Retractable leash?

[Birgit 4827]

My yorkie, Lexi, is 8 months old. We have a regular leash for her that we use for walks, but would like to get a retractable one for certain situations, so that she can have room to run a bit more, when in my mother in laws yard, for example, or at a soccer game, where we are sitting. The problem is, she is so light, that when she is not pulling or running around, if we don't immediately put it in the lock position, it pulls her back (retracts) and scares her. I think with larger breeds, they just lose the ability to pull, but with my girl being so small, it actually pulls her back roughly. I was wondering if there is a particular brand out there that you all use. The ones I have seen are all "for dogs up to 40 lbs" or so, but I need something specifically for tiny dogs! Please advise me!

[CouversMom]

We have smaller ones that are for dogs under 15 pounds. I definitely wouldn't trust them for walking on a street or other areas, but if you are in a yard or at a soccer game, they should be fine. Ours are the Flexi brand.

[DBlain]

wallmart has one for small breeds, very reasonable and good quality. We use our's all the time unless we are walking with another dog, but we don't have a lot of traffic and I am always on full alert and ready to real her in if necessary

[capt_noonie]

Mine is also a Flexi. They are the best and made in Germany. I would not trust an off brand that was made in China. It could fail. However, the Flexi could potentially fail as well IF the clip were to somehow unlatch. I have read of it happening on here once before. I think the latch got caught on the harness and unlatched.

Flexi does make an XS size, but I find the handle awkwardly small and I have small hands. A larger hand/man's hand you would be holding it with only two or three fingers. Also this size the cord retracts all the way back into the handle. So if you were to drop the handle, it could retract all the way back to your dog and smack her in the back or head. This has happened to me. The larger sizes the cord doesn't retract all the way in. I like that better.

[Magnus]

I have the smallest one which is 18 lbs and under. Works fine with Zoey (5.5 lbs). But be warned, if you accidently drop the handle, it'll freak them out. It'll be like a plastic monster chasing them...

[margaritaville]

IMO those things are dangerous, both to the owner and to the dog. I find I can't reel mine in fast enough, the clamp has popped back out and I have also dropped the handle when trying to reel back in. This poses a danger when other bigger dogs are near by or when there is traffic. I got the cord wrapped around my little finger and it broke my finger when the dogs pulled. I have a friend that got the cord wrapped around her calf. You should have seen the cut! But that was a larger dog.

Mine is a flexi and I very rarely use it anymore. It just sits in the pocket of the car.

[Rachael1983]

I'm okay with flexi's and you can find a retractable for small breeds at some large chain stores. i found mine at PetsMart. I get the one with the band not the cord since the cord often tangles or can cause a burn if rubbed against a leg.

I don't let my dog use the full extension so that's where you can lock it to make it more comfortable for you.

[KazzyK810]

Personally, i cant stand flexi type leashes. I dont think they should be used in public places, and on private property there are better choices. Prior to having a fenced in yard, i used a long (25-30 ft) training lead so ZoE had more freedom when we were out in the backyard.

[chestermama]

I only use them when Im at the beach, I dont care for them, people have had fingers taken off because of those things, if there is a problem its much safer with a leash

[appleJAX]

I have a couple of Flexi leashes, the ribbon type, that I only use for the beach, and the other, a cord type, that is only used for home to take Jax out for potty.

I agree with the other posts, on how they can be dangerous. Go to www.ConsumerReports.org and type in retractable leashes. There, you should find a link that says Retractable leashes pose problems for people and their pets. Please read the entire article and Flexi warning label at the end.

If you decide to get one, just be careful. You have more control with a regular leash than you would with a retractable one.

mama to JAX Johcee Lucee and "KLOEE"RIP

[alaskayorkie]

I've come full circle on the use of retractable leashes. At one time, I thought they could be helpful in teaching dogs their recalls.

But even before my Chesapeake Bay retriever was bitten and dragged down the street by a bully breed on a retractable leash recently, I'd come to despise them.

Granted, Yorkies aren't bully breeds, but how much control do you have over your Yorkie if an aggressive dog surprises you at a soccer game? How quickly can you rescue your Yorkie if he's tangled up in that long lead with another dog?

I think they're probably fine if you use them in the backyard where no other dog can get to your dog. But having been violently attacked on leashed walks a couple times in the last year, I want my dogs close to me so I can rescue them if need be.

For teaching, use a long lead. They're easier to control that flexis.