Flexi leash works fine for Lela and Binti

[kjdonkers]

The other day I was in a dog communication workshop and the facilitator told us that for easily excited dogs (our Lela and Binti e.g.) a lot of sniffing around has a calming effect - the brain is working overtime and that wears 'm out. So we bought 2 flexi leashes of 8 m (27 ft.) to use on our holidays when they can't go off leash (traffic, game). We've used them for over 7 weeks now and we are very content: we can walk at our own pace, while our B's do their thing around us, including short sprints. Funny thing is, on a normal leash they usually pull it tight, but at the end of the 8 m. they feel the stop and then stop pulling! They look around where we are and then find another thing to do, without pulling. Any comments or experiences?

[DebraDownSouth]

I am not a fan of flexileash, others can share the issues, fails on them etc. But even more disconcerting is that you say "on a normal leash they usually pull it tight." That is not okay, you know that right? What I would really suggest is put the flexileashes up, spend a couple of weeks really perfecting loose leash walking.
http://www.clickerlessons.com/looseleash.htm Mary has many other training things on there, including LEAVE IT etc which may help also.

I'll keep my <extremely low="" eye-rolling="">opinions to myself on animal communicators and hope that the workshop was about legit communicating with dogs, not telepathy. But I am surprised if THEY recommended using a flexilead of any type, so I am wondering if you just decided to use them on your own. Most trainers are very aware of the dangers to people and dogs… here are a few::

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/story?id=7058784 (injury to human, lead came apart)

http://sarahwilsondogexpert.com/retractable-dog-leash-dangers/

http://smartdogs.wordpress.com/2008/07/25/why-i-hate-flexi-leads/

I'll stop.. but put flexi lead dangers in google and get some more views.</extremely>

[Timesthemyth]

Absolutely love flexileashes. I try to keep young dogs off them until they learn loose leash, however, for adults they are definitely useful.
I have about three, in different lengths, and they are extremely wonderful for those of us living in city-ish areas. I love using mine for nosework, even though they are frowned upon for some reason. Probably because someone didn't know how to use it correctly.

They are great for teaching 'yield to pressure' so they can navigate around objects easily without you having to untangle them. Hard to put a dog in that kind of situation on a short leash. My older dog has gotten really good at yielding to pressure. Which comes in-handy a lot more than you'd think. Might help them use their brains a little too.

At dog parks they require some maneuvering skills though, ha.

[eeeefarm]

I don't like flexis. IMO they are dangerous both to the dog and to anyone the dog may entangle in them. My niece, who is a vet, has had many, many cases of "hit by car while on flexi". Sure, maybe you stay clear of roads, but many assume they have more control and sharper reaction time than they actually do. I saw someone get tangled in a flexi recently, and it was more by luck than anything else that she wasn't injured. Amputations have occurred! If the dog gets loose, the handle is then "chasing" him. (at the very least, teach them that the handle won't eat them if it is bumping along behind!)

Many leash laws stipulate six feet as maximum for the leash, so in a lot of places flexies are actually illegal. Apart from anything else, they teach the dog to pull by rewarding that behaviour. If it works for you, fine. But it's early days and too soon to say "that won't happen to me because…....". If I need a long lead, I would rather just use a light rope (like a tracking rope) preferably with knots tied in it.

[stash]

I do own a flexileash 5m and have used one at an unfenced park to give Kaiser more freedom, do have to keep your wits about you when using one . He wears a harness with it. Would never use it on our daily walks along the streets as you don't have that instant control. Prefer my adjustable training leash which I can adjust to our walking conditions. Being winter here now I have started to put his coat on and have noticed how it calms him and he walks better so have ordered a backpack which I will try out and hopefully help me work him to lose some extra weight as I love to feed him and his off leash dog park is off limits due to a contact allergy. Anyone else use one or find their dogs are calmer wearing coats.

Jolanda and Kaiser

[kjdonkers]

Thanks for your comments:

• of course you need to be careful; you can't use the flexi leash everywhere and always;
• of course it is important that the dog can walk on a loose leash;
  But I feel that having more room to manoeuver a B can satisfy its huge instinctual need for exploration to its heart's content; so when there is space and time, and they cannot go off leash for whatever reason, a flexi leash will do it for us.

[DebraDownSouth]

When you posted, I started to not respond because my impression so far with you is that you often ask but dismiss any answers that are not what you already are doing or want to do. But I'll point out that you agree it is important to train a dog to loose leash, but you haven't. And obviously you don't care what many experts (not me) say about the dangers. I wish you good luck.. well I wish your dog good luck even more.

[kjdonkers]

Thanks for you good wishes - I'll leave it at that.

[tanza]

I have used Flexis for years… with not many problems... or not any more than any other leash... end results, you need to know your dog(s)... and then work from there... Oh and by the way... none of my Basenjis have ever walked on a loose leash.. period... but then, that is my problem, not theirs... and then again, I have never used a Flexi where there could be a traffic problem... so don't really understand how that happens...

[Chealsie508]

fewf Pat, I was starting to feel like the odd man out! ….And guilty-- three and a half years of a minimum of three walks a day-- and I cant for the life of me keep Oakley from pulling or at the very least, having tension on the leash. I wish it would change but I have tried lots

[Timesthemyth]

Don't feel like the odd man out…..mine walk on a loose leash for the most part BUT they absolutely have the ability to pull in spurts too; or they will put a tiny bit of pressure on the leash before retreating into a loose leash, then I'll stop, they'll retreat to the loose leash...until they see something interesting again....then they will run to the end of the leash choking themselves in the process. Then I have to stand still until they retreat back into a nice loose leash. It's certainly not like those beautiful loose leash walks you see from a trained retriever or herding dog, lol. I don't have the patience to deal with a dog that 'really' pulls...like full weight against the leash though. Freedom harnesses are amazing in helping to teach them!

[eeeefarm]

Apart from anything else, it isn't good for them to be constantly pulling on a collar. A harness maybe, depending on how it's constructed. I don't insist on perfectly slack, I can deal with "contact" as I would with a horse on the bit, but any increase in tension results in stopping and perhaps backing up. I like to finger the leash lightly, use a "squeezing water out of a sponge" hand movement to ask for a yield, again same as I would when riding, but if the dog is rude, so am I. A firm correction for actual pulling, and I love the wide hound collar I now have, as I don't worry about hurting his neck if I have to really take hold of him. Although it is out of favour these days, IMO a sharp correction (yes, a "jerk") is preferable to allowing a dog to constantly lean on the leash. Perry will walk along with lots of slack when there are no distractions, but it takes a reminder or two when he sees something interesting. Squirrels and rabbits actually aren't that big a deal, but other dogs sure are!

[DebraDownSouth]

@Chealsie508:

fewf Pat, I was starting to feel like the odd man out! ….And guilty-- three and a half years of a minimum of three walks a day-- and I cant for the life of me keep Oakley from pulling or at the very least, having tension on the leash. I wish it would change but I have tried lots

I hate hate hate having a dog pull on me. Maybe because I always have had Rottweilers and Chows, it is my number one training rule… no pulling. Period. Ever. The second a dog pulls we go back to training. As a result, my then 40 pound child could do obedience (well it was to train her, the dog was trained) with my 110 pound Rottweiler. And i do it without jerking. Ever. From rescued feral dogs on, persistent training can stop pulling. When I go to the farm, I put them on a LONG LINE and let them explore, I don't expect and they know that is more of a free time. But on a walk, no. Slightest tension and we stop and/or back up til the pulling stops.

http://www.clickerlessons.com/looseleash.htm