Flexileads are extendable and retractable leads that can either be played
out to allow dogs a great deal of freedom, or shortened and put on lock to
keep the lead short. They can be very useful if dog owners are careful, but
they can also be lethal if used unwisely. Some trainers even believe they
should be banned. So what is the fuss about?
The main problem is that they can diminish the amount of control a dog owner
has over the dog - the opposite to what leads are meant to do! The leads themselves
can also cause injuries, because they can become tangled up, around human
fingers, or around dogs. More specifically, there are times when owners need
to be especially alert when they use flexileads. Here is a guide to some of
the key situations when it's safer to be especially alert.
1) Around traffic. There is a serious risk of dogs causing fatal accidents
or being killed themselves if the flexilead is not on lock when a dog is walking
along the road, or in any area where there is traffic. Motorcycles and other
loud vehicles can appear suddenly and startle dogs, and many dogs will rush
towards the threat. It's really safer to swap your flexilead for a short lead
if you are walking along a road, because it's very easy to forget to put the
flexilead on lock.
2) Around other dogs. Flexileads may give dogs too much freedom to approach
each other at times when control is needed, and worse than that, dogs and
owners can get caught up in the lead. Dogs can dance about, chase each other,
and scrap if the lead is too long. A long flexilead can allow them to tangle
the cord or belt round owners' legs, and also get caught up in the lead, which
can cause friction burns and cuts to dogs' legs, which sometimes take a long
time to heal. It's safer to keep your eyes peeled for other dogs, and shorten
the lead if you approach any. The belt leads are also much safer than the
leads that use cords, in terms of avoiding injuries.
3) Drawing in the lead. Inexpert users often cause themselves serious injuries
trying to draw in the lead suddenly. Friction burns can be very serious, especially
for children, and it is safer never to allow young children to use a flexilead.
Novice users need to practise drawing the dog in, when they are somewhere
safe, like an enclosed back garden. It's a knack, which comes automatically
after a while, and involves putting one's hand towards the dog, then locking
the lead, an action repeated until the lead is short enough. Because this
takes a little while, it's safer to stay alert and shorten the lead well before
it's absolutely necessary. Otherwise, it's easy to panic and try to pull in
the lead by grabbing the rope or belt, which can be dangerous.
4) The whiplash effect. A flexilead that has become detached from the dog
can whip back suddenly and catch an owner or dog in an eye, or other vulnerable
spot. There are safety loops that can be attached to collars to prevent this.
5) Pulling. Flexileads can encourage dogs to pull, because they exert a constant
slight pressure, which means that the dog has to pull a little to go where
he or she wants. Owners may also release the lock while the dog is pulling,
which is effectively rewarding the dog for pulling, and reinforcing the habit.
It helps to ensure that dogs are walked daily on a short lead, and aren't
just walked on a flexilead all the time. Dogs should also be asked to sit
before the lock is released, and before they are allowed off the lead, so
that they are rewarded for good behaviour, rather than for pulling as hard
as they can!
6) Walking more than one dog. Some owners can safely walk two dogs on flexileads,
but this takes some skill, and is not recommended for novice owners, people
with very lively dogs, or people walking dogs in the dark! It's very easy
for the leads to become tangled, and virtually impossible for
owners to disentangle flexileads in the dark! It's safer to have one dog
on a flexilead, and the other(s) on a short lead.
7) Sudden tugs. It is far more difficult to control a dog which takes off
after a cat or other interesting attraction if the flexilead is extended,
It's especially difficult if the dog is large and powerful. It's really safer
to restrict the use of flexileads to smaller dogs, and only extend the lead
in safe places where there are not likely to be serious consequences if the
dog does jerk the lead out of your hand.
So why do people use flexileads if they can cause so many problems? They
are in fact very useful in certain specific situations, mainly where owners
need some control over their dogs, but there is little risk of skateboarders,
cyclists, joggers, screaming children, or other hazards suddenly appearing.
An example is a large playing field or park area where you have a good line
of vision, so can anticipate any trouble, and can safely allow the dog some
freedom. Some people also use their flexileads for training. This is a skill
best learnt with the help of an experienced trainer.
Flexileads are much safer if you can trust your dog to come back if there
is a mishap, and they are no subsitute for good recall. This means repeating
recall exercises in all sorts of situations, until your dog comes to you automatically,
and then continuing so that he or she doesn't get out of practice. Flexileads
can be a very useful supplement to a training programme, when used sensibly.
