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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)

I have never been a fan of the Flexi Lead. The Flexi is that long, retractable leash so many people use to walk their dogs. Some Flexis extend out to about 20 feet. I don’t recommend these leashes because it is impossible for a dog owner to control his dog when she’s 20 feet ahead of him, they are dangerous, and they teach the dog to pull.

It is impossible to control a dog when it is at the end of a 20-foot Flexi Lead. With a Flexi, a dog owner can’t pull his dog in like he would with a normal leash. The Flexi Lead is thin, flexible and hard to grip. The only way to “reel the dog in” is if the dog creates slack on the leash. So, to walk his dog on a Flexi, the dog owner needs to be in an area where controlling his dog won’t be an issue, like an open field. Even then, it is important for him to watch out for anything his dog might take after such as birds or other dogs.

Flexi Leads are dangerous because a big dog could easily pull the lead from her owner and either bite another dog or get hit by a car. There is a man in my apartment complex who walks his German shepherd mix on a Flexi. The dog barks and lunges at Ace and I, and the man cannot control his dog with 10 feet of slack between them. I have seen the man out running with his dog 10 feet ahead of him on the Flexi. One time the dog decided to go around some trees and tripped the man in the process, tangling them both. Another time, I was trying to check my mail at the row of mailboxes, and the man walked his dog near us. The dog began barking and pulling to get at us as usual, tangling himself up between the mailboxes.

Small dogs can get themselves into trouble on a Flexi Lead, too. Let’s say a bigger dog charges at a small dog while the small dog’s owner is too far away to do anything about it quick enough. Also, like large dogs on a Flexi, small dogs can run and cause an accident for a biker, rollarblader or runner. Plus, the are likely to annoy someone who is just walking. Not everyone likes dogs, and most people don’t like a dog that runs up and jumps on them.

The Flexi teaches a dog to pull. The dog owner is supposed to control how far to extend the leash, but if he allows his dog to run as far out as she wants, she will think that the harder she pulls, the further out she can go. She will continuously pull until her owner gives in and lets the leash out further. Even once the leash is extended as far as it goes, the dog will try to pull further away, because she won’t know the difference.

All that being said, I do know some people who love the Flexi. My uncle uses nothing but Flexis to walk his Cairn terriers. It works OK for him, especially in a field or the woods because the dogs can run ahead and smell for rabbits. They get more exercise this way. Others like to use this leash so their dogs can swim for several feet while remaining on a leash.

I will never use a Flexi for the reasons mentioned above. I would rather train my dog to walk well on a normal leash and continue training him to respond while off leash. I see no use for a Flexi.

What do you think of the Flexi Lead?