Retractable Leads are not the devils tool

We’ve all walked down the road and had to dodge a pair of little reactive dogs at the end of a cheap plastic retractable lead, owner in tow with no control and threatening to take out every ankle in the vicinity. Had you asked me about using them 5 years ago I would have laughed and told you to get in the bin, along with your damn lead.

But since then I’ve done a lot of learning from some world class trainers, and now I’m a total fan girl for the retractable. When combined with situational awareness of course!

Here are some of the places you might find a retractable lead helpful.

🐾 Puppies!

Once you’ve toilet trained a puppy with a retractable lead you’ll never go back. Also great to give them a bit of freedom to safely explore out and about.

⚽️ Sports dog training.

One handed control, without risk of tripping over the end of a long line dragging on the ground. Excellent for a game of tug in an on lead area.

🥾 Hiking or walking in quieter spots.

On a quiet trail that requires dogs on leashes, a retractable lead is a great compromise to follow the rules without having to wrangle a long line over tree roots etc.

The negativity around retractable isn’t totally unfounded though, and there are a few things to keep in mind to ensure you’re not THAT PERSON threatening other peoples limbs and sanity.

🛍 If buying a retractable lead, I recommend the flexi brand, rated above your dogs weight class (no broken locking mechanisms here!) and the tape version you can safely handle rather than those thin razor wire style cords.

🏥 Use some situational awareness.

Busy area or heading into the vet clinic with a really full on dog? Probably not the time or the place! Dog park where you’re definitely going to have other dogs running through? Consider a long line instead. Choose the appropriate tool for the situation.

With a bit of common sense the retractable lead can be an awesome addition to your toolbox.

PS over the years I have almost removed the end of my finger with a rope leash, and had some pretty gnarly rope burns and bruises from long lines. Injuries from retractable leads? So far, zero.