Me to I use these on all three of mine.

This was my first question on Yorkietalk, I'm glad I took everyone's advise and got one, I love it. They take some learning to get use to the button and how to reel them in fast yet safely, but now it's second nature. We do more path walking than street walking and they veer off the path to check out a tree and I can stay on the path and I couldn't do this with a regular leash. You can lock it at any length you want, so I don't know why people think that a regular leash is better, you can use it as a regular leash. I think she's right with a large untrained dog that you can't handle, it probably isn't very safe and also you should check the cord regularly, and if it gets wet dry it out before you retract it.

I never use Flexi Leashes for walks , it is too easy to lose control..
I do have one for Angus for sole purpose of taking out to potty.

I use one, but I always have it in a locked position. I like it because I can make it the length I need. A 6 ft leash is too long, I like my dog right by my side. A 4ft is great for me but if my kids walk my dog, I want the pup in the same place right by their side so I lock the leash so it is short enough. I do not like retractable leash that are loose.

What bothers me is the people who don't use them correctly like in stores and stuff. At the dog park one time I saw a women walking her medium sized puppy and he broke the flexi leash and she couldn't get him back, it was scary and that's what make me shy away from them that and the fact that many people in stores and at dog events just don't use them right and let people get tangled up in them or let there dog go where they can't see what there dog is doing. I would be worried about using one if for some reason I had to jerk my dog up my the harness and leash. I don't think they are evil or people owning them are evil when there using them right I just am not that comfortable with them. Callie stays close to me at events and stuff anyway so I like our regular leash but do keep the flexi in her diaper bag for like a big field, like before the fence was up, and like at a beach.

We use the flexi leashes.
We've been using them since Nena was a pup (almost 5 years now) and it's been great, never had a problem with them.
They are always locked short when we are walking, that way the dogs stay close to us. And when it's time for them to potty we loosen the leash for them to explore freely.
If you know how to use them properly, it's not a problem.
I prefer the flexi leashe over normal ones because the dog won't be completely loose. You still have control over them and can reach them faster. You just need to know how to use them.

I loved this line from the article, "when was the last time you saw a well-trained dog walking down the street attached to one of these? I'm going to venture a guess here & say never. "

Ha! So true! The people I've encountered that use them in public are obnoxious people that seem to think everyone they come across is okay with their dog running up to them. They seem like an excuse not to control your dog in public.

Personally, I can't stand the feel of that clunky plastic in my hand. I bought one when ZoE was a puppy so I could give her more freedom in my unfenced backyard when I took her outside. I quickly replaced it with a 20ft long training lead. Thankfully, I now have a fenced in yard. I prefer a regular lead for walking.

I hate flexi leashes. People bring them in and 95% of the time they are broken. I especially hate them on large dogs. You can not control your 80 pound dog with a retractable leash, it's just not possible. A young girl came in just the other day with a 'Lost dog' poster, in tears, saying she had him on a retractable, the dog chewed through the little string in a second and was gone. Things happen like that ALL the time. It's just sad to know so many people use them that don't know how- they should come with warnings or something

:D All of mine are super small, perfect for Peanut. He also loves to walk in front of me :rolleyes:

I absolutely love my Flexi leashes when I am walking my dogs separately. It allows them to venture out (15 ft) and explore while we walk and also allows my dogs to run a little bit while I walk them. I feel very comfortable and confident in my ability to handle this particular leash. However, when we go somewhere in public or I take both dogs together I use a regular lead because they are easier to hold and control than the Flexi. With that said I have 2 very untrained walkers who enjoy walking me :D:rolleyes:

I also love my Flexi, but I use it for certain occasions. If I need both my hands for example, I will use a regular leash. You can't put a Flexi around your wrist. But Uni loves the freedom she gets with the Flexi. When she was younger, if we put her on a regular leash she would scream bc we couldn't keep up with her. People would look at us like we were hurting her! Now that she's older and used to being out and about (it's about dang time! :rolleyes:) and doesn't scream (much) anymore. So like if we are going somewhere new, the vet, the store, a restaurant, she's on a regular one. If we're going to the park, for a walk, she goes on the Flexi.

That said, I would only use the actual Flexi brand. I would not use any cheap made in china one. Also, if I could do it over, I'd get the tape instead of the cord type. If you don't know how to properly use it, the cord can cause rope burns, and even amputate your fingers. I'm sure the tape one could also, but the cord one would be much easier to do that. However, the handle for the tape ones are larger, and I have the Long Flexi already, a tape one would have an even larger handle and I have fairly small hands.

We hAve an extra small flexi lead and if lilah doesn't pull it pulls her so I m not a big fan, she naturally heels and when we used the flexi in a pinch for a couple of days ( how two four foot hot pink leads dissapeared when I needed them...?) I feel like it encourages bad habits and pulling and took away from her obedient walking ideas. I was bummed :(

:thumbup: So true, Peanut will run ahead a little and sniff and pee on bushes..
A walk should be enjoyable to them..