Retractable leash?

Oh, another pet peeve about Flexis? Don't let your dog come up to me when you're 20'+ feet away and restraining my (having a snit fit, already been attacked once today) corgi and scream "HE"S FRIENDLY!" Your dog may be, but mine really *isn't*, especially if you have a large, neutered male (for some reason he does fine with most intact males) who ignores the subtle communications in favor of trying to get Indy to play by pouncing on him. 

But secondly if your big dog bolts on a flexi for whatever reason, that flexi is not going to hold your dog.

 
I guess the real truth is, if your big dog bolts (such as a really big dog-Dane, St Bernard, etc etc etc) probably I'm not going to hold her back to begin with. So we have to make sure we can control our dog any way we walk with them.   There is nothing stopping you (me) from grabbing the leash part of that Flexi..and have when a little dog (unleashed) came running barking at us as though it was going to attack.  If I were in a situation where that might happen often I wouldn't use the Flexi,,,but on the rare occasion that happens you can grab that leash just like any others..you don't have to just hold it by the handle.  

ORIGINAL: dyan

But secondly if your big dog bolts on a flexi for whatever reason, that flexi is not going to hold your dog.

I guess the real truth is, if your big dog bolts (such as a really big dog-Dane, St Bernard, etc etc etc) probably I'm not going to hold her back to begin with. So we have to make sure we can control our dog any way we walk with them.   There is nothing stopping you (me) from grabbing the leash part of that Flexi..and have when a little dog (unleashed) came running barking at us as though it was going to attack.  If I were in a situation where that might happen often I wouldn't use the Flexi,,,but on the rare occasion that happens you can grab that leash just like any others..you don't have to just hold it by the handle.  

Having had hunting dogs I have learned that no matter how well they're trained they are sighthounds and their eyes are hardwired to their asses. I don't know anything about great danes though so I can't speak to their predisposition. I can hold my dogs when they bolt - they remember someone's at the end of the leash when they're brought up short. They're still crying and hysterical (there's DEER! don't you see the DEEEER! please let me get the DEEEEEER).  I'd much rather at that time have a leash than a cord, LOL.

JMO
Paula

Paula, I so sympathize. Because Marlowe is not normally a puller, I often walk him on a comfort harness (not a no-pull, just a regular ole harness) so that if he does lunge and try to bolt at prey he won't injure is neck and I can have better control over him. We've done really well with training him to not lunge but instead to sit and watch when he sees a prey animal, but he's not 100% with that and probably will never be. It's the nature of the hound, alas. []

ORIGINAL: houndlove

Paula, I so sympathize. Because Marlowe is not normally a puller, I often walk him on a comfort harness (not a no-pull, just a regular ole harness) so that if he does lunge and try to bolt at prey he won't injure is neck and I can have better control over him. We've done really well with training him to not lunge but instead to sit and watch when he sees a prey animal, but he's not 100% with that and probably will never be. It's the nature of the hound, alas. []

LOL Yoshi is walked on a harness as well. He can heel on a harness mind, but I cheat when I'm going up hill and let him pull me.  I also use the harness for safety. When he loses his mind on deer I won't hurt his neck.

Paula

I meant to add;

Yoshi is very tall, so one added bonus of the harness is that I can hold the top piece like a suitcase handle (he's that tall) and handle him more like a horse than a dog.

Paula

Yeah I'm sure that not all things are good for all people,,,nor dogs.  I understand the problems with retractables and I understand why people don't like to be around others that have them...kind of like my husband that used to carry mail for a living,,,always said "the dog you watch out for is the one who's owners says "don't worry, he doesn't bite!"   Thats the one that bites mailmen.     I don't want to be around the person who doesn't keep their dog to themselves either...not for a second. And if they either let their dog by my dog either because of a retractable leash or any other reason, I wouldn't like it. But for Bubby and me in our situation,,, the retractable just makes it more fun for her to walk,,,falling back and then darting forward, stopping to smell things and then running to catch up,,,, just more fun. But if people approach I "reel" her in and TALK to her and make sure she is not going to go by them...and be ready if she does...

scream "HE"S FRIENDLY!" Your dog may be, but mine really *isn't*,

 
I just love that! Especially in the vet's office waiting room.
 
I don't care how friendly your dog is. If my dog feels cornered, and bites it in the face, it's likely to retaliate.

A personal grrr about them I had a yorkie on a retractible  run up and wrap itself around my dogs legs and just about cause a incident with my dog who I just about had to scruff to keep a fight from breaking out[:@] And just when she was doing so well around other dogs

ORIGINAL: dyan

Yeah I'm sure that not all things are good for all people,,,nor dogs.  I understand the problems with retractables and I understand why people don't like to be around others that have them...kind of like my husband that used to carry mail for a living,,,always said "the dog you watch out for is the one who's owners says "don't worry, he doesn't bite!"   Thats the one that bites mailmen.     I don't want to be around the person who doesn't keep their dog to themselves either...not for a second. And if they either let their dog by my dog either because of a retractable leash or any other reason, I wouldn't like it. But for Bubby and me in our situation,,, the retractable just makes it more fun for her to walk,,,falling back and then darting forward, stopping to smell things and then running to catch up,,,, just more fun. But if people approach I "reel" her in and TALK to her and make sure she is not going to go by them...and be ready if she does...

Dyan,

you are correct. In the final analysis flexis are just tools and it's all about the proper application thereof.

Paula

I know I'm answering my own post like 2 months later, but oh well.

I use them sometimes.  They work well when I do use them.  I have, as a matter of fact, used it in public before.  Obviously I kept it locked.  I liked it though, because I could keep him on a short leash - with one hand!  Isn't that amazing?

I used to think they were a great idea....That is when we got our first dog...I thought oh its great he can run around, etc....but he was on this as a puppy and never learned to walk on a leash correctly. AND they get SOOOOO tangled in bushes and other leashes! I now use a harness and a regular DOUBLE leash for the two little dogs (except for a quick potty trip, where I may grab the retractable) and a harness and regular leash for Beau our 10 wk old GSP.
 
 

One more thing...if you dog decides to bolt after a rabbit, squirrel or whatever, the retractables....SUCK for lack of a better term....it will snap that handle right out of your hand! Not to mention it could break. The harness with a regular leash I have found offers MUCH more control. My little guys pull and would choke themselves with just a collar and retractable but with a harness and regular leash they cant pull me and I can actually walk them! I gotta say...I LOVE MY SPORN DOUBLE LEASH! Its awesome, I can walk them at the same time, adjust it so they are side by side or further apart, its great! The part that I hold is padded and comfy and it has a swivel so they literally cannot get tangled with on another! IT ROCKS!  Now if only I thought I could handle a triple....LOL!