With a list of warnings this long, who would want to use this on their dog?

Some of the problems with retractable leads
-  A ‘standard’ leash (3-6 feet) is a great communication tool, yet with a 30 foot line it is harder to communicate what you want to your dog.
-  A leash is a lever. The longer the leash, the more leverage the dog has on you, The Walker. Not a good idea.
-  The longer the leash, the less control you have. The shorter the leash, the more control you have. Thus, less equals more. Retractable leads cause “hard-to-handle” dogs.
-  The molded plastic handles on retractable leads mean you have to hold the handle with a very firm grip, which is a stressful way to walk.

We understand that long lines seem like a nice way to walk a dog and let it have some freedom. The problem is that the longer the line, the more control the dog has of the situation – it is a long lever that they can use to pull us around. And with our dogs at the end of a long line we can only be reactive, not proactive.

Dangerous
From a practical point of view, we dislike retractable leads because they are dangerous to both dogs and humans. A retractable leash’s package has more warnings than a pack of cigarettes: you can slice your hands, break a dog’s legs, and death. Is this something we want to take a casual walk with? It’s like poking a stick in a hornets nest.

Stressful
Speaking of a casual walk, the hard plastic handle means that we can’t hold it ‘loose’ like we would a regular leash. Instead, we have to grasp it firmly, almost with a ‘death grip’, which is a tense way to walk. This puts a tense vibe into the air, often adds more stress to our dog, too.

What is the message

What is the message we are giving our best friend (and ourselves)? Go be free! Ooops, I mean come back here so you don’t get hit by a car! Go be free! Wait, come back here so you don’t eat that cat . . . It’s a stressful mixed message.

Alpha
The reason many people use a retractable lead to is to help their dogs ‘calm’ down. The idea is that the longer lead lets the dog have ‘more freedom’ and also more running, roaming and sniffing opportunities. The thought is that when you get home your dog will be calmer; and at first glance that seems to make sense. And it would make sense if your dog was running free in a field, beach or dog park, hopefully with other dogs, or a Frisbee or ball, getting their Wild Beans out and getting physically exhausted at the same time.

The reason many dogs are ‘hyper’ or ‘out of control’ has nothing to do with the amount of exercise they get. It DOES have to do with the amount of training they get, and what kind of relationship they have with their Humans – that many people call ‘Alpha’. The essence of this ‘Alpha’ discussion is that the more a dog is gets to interact with their humans on the walk or in general (what we call Working with the dog or Training) the

calmer the dog will be. Thus, many behavioral issues can be ‘solved’ by simply training or working with your dog. Because in that training, the human becomes ‘Alpha’, and the dog... does not.

An important distinction about a Human being ‘Alpha’ is that the dog is not ‘Alpha’.

A retractable lead on a general walk puts the dog in control, and doesn’t let them interact with the human – the exact opposite of what you’re looking for. Thus in the short and long run, a retractable lead makes a dog more nervous/anxious and because it doesn’t help train them, it actually un-trains them. Not a good idea if you want a calmer dog.

The truth of the matter is that your dog will get just as much actual exercise on a walk with a regular length leash. When we walk them with a standard leash, we get to interact with them more: “Fido, Heel”. “Fido, Sit.” “Fido, Watch Me.”. It is this very interaction which truly helps our dogs calm down.

You can learn more about this here.

I have to admit, at Walk Your Dog With Love, we are biased about what a ‘walk’ is. Our boss supports our taking long walks on the miles of trails and country roads that we have here. We call it “Research & Development”!

Here is a great article about retractable leashes

Sorry if this is too much info – dogs are our favorite subjects!

A great solution
To get some of the advantages that the retractable leash provides, without the downside – please look at our Zen Hipster Walking Belt – it allows for a much calmer and sweeter walk too. You can see them here.