# Retractable Leashes....



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

Personally, I HATE them, you don't have complete control of your dog and I've seen those dang things snap with a quick jerk....

I took Killian to petsmarts today, always an adventure *eye roll*, I love taking him there to experience things and to learn.... However, there was a STUNNING long haired black and red GSD there that was 4 months old, the owner had her on a retractable leash.... 

I had Killian in a sit since I was talking to my girlfriend I ran into.... so that GSD was in a sit too, then catches an eye of Kil, and all of a sudden it takes a BOLTED run towards Killian, I step in front of him, with a treat at his nose to keep his attention, the leash snaps out of her hand, comes barreling behind the dog, and the pup runs around me and literally, and I'm not exagerating, ATTACKS Killian. I was FLOORED. Had to grab their dog, my friend Judy took Killians leash, walked him away. I asked why she is so agressive. They say she has always been that way with "bigger dogs"......

*sigh*


I hate retractable leashes, and misbehaved dogs, it's not the dogs fault, it's yours....... 

-Thank you, I'll step off my soapbox now....


----------



## King&Skylar (Jun 3, 2010)

ahh some people are nuts! I would never have my dog on a retractable leash OR in a pet store if it was aggressive, let alone together! what was she thinking


----------



## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

I hated them before I had dogs. I used to bicycle to work in Seattle and people would walk their pocket dogs along the bike trail with those. The owner would be on one side and the dog across on the other side, with the stupid leash in my way. Never a "sorry" from an owner for not getting out of the way of me on my bicycle.


----------



## BlackPuppy (Mar 29, 2007)

WarrantsWifey said:


> I asked why she is so agressive. They say she has always been that way with "bigger dogs"......


Was your next question, "Why did to bring her to a store where you knew there would be other dogs, possible "bigger"?"


----------



## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

I had Luna at the vet when a little dog came in the door and around the corner and started jumping up in Luna's face. It was about 20 feet ahead of its owner, on a retractable leash. The owner finally comes around the corner and starts freaking out, screaming and asking if Luna bites. Um... maybe you should've thought of that before you decided to let your dog enter 20 feet ahead of you!


----------



## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

I've always hated retractable leashes - they drive me nuts for the same reasons all of you mentioned - namely lack of control over the animal when it's needed most.


----------



## vat (Jul 23, 2010)

All the stupid things do is allow the dog to walk the owner, duh! I have one but the only time I ever used it was on vacation at a cabin. I used it on our dog when we were in the yard. Never to walk though.


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

I wish, I had SO much to say, I just bit my tongue and walked away.....


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

vat said:


> All the stupid things do is allow the dog to walk the owner, duh! I have one but the only time I ever used it was on vacation at a cabin. I used it on our dog when we were in the yard. Never to walk though.


See I don't mind them having free run with one, like at a park, or when your at the beach.... but man, there are FEW times when those really are acceptable... :-[


----------



## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

I have one and I only use when we're at the lake. This way Gunner can go in the water (of which he's not a huge fan yet) and get a little further out and still be on a leash.
Otherwise...NO WAY!

I've had instances at Petsmart as well. We were in one aisle and I was looking at something and over in the next aisle I can hear a little dog just yapping it's fool head off. Next thing I know, this dog "appears" in my aisle, on a retractable and so far from it's owner that the dog is in my aisle and the owner is off in the next. It startled Gunner and he immediately broke his sit. The dog was yapping like mad and getting closer. Gunner lets out a loud bark and the owner finally appears and is now retracting the leash. I had control of Gunner and back into a sit. The lady proceeds to tell me that I shouldn't have an aggressive dog in here. :shocked:
I couldn't help but roll my eyes at her. The manager, who knew me well from working with Gunner in there, walks over, puts her hand out to Gunner, he sniffs, wags his tail and happily took a treat from her.
The manager tells the lady that she knows Gunner and he isn't aggressive. Then proceeded to tell the lady that just because she has a retractable leash doesn't mean she should let the dog roam where it pleased. :rofl:

People don't think!


----------



## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

As usual, it's not the equipment that is the problem, it is the owner that doesn't know how to use the equipment properly.

Retractable leashes have their time and place neither of which is on a crowded sidewalk or inside a store. I love my retractable leashes for late night walks when we won't run into anyone or walks through the woods when I want to give them a little more freedom but I use a 6 foot lead with a traffic handle when we are likely to run into people.


----------



## GSDGunner (Feb 22, 2011)

gsdraven said:


> As usual, it's not the equipment that is the problem, it is the owner that doesn't know how to use the equipment properly.


Couldn't agree more!


----------



## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

gsdraven said:


> As usual, it's not the equipment that is the problem, it is the owner that doesn't know how to use the equipment properly.
> 
> Retractable leashes have their time and place neither of which is on a crowded sidewalk or inside a store. I love my retractable leashes for late night walks when we won't run into anyone or walks through the woods when I want to give them a little more freedom but I use a 6 foot lead with a traffic handle when we are likely to run into people.


Ditto  

Retractable leashes were designed for water work in mind. It allowed dogs to swim but kept the leash tight so it didn't get caught on items under the water.


