Retractable Leashes—A Horrible Idea

I have written other pieces on getting your canine fitted with the right equipment—but in today's article I wanted to express my disdain with the worst apparatus for walking your best bud, the retractable leash. Honestly, especially if you are a new dog owner, I do see the appeal. Companies marketing these devices perform an outstanding job, focusing on customers who are not yet savvy about how to walk a dog correctly. At first blush, they appear to be a nifty gadget to keep Fido at bay, engineered with a cool trigger to reel him in when needed. However, this doggy yo-yo can cause major problems, injuring your precious pup or you, the handler.

The original retractable leash was designed for recall drills in order to teach a dog to come to the owner on command. They were much longer and never designed to take dogs on walks. However, with a couple of tweaks, companies soon saw the potential to sell these oscillating corded contraptions as proper leashes. But the reality is, as they stand now, these devices perform no training purpose and are extremely dangerous. Here are a couple of reasons why they are so harmful:
  • Some of these leashes can extend up to 26 feet, allowing dogs to get too far away from their owners, causing a potential problem. Dogs on these retractable leashes, for example, can run into the street or make uninvited contact with other dogs or humans.
  • As noted above, if an aggressive dog approaches, it is almost impossible to take control of the situation. It is far more easier and safer to deal with this scenario when your pup is attached to a standard six foot standard flat leash.
  • The thin cords often break on these retractable leashes, resulting in a run away dog.
  • Dog walkers, utilizing these leashes, have been tangled up in the cord, resulting in burns, cuts and even amputation...yes, amputation.
I could go on, but that should be enough to get anyone off of using these horrible devices. There really is no need.

The main function of walking and working with your dog is to teach your bud that you, the human is in charge. It's not to reel your dog in and out, while you stand idly by in one spot, simply staring at your cell phone. There is a proper protocol involved when walking your dog, combining coordination, effort and timing. It's impossible to perform this task with a retractable leash. Therefore, please toss the retractable and stick with the standard flat leash. Old school, is the best school.


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