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I have written about how much I hate Flexi leads before. You can read that post here. But lately, I keep seeing more and more of these things. Flexis are those flimsy, retractable leashes (like a tape measure) that allow a dog to pull ahead 20 feet or so. I don’t know who is encouraging people to buy Flexis, but they are a big problem. If you are considering buying a Flexi, it is a bad idea. Here’s why:
1. Flexis are for lazy people. These “leashes” allow you to stand there while your dog runs around you. If you are that lazy, you shouldn’t own a dog in the first place.
2. You can’t control your dog on a Flexi. You just can’t. Sunday morning I was biking with Ace at my side. A block ahead of us, a German shepherd mix on a Flexi charged us, almost getting away from her owner who actually yelled at me to “hold on” as though Ace and I were the problem. We just quietly continued on our way. Ace barely lifted an eyebrow as the shepherd barked and pulled. Her owner was unable to pull her back. I was so proud of my mutt for being calm through the whole thing.
3. It teaches your dog to pull. The more the dog pulls, the more leash it is given. What a great idea.
4. Flexis cause accidents. More than once, I’ve been biking, only to approach someone with a dog on a fully extended Flexi. Usually the owner just stands there with 20 feet of tight leash and a yapping dog on one end, unable or unwilling to pull his or her dog in. It’s hard to go around a 20-foot radius when you’re dealing with traffic and other pedestrians. I wonder how many people have been killed by these things.
5. Flexis put the dog in control. When the leash is tight, the only way to shorten it is to walk toward the dog. This teaches the dog she doesn’t have to come to you. You will instead come to her. But that’s OK, because people with Flexis don’t want control over their dogs.
6. Flexis are not for big dogs. I would never buy a Flexi for any dog, especially a dog over 20 pounds. Every day I see people in my neighborhood walking German shepherds, labs and even huskies on Flexis.
7. They are awkward to hold. I’d rather run or bike with my dog without holding onto a big hunk of plastic (that’s what the leash retracts into).
8. The dog can easily get away. It doesn’t take much for a dog to pull the leash out of her owner’s hands when she has a 20-foot head start. When I let Ace outside at my apartment complex, we have to walk around a corner to the grass he uses. I always make sure to keep him close to me because when we get around that corner there are often dogs on Flexis that lunge at us. These owners are always embarassed to have their arms nearly ripped out by their dogs. No wonder on one picks up after their dogs around here. If they stop to pick up the poop, their dogs will get away!
9. Flexi leashes are the worst tool to walk your dog with. In a proper heeling position, a dog should be at her owner’s side on a loose lead. Flexis are always tight and the dog is almost always several feet in front of the owner.
10. Dogs aren’t safe on a Flexi. With that much slack in the leash, they can get hit by a car or bike, bit by another dog or just plain get away. They are a danger to themselves, their owners and others.
Of course, there are three or four people in this world who are responsible when they use Flexis. They use them to exercise their small dogs in an area where the dogs will be safe and under control, like out in a quiet field in the country. The problem is, the majority of Flexi users are careless and don’t use common sense.
(If you think Flexis are great and want to prove me wrong, feel free to write me a guest post.)
(Image from pbase.com)
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August 18th, 2008 at 9:29 am
Um yeah, anything that allows someone to be lazy with their dog is not good in my book. Plus these are so dangerous! I see people losing control of very large animals all of the time on these and wonder what the problem is…can you say “clueless”!
Apryl DeLanceys last blog post..5 Questions With Fathead
August 18th, 2008 at 11:56 am
I totally agree…and have you ever had an excited dog on it’s fully extended lead run in circles around YOU after your dog (who is off lead) winding the lead tighter and tighter around your legs?! Believe me it hurts and don’t look to pretty after…!
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August 18th, 2008 at 1:33 pm
Thank you so much for this post, Lindsay. I’m one of those people who uses these things. I don’t consider myself lazy, since I never stand and always walk briskly along with my dog, but what you say about the pulling is so true! And I’m always so afraid of one day my dog being hit by a car. I’ve been thinking about getting a short leash for some time now, so I’m glad I read this today. What kind of leash would you recommend for a golden retriever? I use a harness because my dog once hurt his windpipe because of pulling.
Thanks.
Mayra
Mayra Calvanis last blog post..Brillante Weblog Premio-2008
August 18th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
Mayra, I recommend a 6-foot leather leash. They are easy to grip, comfortable on the hands (especially after a few months), sturdy and a good length for controlling the dog. I still think you should get a Gentle Leader if you haven’t tried that. If you can’t find one there, try eBay. Or I’ll mail you one! Ha.