----------



## PaddyD (Jul 22, 2010)

Don't blame the equipment for the stupidity of the user. I have always used a retractable leash. But I have used it with great care. Have been using one for 15 years. Unless you are a complete boob there is no excuse for not using it properly. You can lock it to any length with a simple pop of the thumb. I find that the grip fits my hand and if the dog does pull then I am more comfortable holding her than with a strap leash. When there is traffic or people nearby I can lock it to 3,4,5, or 6 feet.... or any length. When I am at a park I can give her more, but not complete, freedom. The idea is to use your brain and anticipate situations. Strap leashes are difficult to keep off the ground and to keep from getting entangled. Any tool is not a tool if the user doesn't know how to use it.


----------



## Konotashi (Jan 11, 2010)

Retractable leashes suck when used by people that don't use them responsibly. However, I think they could be beneficial for recall training, if you get a good, strong one. We have a 20 ft. leash that's kind of a pain, because the dog gets tangled in it and all sorts of other things....

But I agree, for the most part, I hate the things too. Two times, I have had dogs on retractable leashes run out in front of my car while they were on a walk.


----------



## DharmasMom (Jul 4, 2010)

Like people said they have their time and place. I have one I use when I take Dharma hiking the trails at the nearby civil war battlefields. It allows her more freedom to roam but still give me control since I don't trust her off leash yet. I would never dream of using it in Petsmart or in the neighborhood though.


----------



## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

gsdraven said:


> As usual, it's not the equipment that is the problem, it is the owner that doesn't know how to use the equipment properly.


Absolutely true!


----------



## Sunstreaked (Oct 26, 2010)

We made a strap out of an old martingale collar and a click flat collar for our retractable. You slip your hand through the strap and if the dog suddenly pulls leash out of your hand, the handle of the retractable is still attached to you.


----------



## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

I use a flexi all the time with no problems... They have a lock. They can be locked from nothing to (I think?) 16 feet. I don't see how one would be worse off than a regular 6 foot leash and a dog they can't control.


----------



## smdaigle (Mar 14, 2008)

WarrantsWifey said:


> Personally, I HATE them, you don't have complete control of your dog and I've seen those dang things snap with a quick jerk......


Amen to that . . .

Retractable leashes have their uses but controlling a dog in a crowded pet store is not one of them! I actually have 2 large/lengthy retractable leashes that I use when I let my dogs out the front door in the morning. The dogs can go pretty far into the yard while I stay on the sidewalk. Even then I have to be careful to keep the brake on when we first walk outside . . . I learned this the hard way years ago when Rex saw a rabbit before I did. He had pulled most of the leash before I could react and I believe I did a face plant in the front yard. :blush:

That is the ONLY time/place/way I use a retractable leash!


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

See my problem is when people: A.) Don't know how to use it. B.) Don't use that frikin break button. C.) DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT.

I RARELY RARELY ever see somebody who knows how to use it correctly. The thing is most people use it on kick me dogs and they don't lock them and they end up struggling getting the dog back in control once it goes on a barking fit, that or the dog just takes off....

It all boils down to I don't like them, I would love to meet you guys who know HOW to use them so maybe I can look at those idiots and give them tips.... LOL!


----------



## smdaigle (Mar 14, 2008)

WarrantsWifey said:


> It all boils down to I don't like them, I would love to meet you guys who know HOW to use them so maybe I can look at those idiots and give them tips.... LOL!


Unfortunately a lot of them can't be helped! Years ago during my first obedience class this young guy came in with a wild boxer on a flexi leash. The guy was also wearing flip flops while trying to manage this out of control dog. The first thing the instructor did was put a choke collar on the dog with a leather leash and then got the dog into a heel position (after a few solid corrections). The dog's owner did ok during that first class but never showed up again . . . my guess is that he went back to having a wild dog on a flexi leash.


----------



## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

I can't stand flexi leads IF they're not used right, which most of the time they aren't. I use one occasionally but only if there's no other dogs or people around, if there are then I either A) don't have him oan flexi lead or B) lock it so it's really short. 

most people are dumb and don't use them correctly, used correctly and they're a good tool, especially for re-call training that way you're not tripping over this 30 ft long line


----------



## DunRingill (Dec 28, 2007)

DCluver33 said:


> I can't stand flexi leads IF they're not used right, which most of the time they aren't.


Same here. I had this grooming customer whose dog hated baths, well she used to bring her dog out on a flexi even after I told her repeatedly that a regular leash was a much better idea. Dog (oversize Keeshond) would take one look at the van and hit the end of the flexi, and she'd FOLLOW the freakin' dog trying to get him to come back...and he'd just lead her further and further away. I told her the clock starts when I ring the doorbell......worse, one time she couldn't find the flexi and opened the door and let the dog out offlead, saying "Oh don't worry, he won't run away!" You can guess what happened next. The dog was smarter than the owner.

My hatred of flexis was cemented the time a friend had her huge male rottie on a flexi and I ended up with flexi-burns on the back of both knees after he ran around behind me. OUCH! And you know what you do when that happens? You grab the line with your hand to get it off the back of your knees, and your hand gets burned too. double-ouch!!!


