Just a rant about improper use of flexi-leads

i use a heavy duty flat lead flexi..

I wouldnt use one with my huskies before running them on the bike for a few miles to burn the initial  energy ..dogs need to burn off the energy before a walk anyway with play or some such excersize,,its only fair to them..

i also wouldnt use a flexi if my dog didnt know its commands,/heel come and stay,especially important with large breed dogs that may be harder to reel back in..

If  you dog is out of control,you had better learn the reeling in procedure if using a flexi......if you cant pull your dog closer to you on a regular leash,you probably shouldnt use one,even tho i find it easier to use a flexi to reel if i have to.

i like bieng able to let my dogs run out 20 feet around me,but only as long as they know where and when i will allow it.

it is possible to use a flexi in a public setting,and responsibly,just as long as you can maintain control of your pup.

How does one use a flexi properly?  I think by having the sense to keep it reeled in and locked unless you're someplace where it's safe to let the dog out to the full 16 or 32 ft. to explore. On regular sidewalks or bike paths - anyplace where you are likely to be meeting up with pedestrians, bikers, joggers, other dogs, etc. it should be locked at about 6 ft. or shorter. I used one for many years with no problems.  Max is another story.  He's a strong puller so a flexi isn't appropriate for him.

Joyce

ORIGINAL: fuzzy_dogs_mom
  Max is another story.  He's a strong puller so a flexi isn't appropriate for him.
Joyce

I agree with your whole post..

 the part i used demonstrates what i posted earlier...A person has to know if they will be able to control thier dog in a hurry if the need arises...in most cases you will be able to reel your dog in with out a problem and get them to behave..

  however,if you have a dog that is powerful,and there is a chance you may not be able to control him well in a quick occuring situation,then the flexi may not be for you in all occasions.

  I am 6'2" and 205 lbs,and stay in shape and do weight training,so my keeping my 90 lb puller in check or reeling him in in a hurry is going to be alot easier than a 160 lb person who may not have weight or strength training.. .I may have an advantage over someone else in the same situation,with a similiar dog in different settings..

  not all tools are for every person,but i still belive that with common sense,this tool can be used by a wide section of dog owners.

I HATE FLEXIS.  With a passion.   Does that tell you how mcuh I dislike them?

I see people with them at shows (they use them for pottying dogs). However, in John Q. Public's hands, they are a hazard to both other dogs AND people.

We have a couple of these at the shelter and I will not use them.  I use a heavy nylon lead for the large dogs and a small nylon lead for the little ones.

People always tell me, "I need one for training my dog" as the dog is dragging them from pillar to post. I look down at my well-behaved bitch on her plain nylon lead and say, "Uummm, yeah". I have never used one for training and don't need one. 'Nuff said.

I think I mentioned this back when I joined but Baxter has a Flexi.  I used it for training only.  He had no recall, even to his given name, let alone his new name, so yard time equaled the Flexi.  All four of mine are on 4' leashes when in public.  IMO my dogs don't need that much freedom when they are around strangers.  I would much rather have too much control than not enough.

Sally is a confirmed puller, so flexi use is out of the question for her and I see no need to use one for Jack.  I walk the dogs in town a lot, so yeah.  I have yet to see someone use on properly.  That's not to say that people don't, but I have yet to see it....

ORIGINAL: mudpuppy

how exactly does one use a flexi properly?
around here, there is a 100% correlation between badly behaved dogs and flexi use. You see a dog on a flexi, you know immediately the dog has never received any training and that the owner is clueless about dog behavior and got the flexi in order to avoid having to teach the dog to walk nicely on or off leash.

I do not make that assumption at all when I see a dog on a flexi. I have seen equal number of untrained dogs on regular leash as flexis. How do you use a flexi properly? Well for my 80lb dog, I generally walk him with the leash unlocked. He can take a moment and sniff the pole, walk a bit ahead or lag behind. When the situation arises where I want him to be on a short lead (people & dog approching, crossing street etc) I say 'Wait'. He immediately stops and I reel in and lock the leash. A pat on the rump means he is allowed to resume walking. As LizzieCollie says, it;s not rocket science! Simply push a botton and you have basically a regular leash.

exactly right...a well trained dog and person working together is the key to taking your dog out in public anyway,the tool you choose to use is secondary.

ORIGINAL: cyclefiend2000

i recently got amelia to walk sans flexi. she used to refuse to be walked on anything but the flexi. i hated the darn thing. it may not be rocket science to use, but it sure is inconvienent when trying to walk two dogs at once (at least it was for me).

our walks have been much more enjoyable since i have both dogs on the same kind of leash. []

i have on occasion put both of my huskies on one flexi via a splitter...i wouldnt do that walking down main street with my two,but i am sure there are dogs that could be walked like this without a problem.110 lbs of husky with 8 legged drive might be more than i would feel comfortable handling with people around

I don't like retractable leashes all that much.  Cody pulls out to the end of it, just like he does on his 6 foot leash.

For me it depends where we are walking.  I like the flexi's for fields to give the dogs more room to explore.  I usually use a regular leash for things like going to the Vet.
I do agree, using a flexi isn't rocket science. The lock button is there for a reason. [8|]

ORIGINAL: denise_m

I use a flexi about 95% of the time. On the other end is a 80lb Aussie. IMHO a flexi is a great leash but like any other tool it has to be used properly. When locked the leash can be anything you want from a 6" lead to a 40' lead.
When I hear complaints about the leash, I am reminded of the often used argument for right to own a gun - "Guns don't kill people. People kill people." dito

True, but animals are still unpredictable, and mechanical devices can fail.  The thinness of the lead is then a danger, regardless of how careful the person was trying to be.  Personally, I don't let anyone using one of those things near my dogs no matter how nasty I have to get.  It only takes a second for that little tiny lead to become entwined with another dog's leash...seen it happen too many times to count.

I saw a guy trying to walk an absolutely wild and crazy lab, on a gentle leader, attached to a flexi. Talk about totally mixed messages

 
We have a saying for that.
 
5 million sperm and he was the fastest?

common sense

 
Something that is in short supply. As Ron White says on his newest DVD, "you can't fix stupid."

I've seen people just like the ones described dogs all out of control and pulling on a Flexi.  I thought it was just idiots around here. 
 
There is a time and a place for them and a time when they should be reeled in.  I walk Willow on one all the time.  But, if she starts acting up for any reason, it gets locked.  It's not a complicated thing to do.  I wouldn't be able to stand it if she was pulling me along with the Flexi all extended. 
 
And, if we go to the vets, groomer or to a store, she has a 4 ft leash for those times. 
 
I had an incident recently with a small dog in a pet store.  The dog was on the Flexi completely extended.  The owner was in her own world looking at things.  The dog came around the corner to where I was and started sniffing me.  So, without touching him I just said, "hi, pup".  Well, the dog growled at me!  Hello????  She was allowing a dog that could potentially bite to wander on a Flexi and she wasn't even watching!!  She heard it from me.