I know it’s low-hanging fruit to criticize people for misuse of retractable leashes – but there are an awful lot of first-time dog owners out there who may have been tempted by the highly convenient devices and who don’t know their pitfalls. And because I’m traveling at the moment and just saw a near-disaster out my hotel window involving one of these products, allow me to explain. And then, for those of you who have been around a while, why don’t you tell us your favorite “Never use a retractable leash!” story in the comments?
I heard some hubbub and glanced out the window to see what was up. There was a moving van towing a trailer with a car on it, and an SUV towing a trailer with a small car on that, and a group of people all getting ready to hit the road for another fun day of (apparently) moving their household in the summer heat. A number of adults were milling around, putting their bags in the various vehicles. The fact that they had dogs held my eye: A pretty Golden Retriever and a tall and young-looking Great Dane who was wearing a harness, both attached to young women who were holding retractable leashes. As I watched, another person came out of the hotel with two metal bowls full of water and offered them to the dogs: drink up, dogs, it’s your last chance for a bit!
I was just about to leave the window when the action of one of the young women held my eye: She put the handle of the leash that was attached to the Great Dane on the fender of the trailer, and walked around the moving van to do something else. Oh no! I said helplessly from my third-floor window, and sure enough, it happened. The dog turned her head, which pulled the handle of the leash off the fender so that it fell toward the dog’s head, spooking her and making her bolt.
HOW MANY TIMES have I seen a dog running in a panic, being “chased” by a rattling plastic retractable leash handle that was bouncing along the ground and bumping the dog’s heels? (Answer: Too many to count.)
Thank dog, the Dane only ran backward a few feet before the other young woman yelled and the dog stopped, shaking with fright. Thank dog again, because this hotel is within a few hundred yards of a busy intersection and a highway.
I get that these devices are great for what we like to call “sniff walks,” where you allow the dog to stop and start and wander at will. But most trainers hate them because they also condition a dog to pull against the pressure of the spring-loaded leash to reach what they want to smell or see. When the holy grail for most dog walkers is walking with a dog who doesn’t pull and drag you around, this is counter-productive.
Also, if the dog suddenly pulls toward something, unless the owner is paying absolute attention, is ready with the button that operates the brake, and the brake actually works (the “bargain” models tend to break down), the dog can bolt into the street (we’ve heard stories of dogs getting hit and killed by a car while on one of these leashes), bolt toward a frightened person or a person with a fearful dog (starting a dog fight, making a person fall, etc.), or “clothesline” a person who might be jogging, skateboarding, or riding a bike.
The biggest problem is that there is not a good way to reel the dog back in, if he’s already out at the end of the leash. The models that have a cord inside can get wrapped around dog or people legs and can cut deeply; if you grab one, trying to control the dog, the cord can slice your hand open. The ones with a “tape” or flat line inside are safer, but there is still no good way to shorten the leash quickly if the dog is pulling away, only if he comes back toward you or if you can catch quickly up to him.
And, of course, if someone lets go of the handle, an inexperienced dog tends to panic and run blindly with the leash handle chasing it.
Some of you may defend them. I must say I find them to be very helpful for walking smallish dogs out in the areas where my dogs can safely walk off-leash (no other people, no roads nearby, they have great recall). But, in my opinion, they should never be used with a big dog (they don’t give you enough control), and never never never around other dog walkers, pedestrians, cyclists, etc. They are just an accident waiting to happen in crowded environments.
What’s your favorite cautionary tale about these leashes? What circumstances do you think they are perfect for?
I was once at our local park riding my bike on a trail that is shared by cyclists, walkers, and runners. I noticed ahead of me a woman walking with two small dogs on retractable leads. One dog was out several feet to her left and the other dog several feet to her right. I’m not a fast rider, but I slowed down even further and called out “Passing on your left,” which is the signal that you are supposed to get over to the right so that the person can pass. She made no attempt to reel her dogs in. By the time I realized that she wasn’t going to pull over, there was no time for me to stop. I had to crash my bike in the grass in order to avoid running over one of her dogs. Fortunately, I was not injured, but I well could have been and at least one of her dogs could easily have been injured.
I was taking my elderly mom to her favorite deli for lunch. In the parking lot was a van, with a dog attached to a retractable leash that was attached inside of the open side sliding door. We had a hard time passing the vehicle without getting tangled in leash. Fortunately the dog was friendly, because the owner was no where to be seen. My mom had already had one hip replacement and I was envisioning another fall and replacement as we tried to maneuver our way past that dog and vehicle. Never did see the person who owned vehicle and dog…or I would have tried to have a conversation with then about the multiple hazards their set up presented.