----------



## doggiedad (Dec 2, 2007)

it's not the leash. it's irresponsible owners who didn't train
their dogs.



GSD_Xander said:


> I've always hated retractable leashes - they drive me nuts for the same reasons all of you mentioned - namely lack of control over the animal when it's needed most.


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

I cant stand retractable leashes. I've seen a few of them snap because the owners didnt know how to use the darn thing correctly and i've even hit someone dog in my car because they allowed the dog full control of where it went so the dog ran out in front of my car when he saw another dog across the street. They are dangerous and stupid and IMO should require people to take a handler class to use them more often than not. Those who use them correctly its perfectly fine but most people dont. The dog i hit was fine and the next time i saw the owner walking the dog, he was on a regular 6 foot leash and not allowed as much freedom. The owner didnt blame me for hitting the dog and no money out of my pocket because they were at least smart enough to realize it was on them that the dog got hit in the first place. He's also lucky i'd JUST had new brakes installed on my car too a couple days earlier so a quick slam on the brakes stopped the dog from ending up under my tires instead of just bouncing off my bumper. I HATE retractable leashes. Almost passionately.


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

It must have been terrible to see your dog attacked by a 4 mo puppy!


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

codmaster said:


> It must have been terrible to see your dog attacked by a 4 mo puppy!


 
i honestly dont think thats the point. Its the fact the owner of the puppy was completely irresponsible in the fact not ONLY did they have the dog on a retractable leash NOT locked in a pet store, but the owner also wasnt paying enough attention to their dog to initiate some control over the fact their dog just bolted towards another dog. Regardless of whether he attacked or not, it was poor behavior on the owners part for not locking the leash and maintaining hold.


----------



## carmspack (Feb 2, 2011)

retractable leashes -- worst thing ever --- 
go to "petsmart-ownerstupid" store to social dog , walk around the aisles etc. and there are dogs going ape barking and the owner just lets the leash unroll , dog stiff legged bounce over to where I am . owner says - he's friendly , its okay , he just wants to visit -- NO it is not okay . little black smoke clouds over head .

see the commercial where someone is walking an unseen dog and all you see is miles of leash , down the side walk , up the stairs, to child's room and finally to his food dish. grrr 

furthermore you don't have any feel for the dog that you would have with a normal leash -- a leash (dog) and a rein (horse) are for communication. 

Carmen
Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

KZoppa said:


> i honestly dont think thats the point. Its the fact the owner of the puppy was completely irresponsible in the fact not ONLY did they have the dog on a retractable leash NOT locked in a pet store, but the owner also wasnt paying enough attention to their dog to initiate some control over the fact their dog just bolted towards another dog. Regardless of whether he attacked or not, it was poor behavior on the owners part for not locking the leash and maintaining hold.


*"....and the pup runs around me and literally, and I'm not exagerating, ATTACKS Killian."*

This was my point, and what I was talking about - just what the poster said about the puppy ATTACKING her bigger and older dog.


----------



## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

Sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who never has these problems in public.

I take my dogs places all the time and have for years and I can honestly say I've never had anything mean said to me or my dogs, never had someone come up and tell me my dog is ugly or aggressive, never been attacked in a store, and never had an employee tell me anything odd. Parents don't scoop their little kids up when we come around and people don't run away screaming.

I have, on the other hand, met many nice people there who compliment my dogs on how well behaved they are, how beautiful they are, and ask to pet them. We go to both petsmart and petco as well as pet supplies plus, TSC, and a few other places they are welcome.


----------



## RockinIt (Jan 29, 2011)

WarrantsWifey said:


> See I don't mind them having free run with one, like at a park, or when your at the beach.... but man, there are FEW times when those really are acceptable... :-[


 
The ONLY time our dogs are ever on retractable leashes is when we're traveling. We only use it for when we are at a rest area letting them go to the bathroom. If we're at the rest stop for any longer than that we have their shorter leash to put them on or tie them with while we eat or stretch, but we don't usually spend that much time at rest areas. When we get to wherever we're going they are either on their regular 6ft leash or off leash depending on where we're at (hotels = 6ft, parent's homes = off leash). 

We haven't used them in so long that I read my reply to Joker before submitting it and he said, "Wait...we don't have retractable leashes do we?" Bahahaha!!!


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

carmspack said:


> furthermore you don't have any feel for the dog that you would have with a normal leash -- a leash (dog) and a rein (horse) are for communication.
> 
> Carmen
> Carmspack Working German Shepherd Dogs


I agree the leash is a line of communication to the dog, and the retractable is not giving any signals except that the dog is tethered to their owner. I have one, a good quality with webbing, not cable, and I haven't used it since Onyx was a young puppy...it hangs on a hook in the garage.


----------



## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

codmaster said:


> It must have been terrible to see your dog attacked by a 4 mo puppy!


Believe it or not, it could've been terrible. The PUPPY could've been hurt, and then who do you think would've been blamed? The cute, little pup, or the big adult dog? We all know who was really to blame (the puppy's owner) but in reality blame rarely falls where it belongs.


