retractable leashes?
 

My DH and I are having a debate: are retractable leashes safe for small dogs such as yorkies? I say no, there is not enough control. He thinks I am being over-protective and slightly ridiculous:rolleyes:

Just curious --- do a lot of folks use these?

I use a retractable leash for both my girls. Both of mine however have locks on the handle so that I may lock them at any time if I need to or want to keep them closer.

Not sure what you mean by not having enough control, sorry.:rolleyes:

I've used the retractables for so long now, other leads feel too thick for my hands. Like MaddiesMommie though, mine has the lock on the handle and I keep it locked down for the most part.

I don't like retractables though for my son's boxer. I wasn't thinking one day, didn't have his locked down and he took off....I just about lost a finger!

Personally, I agree with the OP, I don't like retractable leashes. Not enough control of my very shy and easily frightened dog. If I wanted him to have room to roam and explore, I would let him off leash.

Do not all retractables have locks on them? If so, I don't understand the not having enough control?

For me personally, when Kaji is scared he runs. The things that scare him to me seem normal, so by the time I react he's already under a car. Lucky for me those were parked cars, but one day I won't be so lucky. At least that happened when I was borrowing my old roomie's extra retractable leash and I honestly felt like I had little to no control to Kaji's quick scare responses. I have a 6 ft leash and that's as far as I want him to be.

I don't use them for our walks... the retractable leashes allow them to pull way in front of you and for training purposes, that usually doesn't work. Jackson is made to walk right beside me in most circumstances (walks, pet stores, public places). I do however use our retractable leash if we're in a large field, a beach, etc. I don't like them though -- definitely not enough control and it lets the dog think they can lead the way.

I guess because I leave mine locked down, it just seems like a very thin normal lead to me. I"ll unlock it if we are in the front yard or at a neighbors yard, but never on the sidewalk or street. The small size we have I think only has 6ft of lead.

I do understand your reasoning though and do think it is best to use what is safe and you're comfortable with.

I know our dog trainer didn't like people to use them in class, and I do think that was bc people didn't know how to control their dog with one. We had dogs of all sizes (mostly big) in our class and I don't like using them with bigger dogs.

OK...so "not having enough control" means they are able to move away from you...?:rolleyes: I guess I'm not getting it? lol

If so, can't you just keep it locked? I would rather have her on a leash wandering than free.

Trainers always say not to use them, because they exert a slight pressure on your dog, and for a very well trained dog, just that amount of pressure should be enough to guide them - so in theory, at least, it trains them to pull against pressure, which you don't want.

Harnesses are not recommended either, because that gives your dog maximum leverage to pull against you - but of course, you have to consider the dog's delicate neck.

Having said all that, I generally use a retractable leash with a harness. :) It's just a little bit of extra training as far as I'm concerned. Thor always walks by my side, or, if the leash is on its retractable setting, he can stop behind me to sniff.

I like retractables a lot because they are essentially a short and long lead in one - as others have said, you cut just lock the handle if you want a fixed lead. If I want Thor to Heel, I lock the Handle and say "Heel". He knows while it's on to stay focused on walking, and when it's flexi, he knows he can roam around a bit.

I think one last thing to consider is that it's possible for the retractor to break. I'm not all that concerned because Thor is 4 lbs and is not putting a tremendous amount of pressure on it, but I can see for a big, powerful dog, that could be a problem.

One final thought - if you're walking around other people, stay aware of whether you've created a trip wire between you and your dog. :)

Good post... very true. :thumbup: I think if people can use them properly, they can definitely work. I like having one for sure and there's been a few times where I've forgotten my regular nylon leash and only had the retractable in the car and had to use it. I typically do keep it locked at maybe around 6 feet or so when I have to do that. I don't know why though... I just don't like it as much, the retractable just annoys me, and I agree about the tripping thing, LOL.

Another thing to consider is that if you accidentally let go of the leash handle it will go flying straight towards your Yorkie. We all know if a tiny Yorkie takes a hard thump in the head, it could kill them. Having said that, I do own a pretty pink retractable leash, but I hardly ever use it. If I do, it's for them to sniff around in the yard.

Not necesarrily. I understand that having a retractable leash gives you the power to recall your dog when you deem necessary, but it also gives you the freedom of allowing your dog to roam, at your discretion. I live in the city, everything in the city scares the crap (or the pee quite literally) out of Kaji. I would have the leash locked to the shortest position at all times pretty much making the whole retractable-ness of the leash unnecesarry. If I want him to wander, I would take him to a safe place, like a park, where he can roam free without the risk of something scaring him. Plus, Kaji is trained to come when I call and he responds well to my "not to far" command. As long as there are no low ridders playind Tupac as loud as possible. That makes Kaji run for the car! :rolleyes:
I honestly think for the way I live and the way my dog is, the retractable leash just does not offer enough crontrol to where I can keep my dog safe, especially from himself.

That is true. I fortunately found one with a three feet nylon strip between the latch on her harness and where the retractable cord starts. This is something to def. consider.

At least with the leash I have, the re-tractability is not such that it would go FLYING towards Thor. And keep in mind your dog is not likely to stand by blissfully unaware while a missile comes at his head. :)

Sometimes I put the handle down on the counter in a store or something, and Thor has moved, causing the handle to fall to the floor. Definitely not something I like happening, but I've never felt that he's endangered by it, and he's only 4 lbs.

I guess one other thing to consider is that the string is tight between you and your dog. Thor has had to learn to walk with the string right up along his face if he's behind me. I guess a front attaching harness would eliminate that problem.

Also, if your dog is very small, the snap of unlocking the lead may actually pull your dog off his feet! I've developed this way of holding that handle right over Thor before unlocking so I don't pull him sideways.

Again, though, I really do like retractables. It's nice if I'm running around - if I go into a store, I can pull it super tight so Thor can't move an inch away from me, and then when we go back outside, we can switch over to relaxed mode.