August 18th, 2008 at 7:38 pm
I HATE HATE HATE flexis! They are awful! Have you ever had a dog run in cirles around you with one of those damn things and burn your legs? I had a pair of min pins get away from their owner and run around my legs. The leashes burned the backs of my legs and now I have scars from it. The owner just laughed nervously and said i dont know what to do with them.. blah blah blah. Min pins!
There’s no control with one of those stupid things either. I personally think they should be banned.
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August 19th, 2008 at 6:48 am
Hi! New commenter but I’ve been reading for a while.
I hate FlexiLeads too! There are a lot of narrow country lanes in this area, and I once saw an owner walking on one side of the road with their dog on the other side due to the length of the FlexiLead. A car came around the corner and drove over the Flexi line, and the poor dog was nearly throttled — I was horrified! I was thankful that the car had only run over the lead, I can only imagine how much worse that could have been.
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August 19th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Hi Leanne. Thanks for your comment. That is an awful story! I’m glad the dog was OK!
August 19th, 2008 at 9:24 am
GREAT post. I think it may save some dog’s life or limb… people are just not aware of how badly you can be burned on the leg by one of those things. And we have all seen dog walkers try to grab the flexi line itself, rather than push the button to stop the dog from lunging out, only to scream in pain at the burns on their fingers. Can burn dogs pretty badly too. Anyway, I do use one but I’m happy to say it’s in just the manner you describe, alone in the country with no hazards nearby, no cars. She can’t jerk me off my feet since she’s only 12 pounds. I use the Flexi to keep Pepper from racing into another ZIP code after a squirrel, but I don’t have to hassle with adjusting the leash while swinging my arms during a hike/workout. But if there will be cars or other dogs around, I reach right for my 6′ leather leash. Pepper sure knows the difference. Thanks Lindsay! PS: I used to spot a HUGE Cane Corso dog, must have weighed 120 pounds, being walked on a Flexi by a tiny 90 pound woman. Needless to say I could see that recipe for disaster coming. I’d always reroute to avoid getting within a football field of that pair.
August 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Thanks, Bonnie. Glad to hear from someone who uses the Flexi responsibly. I am surprised by how many people have been burned by these leashes.
August 19th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
Thanks, Lindsay! I’ll go to the pet shop tomorrow. Are gentle leaders the ones that tighten around the neck as the dog pulls? I had one of this, but it didn’t help with the pulling. Thanks for your tip about the length of the leash. That helps. I have a leather one just as you describe but it is from when he was a puppy, about half the size, so I need to get a longer one. I’m glad I’m finally doing something about this. Thanks again.
Mayra
Mayra Calvanis last blog post..Review of Janoose the Goose, by J.D. Holiday
August 19th, 2008 at 1:27 pm
Gentle Leaders fit around the dog’s muzzle, so they do not choke the dogs, but they eliminate much of the pulling. Plus the dogs can still pant and bark and drink of course. I suggested a Gentle Leader because you said choke collars were ineffective with Amigo.
August 19th, 2008 at 3:21 pm
Lindsay, this is a great post. I hate flexi-leads too. We have one in Vermont, but I never let it get beyond 6 ft (the length of our nylon lead). I’ve found that teaching Biggie to walk nicely on a loose 6ft lead is well worth the effort, and so when we use the flexi in VT, he tends to stay right by my side anyway. If anything, I keep the flexi lead shorter!
I so agree with you, I think the ONLY good use of a flexi is in a *controlled* environment if you are working on commands like “stay”, for example, and you want to walk farther and farther away from the dog but still have control if he runs off.
Mayra, I use a gentle leader (the head harness that looks like a muzzle but isn’t) on Biggie, a 98-lb kuvasz. Our leash of choice is a flat 1″ wide, 6ft nylon webbing leash. I would prefer the weight of a leather lead and a softer handle, but leather is a little too stretchy for me, just my preference.
I have some posts on my blog about using the Gentle Leader (Biggie used to call it the Benevolent Dictator and then the Kim Jong Il, but I think he’s gotten over that!)
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August 19th, 2008 at 3:30 pm
wholeheartedly agreed!