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

Would your adult dog attack a 4 mo puppy? If so it sounds like he/she might have some issues, maybe.

My 3 yo male who does have issues with some other adult male dogs would and has not reacted at all aggressively to young puppies "attacking" him even to jumping on his head.

Of course the puppy owner should control his puppy better but c'mon, realistically it is going to happen sometimes and our dogs should have a good enough temperament and nerve not to react violently to a small puppy (or for that matter a young child).

Just my thoughts on the subject - feel free to disagree and justify an adult reacting to a young puppy. 

I just find it kind of hard to think of a 4 mo puppy "attacking" anything other than his/her meal!


----------



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

It's not the retractable leash's fault. It's the owners who use those with untrained dogs or do not PAY ATTENTION to their dogs while on the leash.

Retractable leashes have their place if used correctly. That place is not a pet store. Unfortunately a lot of people use them incorrectly. They should never be used in a place like a pet store or any crowded place IMO, unless they are locked short.

I used one with my well trained/off-leash-trained Golden for certain situations such as "potty breaks" on vacation. She knew the leash's limit and when to stop, usually kept within a few feet of me and also knew if I 'grazed' the leash (stutter the 'lock' button) she should slow down or stop and would never take off running while on it.
I wouldn't use one on a beach. I did try that once, the casing ended up full of sand and I had to take it apart and clean it out before I could use it again.


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

codmaster said:


> It must have been terrible to see your dog attacked by a 4 mo puppy!


You must stalk my posts to start stuff... I swear you must have an obession with my handsome beautiful looking boy!!

Seriously, Killian was well behaved, and the dog DID get vicious. Snarling, Snapping and trying to BITE at him. I don't care WHAT age the dog was. Yes, she was small, YES, she could have caused SOME damage. But if Killian were not so well behaved he could have tore into her. The point was, the dog made an attack. Not the same size attack as maybe a three year old GSD would, but she was not playing. She was serious. This pup needs to be trained, she REALLY could have gotten hurt..... 


Thanks for stalking my post again today! See you tomorrow!!


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

Rerun said:


> I have, on the other hand, met many nice people there who compliment my dogs on how well behaved they are, how beautiful they are, *and ask to pet them*


Nobody ever asks to pet Killian, they just go ahead and pet him.... I chalk it up to he is SO irresistible and try not to think how ignorant they really they are. 

I swear, my dog could be the worst behaved, most horrible dog ever, and they just stick their hands out and touch his head.... LOL!! They don't know!! LOL!!


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

WarrantsWifey said:


> You must stalk my posts to start stuff... I swear you must have an obession with my handsome beautiful looking boy!!
> 
> Seriously, Killian was well behaved, and the dog DID get vicious. Snarling, Snapping and trying to BITE at him. I don't care WHAT age the dog was. Yes, she was small, YES, she could have caused SOME damage. But if Killian were not so well behaved he could have tore into her. The point was, the dog made an attack. Not the same size attack as maybe a three year old GSD would, but she was not playing. She was serious. This pup needs to be trained, she REALLY could have gotten hurt.....
> 
> ...


 
see i know people say all the time that puppies arent being aggressive when they do something but i've seen some pretty poorly tempered pups who were in fact aggressive. its rare but it does happen. You never know what kind of start those kinds of pups had. some pups get so messed up in their first couple of months, they will attack other animals no problems. As we werent there i dont think we can assume this wasnt one of those rare cases where the puppy is actually badly tempered early on.


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

WarrantsWifey said:


> You must stalk my posts to start stuff... I swear you must have an obession with my handsome beautiful looking boy!!
> 
> Seriously, Killian was well behaved, and the dog DID get vicious. Snarling, Snapping and trying to BITE at him. I don't care WHAT age the dog was. Yes, she was small, YES, she could have caused SOME damage. But if Killian were not so well behaved he could have tore into her. The point was, the dog made an attack. Not the same size attack as maybe a three year old GSD would, but she was not playing. She was serious. This pup needs to be trained, she REALLY could have gotten hurt.....
> Thanks for stalking my post again today! See you tomorrow!!


*"Stalk your posts?"*
HA! HA! Don't flatter yourself (unless you really want to!).

I just thought it was pretty funny to hear about any large dog being ATTACKED by a 4 mo puppy! Must have been a terrible attack.

Just out of curiosity, didn't YOUR dog try to protect his owner in the face of such an attack?

*"Snarling, Snapping and trying to BITE at him. I don't care WHAT age the dog was. Yes, she was small, YES, she could have caused SOME damage."*

Guess I should apologize for doubting such an attack, as it could have been serious from the sound of it, what with snarling and snapping and biting!

Hopefully that puppy won't bother you and your dog anymore.


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

codmaster said:


> *"Stalk your posts?"*
> HA! HA! Don't flatter yourself (unless you really want to!).
> 
> I just thought it was pretty funny to hear about any large dog being ATTACKED by a 4 mo puppy! Must have been a terrible attack.
> ...


