There is much debate about retractable leashes. Here are a few things to consider when choosing to use a retractable leash.
1. When you are walking your dog on a retractable leash, your dog can be significantly farther ahead of you, preventing you from stopping something from happening or even see what is happening.
2. While your dog is learning to walk on a leash you don’t want them to learn to walk ahead of you. It is recommended to teach them to walk next to you. Retractable leashes give them the ability to walk well ahead of you.
3. When your pet is on a shorter leash they are able to read your body language and notice when to be alert. On a retractable leash, this is not the case due to them not being close to you.
4. Not only are retractable leashes impractical to have a large breed dog on, they are not strong enough to withstand a strong pull or jerk on the line. They can and do break. A leather or nylon leash is much stronger and allows for better gripping on the leash and a large retractable leash handle.
5. Your dog can also injure themselves by running to the end of the leash and getting yank backward, or from the sudden retraction of the leash.
6. Retractable leash handles are bulky to accommodate the retraction mechanism, this makes them much easier to have pulled from your hands.
7. It is important to remember that retractable leashes can malfunction. Fail to retract/extend, or snap or unspool completely. A simple leather or nylon leash can’t malfunction because there is nothing to actually malfunction.
Maintaining control of your dog while you are on a walk is not only responsible, it is safe. Allowing your pet to have more freedom while still on a leash is possible with a sturdy leather or nylon 6ft lead. Teaching your pet to not pull on the lead is recommended. Be Careful when choosing to allow children to walk your dog. Make sure they understand how to maintain the control and your dog knows to respect who is on the other end of the lead.