Flexis – The Retractable Leash



 

 

Retractable leashes may well be one of the most misused pieces of equipment in dogdom.  Choke chains – chain training collars surely have the questionable honor of being in first place but Flexis must follow as a close second.

 

 

The concept is quite good and as with so many things a lack of understanding of the equipment is often at the root of the issue.  Flexi, the brand name of the very best retractable leash on the market, comes in several sizes –Flexi Classic 1 for dogs up to 18 pounds,  2 for dogs up to 44 pounds and 3 for dogs up to 110 pounds in lengths of 16 feet.  Next is the Flexi Classic Long with lengths of 26 feet in all 3 categories.

 

 

There are also a couple of “special” versions:  the Flexi Garden, a 20’ tie-out, the  Flexi 3 Flashlight for night walks, Flexi Professional (32’) for tracking and the Flexi Giant with a retractable tape rather than the thin cord that is in almost all of the others.

 

 

These clearly allow the dogs to wander around for distances up to 32 feet.  Wow!  You can simply stand in one place and Loco Louis can wear himself out running around in circles.  So what is the problem?

 

 

One thing that happens is dogs become first class pullers when the Flexi is the primary leash being used because there is always tension on the leash unless the brake is engaged.  Of course, if the brake IS engaged then one does not have a retractable lead! 

 

 

People frequently allow their dogs to go to the end of their Flexis with absolutely no regard for other people and their dogs and this often results in one dog or several being all tangled up in the cord.  Also, when one’s dog is 16 to 32 feet away from the handler it is very easy for the dog to totally ignore any cues coming from far, far away.  That can result in many problems when encountering people and other animals.

 

 

Another major problem is that people have received very serious injuries as a result of not learning to properly manage the brake on the Flexi handle.  Severe burns to hands result if one grabs the cord itself to stop a dog rather than using the brake.  Dogs that are out of control and whip around the person can cause horrible burns to the legs and topple the person in the process.  Worst of all is that several people have actually had their fingers amputated by grabbing the cord and having it loop around the fingers followed by the dog charging off at full speed.  A dreadful thought but it has happened.

 

 

If one uses the up-to-44-pound size for larger dogs (and this is very common!) a dog may charge to the end of the leash in an attempt to chase something and snap that cord.  In an area of traffic or other dangers it can mean the dog’s life.  Meanwhile, if the person continues to hold that Flexi the jolt to the arm and shoulder when the dog hits the end of it can result in very serious injuries and pain.  And, if the leash is attached to a choke chain the dog may very well be injured from the powerful jerk on its neck! 

 

 

If all of this is true than what possible good are these things!!!?

 

 

Once one really understands how to use them they are certainly useful when traveling so that the dog can indeed move in a larger space and have a more interesting outing at road side rests and other stops.  There are some uses for them in various training situations such as teaching a dog to retrieve objects.  Often with retrieve exercises the dog takes advantage of being sent out to get a dumbbell or other item and simply turns the exercise into catch-me-if-you-can.  Because of the retractable capacity – used properly!! – there is less tangling than  one encounters with long lines.  But – that tension means that one still has to train the dog to return when there is no tension which makes long lines that are very light weight and offering no tension really worth considering from the very beginning.

 

 

If you do use a Flexi be certain to have the correct size, attach it to a flat collar rather than a choke chain.  Teach your dog to walk quietly at your side with no pulling and to respond promptly to all cues whether at your side or way out there at 32 feet from you.

 

 

 

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