1. Are you serious????
2. Your ridiculous!!
3. Go troll somewhere else....


----------



## kidkhmer (Jul 14, 2010)

Sorry but I think RLs are the *removed*thing on the planet.


----------



## Blazings (Jan 24, 2011)

Why is everyone bashing so much on these leashes?  We always used a retractable leash with out beagle. She walked next to us during the walk and we could let her do her business without taking off the leash right away. How do you let your dog pee when it's on a 2m leash? Do you follow your dog around through the poo of other dogs or do you take off the leash?
I also take care of someone else's dog during their holiday and I always take the retractable leash in stead of the 2m leather one. The lab is a great dog, but I'll never take the dog of someone else off leash, because I don't know if he'll listen to me if I call him back. It's the only way I can let him do his business without walking through the poo field while he's finding a nice spot 
And no I don't let him walk me either.. I don't have any problems correcting a dog with a retractable leash 

*EDIT:* While walking I have the thing locked. I say when the dog is allowed to do his business or roam around freely (when we arrive at the forest).


----------



## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

Blazings said:


> Why is everyone bashing so much on these leashes?  We always used a retractable leash with out beagle. She walked next to us during the walk and we could let her do her business without taking off the leash right away. How do you let your dog pee when it's on a 2m leash? Do you follow your dog around through the poo of other dogs or do you take off the leash?
> I also take care of someone else's dog during their holiday and I always take the retractable leash in stead of the 2m leather one. The lab is a great dog, but I'll never take the dog of someone else off leash, because I don't know if he'll listen to me if I call him back. It's the only way I can let him do his business without walking through the poo field while he's finding a nice spot
> And no I don't let him walk me either.. I don't have any problems correcting a dog with a retractable leash
> 
> *EDIT:* While walking I have the thing locked. I say when the dog is allowed to do his business or roam around freely (when we arrive at the forest).


 
bashing because the vast majority of those who DO use them, dont do so properly. A small percentage of people who use them and use them properly are rare. YOU handle it smartly from the way you describe. Most others dont.


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

I use retractables when its appropriate. Certainly NOT in a store like petsmart/petco. 

and I honestly don't care how old this puppy was, if he came charging over to my dog like that, I would have been MIGHTY PEEVED. I would be more peeved at that vs them using a retractable. 

4 months old, they aren't the size of an 8 week old.

While may be some dogs would be forgiving of such behavior, there are MANY that would not. Mine included, altho she does get the 'whatfor' from my sister's papillons quite a bit

codmaster, your comments re: the 4 month old are pretty snarky and uncalled for in my opinion. It wasn't constructive. Maybe YOUR dog would stand there and 'take it', if mine was being 'attacked', she is not going to stand there and think "oh it's just a 4month old puppy no big deal" , she's going to bite their head off if she has the opportunity. 

I guess I don't 'get' why anyone would think a 4month old can NOT be aggressive?


----------



## Rott-n-GSDs (Jul 7, 2010)

codmaster said:


> Would your adult dog attack a 4 mo puppy? If so it sounds like he/she might have some issues, maybe.


I have not been here long enough to know if you are a troll or not, so I apologize to the members if I am inadvertantly feeding one by responding.

If a 4 month old (particularly if it was male) puppy came charging into my Rottweiler's face, snarling and snapping, my Rott would defend himself. He would not simply stand there and take it. I do not consider it a behavioral "issue," just common sense on my dog's part not to get bitten. Even four month old puppies do have teeth, you know.



Blazings said:


> Why is everyone bashing so much on these leashes?  We always used a retractable leash with out beagle. She walked next to us during the walk and we could let her do her business without taking off the leash right away.


Personally, I have rarely seen them used properly. I simply cringe when driving down a busy street when I see people walking a dog that's way out front of them on a flexi. It's like they don't understand that the dog can EASILY go sideways onto the street and right out into traffic. My vet clinic says they see many, many such instances every year. That is the main reason they discourage flexis.

I used one with Luna when she was a puppy to let her out to potty in the yard before I had a fence. None of them lasted very long with a rambunctious GSD puppy on the other end, and I found it rather troublesome when I did apply the "lock" feature. It's so sudden... and I don't fancy jerking my dog's neck every time I want to lock the leash. We were able to successfully train her that "stop!" meant the leash was about to lock or run out and she should stop on her own before she got jerked... but sometimes puppy zoomies would get in the way of reason. If another dog would've run up to us while she was on an extended flexi, there's no way I would've been able to "reel her in" in time to effectively control her. So, even used properly, they are somewhat dangerous. I've found it was a lot easer to reel her in on a long line where I could just reach down and grab the line at a lower point.


----------



## CarrieJ (Feb 22, 2011)

Add me to the long list of "I HATE FLEXI-LEASHES" If anyone finds a behavorist or trainer that thinks they are a good idea, it would be like a cardiologist buying you a pack of smokes.



I especially enjoy watching the people who have the "Bully/Terrier" type of dogs wearing a prong collar on a flexi-lead with the dog twenty feet out in front of them. (WTF?) 

