Dog Training/Rehabilitation Tip
This is a reprint from the November 2024 newsletter
The Pitfalls of the Retractable Leash
While retractable leashes may seem to be a convenient tool to use, there are many reasons why it is not only a bad tool to use for training, but it also can be quite dangerous.
Ahhhh, the joy of seeing your dog enjoying an afternoon stroll and having a great time sniffing. Why not let him have as much freedom as possible so he can sniff whatever and wherever he wants while you can lag behind and still have the security of him being on leash? A retractable leash seems to tick all the boxes. But is it really as good of a tool as it may seem?
Unfortunately, convenience is about the only benefit of using a retractable leash. Not only does it create training problems, but it can be downright dangerous. Here are some reasons why:
Training Issues:
Since the design of the retractable leash is such that it retracts only when there is slack in the leash, it is a great tool for teaching your dog to pull. When you don’t have the leash locked, your dog can pull toward whatever he wants anytime he wants. This teaches him that pulling is a good thing because it gets him to whatever he wants. While locking the leash may prevent further pulling, your dog doesn’t understand the difference between a locked and unlocked leash.
Additionally, while you can lock the leash to prevent further pulling, you can’t get your dog back unless there is slack in the leash, and if there is something in the environment he wants to pull toward, he will continue to pull making it unlikely for there to be any slack to allow you to reel him in. If there is a bit of slack and you unlock the leash to reel him in but he then pulls, he will now be even further away from you compounding the problem.
Dangers – here are just a few examples:
1- Since you can’t reel him in using the retracting mechanism when there is no slack in the leash, you will have a very difficult time getting him away from another dog, wild animal, an approaching car, or any other danger in the environment. There have been many cases of people having to grab the cord of the retractable leash in order to reel their dog in and getting burns on their hands, and in extreme cases, people have lost fingers or had major injuries to their hands and arms caused by the cord.
2- Others in the environment have been harmed by tripping over the leash when the dog has been an extended distance from the owner.
3- Owners have had the cord wrap around their legs causing them to trip and fall.
4- Dogs have been injured by the cord of an extended retractable leash wrapping around their leg or other body part while it was being retracted, causing burns and in extreme cases causing limbs to need to be amputated.
5- The handle of a retractable leash is not of a design that allows for great control of the leash. In addition, there have been many cases of the handle breaking during a pulling incident and then as the leash retracts into the now flying broken cord casing, the casing bounces on the ground as it travels toward the dog, scaring the dog and often hitting the dog causing the dog to run away.
6- The cord of a retractable leash is thin and can break during a pulling incident, causing the dog to be able to run away, into traffic, into a fight with another dog, etc. The spring mechanism that retracts the cord can become warn or faulty causing the same problems.
7- Because of the excessive length of the cord, if the dog takes off running, he can sustain a serious neck injury when he hits the end of the leash. Additionally, this same force can cause the owner to fall down and sustain injury.
These are just some reasons why it is not a good idea to use a retractable leash. A better solution is to use a standard 6 foot leash. If you want to be able to give your well trained dog more freedom in an environment that it is safe to do so, you may consider using a long line. There are both nylon and biothane options made for this purpose. It may take you some time and practice to learn how to handle these long lines so they don’t become a tangled mess, but with practice you can do it. However, for the safety of your dog and everyone else in the environment, it is important that your dog is well trained and has a solid recall before giving them the freedom to be so far away from you.
This is why retractable leashes are simply not a good idea.
Ditch the retractable leash!
You'll be glad you did!
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Note and disclaimer: All information in the blog posts on this site is my opinion based on my own experience rehabilitating an aggressive dog. I am not a professional behaviorist or otherwise involved in the Veterinary profession. If you are dealing with an aggressive dog, I recommend you seek the advice of a Board Certified Veterinary Behaviorist.
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