[gemy]

I would certainly not walk dogs on hikes with a retractable leash! You want your dog under control for a whole host of reasons: here are some:

1. Keeping your dog from running out of control and into dangerous terrain including poison ivy or poison oak - not to mention nibbling on things like scat off the ground

2. Keeping your dog safe from other approaching animals including other dogs and or wild critters.

3. Keeping your dog safe from steep inclines that they could run and or fall off.

4. There is absolutely little control with those retractable leads. The handles are awkward to say the least and in emergency situations folks can't seem to figure out how to retract that lead - it is so very clumsy to do...

Finally if you want your dogs to run more free - train them to come on recall - once that is solid then let them off lead for short bursts of time in solitary places.