Flexi Leash Problem; Equip or Handler?

[W.Oliver]

I am confident most of you reading this have had the same experience?

Out with my GSD after an obedience session and walking out a cool down, so proceeding down the trail at very casual mosey, and a gal in her 30's with her mixed breed dog, a nice looking spaniel or maybe setter cross with something? about 45lbs, maybe 18"....they are coming the opposite way.

As we approach, I move as far right as I can, which should have been sufficient room for two dogs to pass and still several feet between them. As they approach, the spaniel pulls out the Flexi Leash and trotts right up to my GSD, with no real sense of dog etiquette.

Fortunate for everyone, my GSD is pretty OK...but Flexi leash lady didn't know that!

I think Flexi leashes are a scurge on dog training. The concept is sound if the equipment were to be used properly, as I understand you can control the amount of lead the dog can take? However, in application, I am of the view it simply promotes laziness in dog owners! This combined with the quintessential ignorance of the typical pet dog owner, and Flexi leashes are a train wreck.

From the training side of the equation, I believe the Flexi leash promotes obscene forging in most dogs I have witnessed. One could argue it is the handler and not the equipment???

[Hunther's Dad]

I've never used one, and will never use one. If you have to make an emergency grab for the leash, your hand could get cut open by the thin cord being pulled by a speeding dog.

[Liesje]

I think it's the handler, but wouldn't be disappointed of flexis ceased to exist. I will say that last night we crossed paths with a reactive little yappy dog on a flexi and the owner DID reel him in and hold him at her side.

I don't like them because they snap so easy. If I need a long line, I use a long line made of appropriate material. I have a German shepherd, not a teacup yorkie. Out on walks, well, the leash law is 6'.

[jakeandrenee]

I too hate the flexi leash! I am working so hard with my puppy to ignore dogs as we walk by them and always there has to be someone who has the dog on one and it always rushes us. Depending on the situation I give the OWNER a fast not always friendly lesson on dog etiquette!!! I don't see a need for a flexi unless you are training long lead recalls or really out in the woods hiking and want to the dog to have more room to explore, but I NEVER will see the point when walking loose leash.

[JKlatsky]

Agree. Flexi leads have their uses, but as a general leash they are a disaster. I cannot imagine why you would want your dog 15ft away from you on a walk.

I do use mine. I find them helpful in recalls, because of the gentle tension and the reeling in of excess line. I also use them when I am feeling very lazy and it is raining so I can stand somewhere and be dry and send the dog out to potty. Likewise, in the wilderness my dogs like to potty off in the middle of bushes and trees, I prefer to stay on the path (Although truthfully in wilderness situations I am infinitely more likely to be using my Ecollar than a Flexi).

I can think of way more Flexi disasters than I can uses. Dogs hopelessly tangled, owners flat on their faces when the line runs out (does no one understand what the button on the FLexi is for?), Near toy dog dinners when they are aisles away from their owners in the Pet Store....

Yep. I'm with you. Get a fixed lead.

[Samba]

I do use one in my AKC obedience training at times. But, I have a specific purpose for it.

Walk a dog on it? Never again. When I didn't know better, I had a rib pulled out of place... a German Shepherd can get up a lot of speed on 23 feet of Flexi. Slow learner.... a dog ripped it out of my hand and it put a big dent in the car. Numerous times dogs have come running at us flying on that long thin line with me advising... "stop the dog no to avail".

As far as regular use and walking, they are the scourge.

[Chris Wild]

We have a Flexi, and I do love it for some things like on-lead potty breaks when traveling and taking the youngsters for walks down the road and in the woods when they're not yet ready to be completely off leash. It allows so much more freedom than a regular leash and is far less cumbersome and tangle-prone than a long line in those situations. Ours is and older one with 3/4" nylon webbing, not the newer ones with the thin cord, so it is far less likely to cause any damage if we have to grab the line or it gets wrapped around a leg.

But I'd never take a dog walking in a populated area or into pet stores on one like so many people do. I would say that most people using them don't exercise common sense or use them properly. Then I don't think those people would have common sense or courtesy regardless of what tool they were using. Like all tools, there is nothing wrong with the *tool*. There is a lot wrong with a lot of people who use them.

[W.Oliver]

The only reason I didn't come unglued and go off on Flexi leash lady is that I was training on a Tuesday morning....hard to be pissed at anyone when your quality of life allows for a Tuesday morning training session.

[Jason L]

Flexi is great for retrienve/recall exercises as Jklatsky said. That's the only time I use it.

[Lauri & The Gang]

I own several flexi's and I LOVE them. If they were banned I would be very upset.

It's the USER that doesn't know how to use them that is the problem! Same with choke collars, e-collars, prong collars, etc.

I cannot imagine why you would want your dog 15ft away from you on a walk.

I can give you several reasons:

1. We are at the forest preserve and I want my dogs to have some freedom but still be under physical control

2. We are at the beach (where they allow dogs but they must be on leash)

3. I can't quickly pull in 15' of long line but I CAN do it with a Flexi


When my dogs are on flexi's they are not allowed to 'get up speed'. The instant they start running at something I pull them back. For the most part they are just walking along, checking out the area and enjoying a nice walk.