6ft?

And HOW exactly are these flexi-leads more useful if you keep them retracted all the time? Seems like a gigantic waste of money to me.

I unearthed my retractable lead when my b*tch had surgery on her stifle & I couldn't find my strong long training lead purchased for the purpose of working a dog at a distance, before allowing it off lead. If a dog is pumped up by catching sight of prey it can get caught around the owner, it snags on all on sundry, it was unwieldy to hold & the stop did not reliably function.

What I routinely see are owners who use a retractable lead & then the dog sprints to the end & then carts them along behind, which negates the point of it. Then there are the dogs with the questionable temperaments that are not under the control over their owner because it would be mean to deny them the freedom to be a nuisance or pose a threat to other dogs. Finally, my pet peeve, the dogs on the sidewalks trotting ahead with the lead fully extended. Why do that?

There is nothing amiss in training a dog on a long lead when you are increasing the level of distraction in an area where it is safe to do so. However, in general I agree that either an owner can reliably call their dog or keep it at their side off lead or it should be on a normal lead.

I see absolutely no real purpose for them. If someone can come up with one, I certainly would be interested.

The person with what looked like a *Pit* with a cell phone and a retractable leash obviously has mistaken his dog for a Ferret. (Ferrets are fun on retractable leashes in contained areas)

Those kind of people are a menace. Not the dog. The HUMAN.

City ordinances usually state 6 foot leash max so in the case of this pit bull this guy is setting himself up for a lawsuit if the dog attacks anyone or another animal.

Why don't people clean up after their dogs is my biggest beef!

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Well; I live in the country where loose dogs get shot on sight. I'll just hang on to my 20' retractable leash a little while longer, thank you.

And in case no one ever pointed this out to you, these things do lock in position if required.

Agreed; the dog owner you witnessed was being careless in a public place. But not all dog owners are quite that stupid or unaware. And not all of us are quite so opinionated either.

I agree. I HATE retractable leashes. My mom refuses to use anything but a retractable when she's walking her dog and it really stresses me out since she doesn't pay attention to the dog. Yesterday we were at Petsmart and she was busy talking to someone and this abnormally large (like the size of a Mastiff or Newfoundland) German Shepherd was walking by and she didn't even notice. Her dog was like 5 feet away and the GSD was not even a foot from her dog. There was no way to control her dog if something bad had happened.

Plus, I was talking to one of the managers at Petsmart and he even said he HATED them. He said he would be in one aisle stocking and all of a sudden this dog comes around the corner and its owner is in the other aisle. Most of the time the leash takes out like half of the end cap on the aisle.

As long as the person handling the animal is using the retractable lead correctly, they don't bother me. But, unfortunately, I had a retractable leash wrap around my ankle once. The dog took off running while it was wrapped around my ankle, and I ended up habing the darn thing embedded 1/2" into my ankle. Obviously, this wouldn't have happened if the owner knew how to use the darn thing, but they didn't.

I use mine for the yard only, which is not fenced in. When we walk I use regular ones. What if the dog roams into the street and gets hit by a car? A regular leash is better for walking in my opinion. People might as well not put on a leash if their walking with those. My answer for your question is that people are stupid and that common sense is not so common.

I agree 100%!!!

I absolutely hate using retractable leashes. Not many people who don't train there dogs well have their dog walking calmly besides them, and it's kind of annoying to see a huge dog dragging it's owner by a thin string.
My dad bought one for our JRT and as much as I HATE using it, my sister jacked my other leashes so I've found ways for it. I use it when I take my dog out to large fields. I don't trust my JRT off the leash, so this helps out with that. Also I only let him run as far as the leash will let him when we hit a field. Otherwise on sidewalks, I hold the leash in and make him heel.
But besides that, I absolutely hate to use it and personally I think there aren't enough experienced people to have wanted to create something like this. It's so annoying to be walking and have somebody's untrained dog run circles around you and tie you up in a knot.