(apologies for the text slang)


----------



## valreegrl (Nov 11, 2009)

Most retractable leashes now come with warnings. Many people have sustained injuries, some extensive. And it isn't always the person using the leash. When they break it is like a whip flying through the air ready to cut anything in it's path. 
I have even seen a dog get wrapped around someone legs and the pulling and retracting causing cuts and burns. Kids running past and the leash catching them in the neck. 
They should be locked up behind a counter and only given out for purchase if someone passes the "stupid test"


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

JakodaCD OA said:


> ........
> 4 months old, they aren't the size of an 8 week old. *No, they are the size of a 4 mo!*
> 
> While may be some dogs would be forgiving of such behavior, there are MANY that would not. Mine included, altho she does get the 'whatfor' from my sister's papillons quite a bit *And I assume that it would be ok for your dog to retaliate toward such a little dog as well as attacking a 4 mo puppy?*
> ...


Probably because they are still a baby at 4 months old! 

Would you expect your baby 4 mo pup to protect you from harm also? They are babies!


Read many of the threads on this very forum about puppy behavior and aggression and "protectivness" and the lack of such in little puppies!


BTW, haven't you ever heard of "the puppy pass" - this is where any adult dog with a normal temperament will let puppies of up to 5-6 months old get away with behavior that would warrent a correction in an older puppy?

But on the other hand, we each have to set what we consider to be acceptable behavior behavior for our dogs. And we do and then live with it. To each his/her own.

I don't want, don't expect, and will not accept that kind of aggressive behavior from my dog toward little puppies or little kids for that matter.

You have a nice day.


----------



## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

At the end of our rally class the puppy class comes in-and the adult dogs really look forward to them coming in-I do think that most of them would tolerate puppy behavior but maybe the owner of the 4 month old should have corrected the pup who knows- I do think retractable leashes and long lines can be hazardous. Was walking Rorie on a retractable with my cousins little dog and they started to play and got tangled it was a little scary


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

Codmaster, my dog didn't show aggression. Since were fostering a younger pup, he understands no matter how unacceptable the behavior is, he must BEHAVE!! 

And if that's why you EXPECT, why prod me and ask me if my 8 month old pup felt he needed to "protect" me!?! To start something?!?


----------



## Caledon (Nov 10, 2008)

I have a friend who insits on using a retractable leash on her sheltie. The dog does have issues with bikes and joggers. On one walk she saw a jogger approach, got the dog close to her, and thought that she had locked the leash. Wrong. The dog bolted after the jogger and muzzle punched her in the calf.

This is why I do not like them for everyday walks. I have used one for training purposes and hikes, but I always have a leather tab hanging from the collar so I can easily grab on to that vs. burning my hands on the nylon webbing. Never had to use it though, but the day I was not prepared would be the day I needed it.

Dakota was bit by a jack russel at Woof Stock. She was walking nicely beside me and the terrior was on a retractable leash, again, owner thought the leash was locked.

To me, when I see a dog on a retractable leash, I read "inexperienced owner" and make sure we are not in range.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

Just wanted to point out that some of you newer members may not realize that we have an "ignore" feature on the board that you can use if there's anyone's posts you'd prefer not to read.


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

Cassidy's Mom, NO WAY!! I need that!! <3 Where can I find that one?!


----------



## holland (Jan 11, 2009)

LOL-post back about how it works for you


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

WW, try clicking on someone's username and see if it's an option in the drop down box. As a mod I don't have the ability to ignore anyone, so I'm not sure if that's why I'm not seeing it. I knew how to do it on the old (prior to 2/2010) software but I'm not exactly sure how to do it now! If that doesn't work, let me know and I'll find out for you.


----------



## gsdraven (Jul 8, 2009)

WarrantsWifey said:


> Cassidy's Mom, NO WAY!! I need that!! <3 Where can I find that one?!


Click on the User's name and then click on "View Public Profile". Once there, you will see a menu called "User Lists" under the person's name. Click the white arrow and you'll see "Add to Ignore List".


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

I found it, you click the username, go to their page, under their name on the left it says Users List, click that and there is a drop down menu, and thats where the ignore option is...


Life is blissful again! LMFAO!!


----------



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Yes, retractable leashes can be dangerous/bad for a dog _when used inappropriately_. You can say the same about lots of things including long lines, slip(choke) collars, prong collars, headcollars, etc... I would not use a retractable with a dog who bolts, who is untrained, who is shy or aggressive; or in places like a pet store, festival, any crowded place or where they are likely to run into other dogs or people. 

I do use one as I said in certain situations, which means not the above. I don't know if all the leashes have this but the one I have, where the retractable part ends and the short end section begins, there is a loop like a regular leash has. If I needed to control my dog with the leash (which I generally don't, as I usually only use a retractable with dogs who do not need a leash for control) I call them back to my side, lock the leash and hold the flat nylon loop section like you would hold a regular leash. This means it doesn't actually matter if the leash is locked or not so if I forgot (which I've never had happen) it wouldn't matter. I have as much control as if the dog was on a 1-2 foot regular leash.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

gsdraven said:


> Click on the User's name and then click on "View Public Profile". Once there, you will see a menu called "User Lists" under the person's name. Click the white arrow and you'll see "Add to Ignore List".


