By Dr. Sonnya Crawford
Retractable leashes, also called flexi-leads, have been a topic of concern on our clinic’s Facebook page. Veterinarians hate them. Behaviorists despise them. I sincerely believe they are dangerous and are of little use.
“Leash” really isn’t a good word to describe these retractable devices with thin cords. The purpose of a leash is the keep your dog safe and under your control. Retractables do neither. Instead, they train dogs to pull on the leash to extend it, which “trains” the dog to pull on a standard leash, too.
You have no control over your dog with a retractable leash. Some leads can extend up to 26 feet, which allows a dog to get far enough away from their human that a situation can quickly become dangerous. A dog on a retractable leash can dart in front of a moving vehicle or make uninvited contact with other dogs or people.
If your pet is approached by an aggressive dog while on a retractable leash, it is nearly impossible to get control of the situation if the need arises. It is much easier to regain control of, or protect, a dog at the end of a standard 6-foot flat leash than it is if he’s 20 feet away at the end of a thin string.
The thin cord or a retractable leash is dangerous in itself. It can easily break, especially when a powerful dog is on the other end of it — or a not so powerful dog that has her adrenaline surging. If your dog is excited or afraid and runs out to the end of the lead, she can easily snap the cord and get loose.
It is not uncommon for people and other dogs to get tangled up in the cord. We’ve had employees injured when a dog wraps herself around a leg or an arm in the exam room. The thin cord can result in burns, cuts and even amputation. People have been pulled right off their feet and sustained serious injury when their dog reaches the end of the long leash and keeps going.
Dogs have received terrible injuries as a result of the sudden jerk on their neck that occurs when they run out the leash. Injuries include permanent damage to their delicate tracheas, lacerations and spinal injuries.
The handle of the retractable leash can easily pull out of the human’s hand, resulting in the handle flying back toward your dog. Many dogs are terrorized by the sound it makes and may take off running. The poor dog thinks something is chasing him, and the object of his fear is quickly gaining ground on him. He can’t escape it. At the clinic, this scenario has happened, leaving the dog with permanent psychological fear of the clinic, because he associates that situation with the clinic for the rest of his life.
Although some mild-mannered, well-trained dogs may be successful on retractable leashes, the dangers outweigh the risk in my opinion.
Sonnya Crawford, DVM, is a veterinarian at Grays Harbor Veterinary Services in Montesano. Her pets include two cats, numerous parrots, a giant bunny and saltwater fish. Her special interests are in avian medicine, veterinary dermatology and dentistry. Reach her at drsonnya@gmail.com.
