I know you don’t want to hear it.
If you use a retractable leash, you probably love it. All my friends do.
“He gets to sniff in the tall grass away from me.”
“He’s on the leash, but he has his freedom.”
“It makes him feel he’s more like a dog who’s off-leash.”
These are the reasons my friends tell me they love using a flexi leash. And these are exactly some of the reasons why you shouldn’t.
Let’s go through them one by one:
He gets to sniff in the tall grass away from me: I’ve always wondered about this one. Why is it a good thing that your dog is sniffing a distance away from you? Dogs can die from eating toxic mushrooms and a host of other plants. They can also develop serious infections from eating dead birds and squirrels.
Flexi leads can extend up to 26 feet. I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be 26 feet away from wherever my dog is sniffing.
He’s on the leash, but he has his freedom: Freedom is one thing — lack of control is another. If your dog should suddenly shoot into the middle of a street or encounter an aggressive dog, it is pretty much impossible to take control of what’s happening when using a flexi leash.
Just the other day, a friend told me, “Look, all I have to do is hit this button, and I can reel him right back in.” Guess what happened 10 minutes after he told me that? His dog joyfully took off after a goose, and there was nothing he could do to stop him. (I swear, I didn’t say, “I told you so!”)
It makes him feel he’s more like a dog who’s off-leash: Yes, it does — and you know what that means? It means your dog isn’t learning to walk politely at your side, and he is learning that pulling forward to extend the leash will get him where he wants to go. Do you really want to reward your dog for pulling on a leash?
I know what you’re thinking. “My dog understands the difference between being allowed to pull on the flexi leash and having to walk at my side.”
My response to that is: Maybe yes, maybe no. But you’re sure not making it easy for him.
Dogs like consistency, and they certainly don’t over-analyze like we do. They like knowing “If I do X, Y will happen.”
My dog knows that pulling on the leash will get her nowhere. But when she walks at my side, we move forward, she gets treats, and all good things happen. Every time.
And one more thing:
I like being with my dog on our walks. I like going into tall grass with her. I like tromping through the woods and seeing what she sees, smelling what she smells. (OK, not all the smells!)
When we walk, we bond. We’ve been at this for nearly 10 years, and I still consider it a privilege to be with her. I don’t want her 10 feet or 26 feet away from me. We’re a team, and when we go for a walk, it’s an activity we share.
I lied … there’s really one more thing:
Ever had a flexi leash wrap around your leg? That sharp cord slices into you like a razor. Go ahead and Google images of retractable leash injuries — it isn’t pretty. (And I didn’t even get into the damage to your dog’s neck and trachea when he’s running full speed and suddenly reaches the end of the leash with a sudden jolt. I see it happen every day.)
When I begin working with a client and they tell me they walk their dog on a flexi leash, I always tell them they’ve signed a contract relinquishing all control of their dog.
Dogs know the human world is an inconsistent, unreliable place. All they want from us is information; they want to be able to anticipate what will happen next.
So who really wants the freedom of the retractable leash? Is it your dog … or you?
Do you use a flexi leash? Let us know about your experiences in the comments section below.
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