Thanks Jamie! It used to be right there in the drop down box when you clicked on the username, you didn't have to go to their profile before.


----------



## Cassidy's Mom (Mar 30, 2003)

I know that there are appropriate uses for flexis, but I can honestly say I've never seen one used properly, meaning in a circumstance where you'd need that extra length and a regular 6 ft leash wouldn't have been a better choice. :shrug: 

I don't live in the country, I live in a major metropolitan area in the suburbs. Everybody has fenced yards. So I see people walking their dog down a busy street on a flexi with the dog 15 feet ahead of them, or at the pet store with the dog completely out of their control. People bring their dogs to training classes on flexis, even when the instructions specifically say not to. I've seen them at off leash parks - one guy ended up with the leash wrapped several times around a bush and had to stop and untangle his dog, and another person's flexi got wrapped around Halo's leg. Fortunately the other dog was just standing there and I was able to keep her still long enough to step out of it before it tightened, but I'm always afraid a flexi will act like a garrote and nearly strangle some poor dog. I saw many people with their dogs on flexi at the Pet Expo which was a zoo, it so crowded that Keefer and I were squeezing our way past all the people and dogs.

It seems to me that most people use them because they don't want to bother to train their dogs to walk on leash, and they also mostly seem unaware of the danger of having their dog that far away from them. I cringe when I see someone with a little yorkie or similar sized dog way ahead of the owner as they walk down the street. The dog is in the middle of a driveway going into a store parking lot before the people are. Cars are looking for people crossing in front of them, but would they necessarily notice a tiny little dog 10 feet in front of those people, that's RIGHT in front of their car?


----------



## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

To answer since they were directed at me

Probably because they are still a baby at 4 months old! 
*Maybe still a baby, we weren't there, don't know the background of the puppy.*

Would you expect your baby 4 mo pup to protect you from harm also? They are babies! *I don't recall saying I would expect my 4mth old puppy to "protect" me, from the situation described this wasn't about 'protection',,most likely a fear aggressive response or just a plain unsocialized little butthead.*


Read many of the threads on this very forum about puppy behavior and aggression and "protectivness" and the lack of such in little puppies! *So, since you haven't found a post saying someone's 4mth old puppy is aggressive , that it must not exist? *


BTW, haven't you ever heard of "the puppy pass" - this is where any adult dog with a normal temperament will let puppies of up to 5-6 months old get away with behavior that would warrent a correction in an older puppy?
*Of course I have, and I've seen it with most of my dogs, but as I said,,,you think a dog is going to think "GEE it's a puppy just let him rip into me, it's a puppy pass?" That's ridiculous. If you think the majority of dogs would stand there , do nothing while allowing another dog to come charging up looking to start something, your living on another planet. *

But on the other hand, we each have to set what we consider to be acceptable behavior behavior for our dogs. And we do and then live with it. To each his/her own.

I don't want, don't expect, and will not accept that kind of aggressive behavior from my dog toward little puppies or little kids for that matter.

*You make it sound like this was an 8 week old puppy, 4months old can be the size of my aussies. The OP was talking about a dog that came charging up to, snarling, growling , looking for trouble with her dog. THAT is not acceptable behavior in my book. *

*So I guess if your dog got charged by a small dog that was ready to rip him a new one, and you weren't right there to protect him, it would be unacceptable to you for your dog to defend himself? *

*I guess I don't understand why you feel a "normal tempered" dog would just stand there and say "go ahead, bite me, rip into my face, no problem".*


----------



## WarrantsWifey (Dec 18, 2010)

I love that Kilian didn't get aggressive, he did get vocal but his main instinct was to rear up on hind hind legs to get his face away from the pup. I handed my girlfriend his leash and I was pulling on the pups collar, and she walked Kilian away. He acted like nothing happened afterwards. 

He wasn't harmed, he didn't misbehave, and he didn't attack back. I'm proud of him. He was VERY well behaved. He didn't feel the need to protect me, since I wasn't the one the pup was after. Killian was the king of cool. He knew I was gonna protect him so he reacted perfectly. It was just a stunning looking little puppy with really bad manners. :-(

I can't believe any GSD pup could be that unsocialized so it would react that way to larger dogs. Bad owners! If I could have that baby, I'd take her still, she's young enough to be retrained and she was SO CUTE. Too bad she was a little demon in a tiny body! LMBO!!


----------



## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

Cassidy's Mom said:


> I know that there are appropriate uses for flexis, but I can honestly say I've never seen one used properly, meaning in a circumstance where you'd need that extra length and a regular 6 ft leash wouldn't have been a better choice.


Well in most situations where they are being used properly, there would not be a lot of other people around; (or the leash would be locked short and you probably wouldn't realize the dog was even on a retractable) so it's not surprising people would mostly see them being used improperly.