If you have to use a retractable please tie a knot in it at about 3 ft so if it falls it doesnt spring back and hit the pup.
The only time I have used a retractable leash is if it is raining and I walk to the edge of the garage to let the dogs potty. My cautionary tale is: There was an outdoor park seminar where several holistic vets from around the country set up tables to ask questions. Across the park came 2 Scotties with a man on retractable leashes. The dogs saw a small toy dog, bolted and the handles came right out of the man’s hands. I’ve seen this often…much easier to drop/lose control of than a leather leash. The dogs attacked the small dog to everyone’s horror. It was all ok, but potentially dangerous.
Unfortunately, some people don’t stop using a retractable leash until a horrible accident happens and only then they learn never to use one again, sometimes it can happen in the first couple days of using a retractable leash and sometimes years but you never want it to happen period and having a regular leash in your own hands indeed gives you more control. You’d rather the horrible accident happen to you than to your beloved soul mate that relies on you for protecting them, controlling them and keeping them safe. Hopefully when you have a horrible accident it happens to you and not your beloved soul mate that depends on you and hopefully you make it out alive and without permanent damage.
I only use them when I take my dogs to the lake or the beach, so they can swim out farther than they usually can on a 6ft leash without dragging me in with them.
Like any tool, used properly, they are great for certain activities.
You can still buy a lunge lead (or even make your own ‘long lead’
from cotton sash-cord. Far far easier to manage, and not as dangerous for the handler.
I would never use a retractable leash, not just dangerous but bulky, awkward things.
Another problem is that IF you don’t ‘lock it’ you are teaching your dot to walk on a tight lead 🙁
So long as the leash is made from some flexible material it is so easy to just loop it up in your hand to shorten it (if needed) or the lengthen it so the dog can set its own pace, and stop to sniff what and where it wants.
I have a Yorkie, the love of my life and my first dog. But this love will eat anything and everything. There is no way in this world that I would be able to use a retractable leash with her. I need to be VERY close to her when we walk and pay attention every single thing she does. There is a woman where I live that has a giant Yorkie (28 lbs.) and she uses one, but he is totally different than my dog. She controls him very well on the leash and only walks him around our building. I, on the other hand, walk my dog everywhere and for her, life is a smorgasbord hence my need to have her basically at my side and NEVER more than that when we walk. Plus she was attacked by a Pitbull (I am not bashing Pitbulls, just this one) when she was 4 and since then she is terrified of dogs. I could never allow her to be many, many feet away from me and take the risk of a dog coming around the corner as she would go at the dog and that would be the end of her.
So, I just rely on the good, old 6 ft. leash and wrap it around my hand in a death grip when I walk her.
I think that retractable leashes are appropriate for some dog owners, but not for me.
You very much so should have just said a “bigger dog”, instead of stating pitbull and thus ignorantly feeding into the wrongful stigma and prejudice of pitbulls and other large breed and power breeds. Maybe you should look at what you the owner did wrong as well as what your own dog did wrong to have gotten into a situation like that instead of bashing a cetrain breed (which is what you did) or a certain dog which you so desperately find the need to label and ignorantly discriminate against. You stated your dog goes at other dogs, well there you go no wonder you got yourselves in that situation, so don’t blame the other dog especially the other dogs breed, the breed has nothing to do with anything especially when youve already stated how your dog misbehaves. Also, you’re not supposed to wrap a leash around your hand or wrist, but keep doing you and your hand will get ripped off!
(By your love of your life garbage disposal eats any cr@p on the ground dog)
No where did I see mentioned what a dog may find while “out there” sniffing. On walks we have encountered broken glass, dead creatures, fast food scraps and snakes. You name it, a dog’s nose will find it. I want my dog safely by my side -not 15 feet out-so I can scope our path.
The retractable leash, and the gigantic, oversized pinch collar are the two most misused pieces of dog equipment sold at pet superstores (for the most profit). The retractable leash was invented to solve the training problem of a dog dragging a long line behind, while learning to consistently come when called – the recall exercise! It was never invented to be used for walking a dog, for sniffing walks, to give the dog some freedom, or any of the other excuse. At our training school, the very first thing we tell any brand new handler, is that those retractable are forbidden even in the parking lot.
The only time I have ever used one is for training the Utility Directed Retrieve and Moving Stand exercises, when working outdoors. Otherwise, it’s a standard leash for us. I can protect my dogs when they are within 3 feet of me – certainly not when they could be 16 feet away.