We were to the part of working on skills at a new client appointment the other day. She brought out a retractable leash.
When I asked her whether she had a regular 6 ft leash, she first asked a pretty common question, “If I keep it locked, isn’t it ok to use the retractable leash?”
I didn’t get in to all of the reasons why I don’t recommend retractable leashes then. I did, however, bring up the bulkiness of the handle which could not only be pulled out of her hand, it is just more difficult to manage, especially as we were about to work on teaching new skills – to both the person and the dog – and has the potential to malfunction.That was enough for her to go inside and get her standard leash and we went on with our lesson.
However, since retractable leashes are so commonly used by people to walk their dogs, I thought I’d share my other reasons for avoiding using them on loose leash walks.
1. Anything mechanical has the potential for breaking. This includes retractable leashes that, over time, may not extend or retract properly, or may unspool at will. While none of those occurrences would be good, unspooling at will can mean a dog running into danger or even being the cause of danger. The thin line can also break more easily whether because of a strong and/or strong-willed dog or a dog wrapping its leash around something. If the cord or handle malfunctions, and the cord snaps or gets caught around a finger, there have been cases of injury including burns, cuts and even los of that limb. The sudden jerk of going from a leash with tension on it (from a pulling dog) to snapping back, could topple the handler on the other end. It isn’t something you want to think about, but the potential is there.
2. Speaking of potential for bodily injury, even without breakage, if that thin cord was around a wrist, a hand or a finger and the attached dog decided to take off in pursuit of something, yikes! I hate to think of what could happen.
3. When a dog is given a lot of line on the leash (they can extend up to 26 feet), even if it is locked, bolting to the end could mean a pretty harsh jerk to both that dog and its handler. Other possible cautions – the dog could run into the street or at another dog (that could be aggressive, or your dog could be the aggressor) or person, the dog could run through and around shrubbery to get into a tangled mess. (Of course, this can be true with any leash that is extended 26 feet – something to keep in mind.)
4. If the handle gets dropped, I have seen dogs get really spooked by this clunky piece of plastic coming after them. If a dog already has fear and anxiety issues, that can be terrifying. Besides all the other scenarios that I mentioned above.
5. Now what if you are using the retractable leash as it is intended? To extend and shorten as your dog moves? It most certainly is not a good training tool since it is not offering clear feedback to your dog. There is also the problem of your dog’s ability to get too close to something or someone. In small spaces like a veterinary reception area or an outdoor restaurant (and other dogs may already be in a heightened state of stress in a veterinary office), your dog wandering to encroach on other dogs’ space could cause that dog to show defensive behaviors.
My concluding advice? Be safe and use a regular leash instead.