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August 20th, 2008 at 8:22 am
I agree, flexis in general are misused by most people. In defense of the flexi though…they can be a good training tool when used properly. For example: in teaching skills like a retrieve over a jump they can provide a means to help guide a dog without the problems that a regular leash has of getting caught on the jumps. That doesn’t mean that I think that they should be used at all times though, just that they do have some useful purposes.
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August 20th, 2008 at 1:54 pm
Okay, I’ll look into the Gentle Leader, Lindsay. Thanks for your advice!
Mayra
Mayra Calvanis last blog post..Review of Janoose the Goose, by J.D. Holiday
August 21st, 2008 at 5:49 am
We don’t have any dogs, but my parents have 2. They own a flexi, but only use it when taking the dogs out to use their outdoor restroom. For walks, they use the traditional leather leash.
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September 23rd, 2008 at 2:18 pm
Well, I like flexis, in their own way. I like them with Chase, my BC, who is a nasty puller and I have to have him on a halti or a harness or a flexi or he’ll pull my arm off. We did the whole ‘be a tree’ thing and he can stand there and stare at the enironment for hours without even glancing at me. =P So I gave up with him. I admire anyone who can take a rescue dog, who has learned that clipping a leash on the collar is the cue to pull and be a nut. Me.. I haven’t had the patience yet to train that out of a dog, and I don’t want to leash pop!
Angel, our 12 year old girl, loves to potty out in the front yard, at her own pace, and we take her out on a flexi. Her pace is pretty darn slow, mind.
I jog with flexis, too. Mostly because of Chase, again. Though I do keep control of my dogs when they are on flexis. I just can’t drop one behind Tatum, or she panics because something evil is chasing her. =P
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November 26th, 2008 at 5:20 pm
Hey, thanks for your input Cynthia! Sounds like the Flexis do work for your dogs. I know you are responsible, unlike so many others.
January 5th, 2009 at 10:56 am
If you’re walking an untrained animal these 10 reasons make sense, otherwise this advice is a bit draconian.
1. Lazy people? Is that honestly what you see, people standing still? I walk my pup 2 times a day, 45 mins each time and I run or jog the entire time. The pup enjoys running and discovering along the roadside of our mountain community or along the trails in our public parks.
2. Controlling you dog? When did controlling your dog with a leash become a replacement for command training. My pup returns to my side immmediately when I issue a “walk” command. He stays there until I “release” him.
4. Flexi’s cause accidents? Yes they do, but are you being sincere when you imply that people are being killed by Flexi’s. I wonder how many more accidents occur by unleashed dogs than dogs on a flexi.
5. Dog in Control? A well trained dog will never be confused with who is in “control” regardless of what leash he happens to be/or not be wearing.
6. Flexi’s not for big dogs? A dog has at least a 3:1 lb for lb strength advantage over a human. An unruly uncontrolled 80lb German shepard would be a handful even for a large 250lb man regardless what leash he is using. Point here is regardless if you use a 6′ leather leash or a 20′ flexi, controlling your dog isnt a question of his leash. A well trained German Shepard police dog would be much safer on a flexi than your average yapping 20lb lap dog.
8. The dogs in your apartment complex sound untrained, bored, insecure, and their owners are utterly confused on who is in charge.
9. Regarding proper “heeling” position. So are you saying your dogs is always at a “proper heeling position” when you walk him? The proper heel position includes a loose leash…so why would it matter how long the leash is? Whether its a slack 6′ or a slack flexi retracted to 6′?
Flexi’s can definitely be dangerous, but so can bicycles, roller blades, skateboards, and everything else folks enjoy using. If you want a well controlled dog then train it.
I appreciate your passion for the topic, but honestly the one salient point of your post that I accept on face value is that irresponsible people should not walk dogs in public. I’ll add that I’d advocate responsible folks who chose not to train their animals to only use 6′ leashes.
Hey I just realized that between Cynthia and myself we represent at least 50% of the world wide population who use Flexi’s responsibly.
“there are three or four people in this world who are responsible”
January 5th, 2009 at 12:41 pm
Sounds like the Flexi leash works well for you and your dog and that you are using it safely. I wish other Flexi users would do the same.
When I allow my dog to run and sniff away from my side, he is off leash. He comes when I call him, so I have no use for a Flexi. It’s awkward to hold, and I don’t want to risk someone coming around a corner and getting caught in the slack. When a leash is necessary, Ace is safely on a loose leash in heel position, so I don’t know why I would ever need a Flexi. Maybe they would help when teaching a dog the recall, but they are too flimsy for a dog over 20 pounds.