I am
so afraid of those retractable leashes!
Because I wanted my babies to be able to run around the park freely but worried they aren't 100% good with recall, I bought a retractable once. I read up on all the precautions on losing fingers etc. I tried it out once at an open park. Ended up returning it because it was just too stressful using it! They love to run in circles and the last thing I was is to be wrapped up in the retractable! Granted...I didn't give myself enough time to get used to it yet.
My friend used to use a retractable leash too. Her dog, as friendly as he is, loves to greet everyone during walks and is walked in a way where he can go where he pleases. Well, we live in a very busy area with lots of bicycles, dogs, and pedestrians. Once day, he darted in front of an oncoming cyclist and tripped the guy, who fell off the bike. Yikes! I would be so infuriated if I was the cyclist. I ended up buying her a nice leather leash, which she now loves.
Now, when I want my two to run around in the park, I tie a very long rope to both of their harnesses. They're essentially taking each other for a run around. It's super cute.