----------



## codmaster (Aug 5, 2009)

WarrantsWifey said:


> I love that Kilian didn't get aggressive, he did get vocal but his main instinct was to rear up on hind hind legs to get his face away from the pup. I handed my girlfriend his leash and I was pulling on the pups collar, and she walked Kilian away. He acted like nothing happened afterwards.
> 
> He wasn't harmed, he didn't misbehave, and he didn't attack back. I'm proud of him. He was VERY well behaved. He didn't feel the need to protect me, since I wasn't the one the pup was after. Killian was the king of cool. He knew I was gonna protect him so he reacted perfectly. It was just a stunning looking little puppy with really bad manners. :-(
> 
> I can't believe any GSD pup could be that unsocialized so it would react that way to larger dogs. Bad owners! If I could have that baby, I'd take her still, she's young enough to be retrained and she was SO CUTE. Too bad she was a little demon in a tiny body! LMBO!!


 
That sounds great that your dog ignores the pesky little puppy.

And that is all I said that a normal temperamented dog SHOULD do - ignore the little puppy acting like a fool. 

Of course the puppy owner should correct the puppy - but the bigger dog should NOT act agressive like some of the folks on this forum seemed to think was acceptable behavior in THEIR dog to react to a little puppy acting like that (and "bite their face" or some such nonsense!).


----------



## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

I think it is completely appropriate for an older dog to put a pesky little puppy in their place. After all, that is all part of a puppy lgrowing-up learning process. Different dogs will have different tolerance level as to how much they will put up with, but it does not mean that there is something wrong with the older dog if they don't want to put up with that kind of irritation. 

Even the dam of such pups will give them a muzzle correction if need be - (lightning quick nip to the muzzle). Of course, if an adult dog did this, which is completely appropriate in the doggy social world - then the adult dog would be vilified for attacking. So yeah, if you have a puppy, keep it under control, regardless.


----------



## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Killian is a pup himself, I would hope he would not have reacted, though wouldn't blame him if he did.

I wouldn't necessarily blame the owners or lack of socializing, many times it is genetics that make a puppy that young react.
Pet stores are great venues to socialize, but there is always going to be out of control dogs, clueless owners and people that your pup will be exposed to...training opportunity? Or a risk....I personally don't like taking my dogs to pet stores, but there are little options to socialize pups to these great "training opportunities"


----------



## emsoskar (Oct 17, 2008)

codmaster said:


> That sounds great that your dog ignores the pesky little puppy.
> 
> And that is all I said that a normal temperamented dog SHOULD do - ignore the little puppy acting like a fool.
> 
> Of course the puppy owner should correct the puppy - but the bigger dog should NOT act agressive like some of the folks on this forum seemed to think was acceptable behavior in THEIR dog to react to a little puppy acting like that (and "bite their face" or some such nonsense!).


I'm still dumbfounded as to why you felt the need to pick out the whole "puppy attacking" issue out of the original post. What does it matter?? It's like your entire intentions were to start something. Yes she said, the 4 month old puppy ATTACKED Killian. Bentley is 3.5 mos, and he weighed in at over 30 lbs last week, that's nearly half the size of most adult gsds. I have a deep (enough to require stitches) gash on my finger from one of his shark razors accidentally getting it while taking a treat. Even at 4 mos, a "puppy" can cause damage. I know I wouldn't be happy if that happened to me.


----------



## sagelfn (Aug 13, 2009)

I just bought a retractable leash yesterday. The backyard is a mud pit and once weather is nicer I will be redoing it so if I don't feel like giving Sage a bath he has been going potty in the front yard. I was sick of him getting tangled up with the long line and Sage is too weird to potty on a regular length leash.

The retractable works great for this. I may also use it on leashed hikes where there is water he can splash around in but I will switch leashes and only use the retractable when we are at the water and people are not around. I do not trust these leashes. If I did not have solid OB with Sage I would not even consider it. Sage is 85lbs and if he were the type to take off after a squirrel I would not trust some thin nylon leash being stopped by a push button lock to keep him from taking off. 

I did read the instructions and was disappointed to see that there is nothing saying to only use with flat collars or only using with trained dogs in areas that are not crowded. I have seen several dogs on flexi leads with choke collars. I have had many encounters with little ankle biters on flexis while the ower yells at the dog from 20ft away.


----------



## Lauri & The Gang (Jun 28, 2001)

I have several flexi leashes and I *LOVE *them!!

To say flexi leashes are bad is like saying Pit Bulls are bad. You cannot cast blame on an entire group just because of the actions of a few.

As for the behavior of the 4 month old puppy, around here my guys would have grabbed that puppy firmly (but gently) by the neck, fwomped her to the floor and held there until she submitted. My dogs know the difference between a puppy wanting to PLAY (even rough play) and a puppy wanting to start trouble.


----------



## smdaigle (Mar 14, 2008)

For those that are concerned that a flexi leash isn't strong enough you should see mine . . . they are made of 3/4" nylon webbing and have pretty hefty handles and brake mechanisms. They work great for trips to the yard without me having to go out into the grass. I'm not worried about one of these leashes breaking on me. The bigger problem is the possiblility of me dropping it if I'm not paying attention (learned my lesson years ago . . . see my earlier post).

Again, I would personally never use one of these to go for a walk or out in public but they work great for potty breaks. I haven't tried using one for recall training but that might work too.


----------

