Extendable Leash Causes Blindness

I don't like those leashes, and that is just another reason to avoid them! I was using one a LONG time ago and got one of the most severe "rope burns" that cut deeply into my hand and hurt like fire (and took a long time to heal). I've also seen one break in Petsmart, much to the delight of the dog that ran hither and yon until his owner caught him. Fortunately he was a friendly chap and there were no dogs who attacked him. I'd hate to see one break like that near traffic.

I use one all of the time and have never had a problem. I would think there must have been a lot of pressure to make it snap back so severely. I keep it quite short unless we are walking in the bush and I'll let them wander a bit - but not pull. Short I can't really see how it's any more dangerous than a regular lead. Mine has a plastic handle so I don't think a person could get rope burn unless they were holding onto the extendable part. Our Retriever was a puller so he never got much extension.

That really is a fairly freak accident...

Extendable leashes are used by millions all over the world... and one girl is ""almost" blinded...

Accidents cannot be expected... thats why they are accidents... the rope burns and lost fingers are all human error (sorry brotymo) and are the same as telling someone not to use their kettle as it contains boiling water that has burnt people.

I have to say that even the name of this thread is a little misleading... a bit like the media... over exagerating to sell more papers

I have to say I do not like extendable leashes at all!

Flexi leashes are not recommended by most trainers since they actually reinforce pulling, and if that isn't problem enough,

Here are flexi-lead's own warnings:

http://www.flexiusa.com/warnings.asp

It starts like this: To avoid the risk of eye or face injury and cuts, burns, and amputations to your body or the body of another person from the leash cord/tape or all belt and hook, read and follow these Warnings and Directions for Use before using your flexi leash.

They do not offer enough control and this can put your dog seriously at risk.

I have 2 flexi leads I use when we go to the park - with their puppia harness's (I used sens-ible harnesses for road walking etc) & I dont have a problem with them

- but years ago we had a rescue greyhound who couldnt be let off the lead so we walked her on one with a harness & one day I was walking her & she took off & when she got to the end of it at full pelt I was sent flying into the air (as I wouldnt let go!) - so much so when I landed about 5ft away from where I was standing & I landed on the top part of my knees, top part of my legs & my elbows! I had so much gravel in me I looked like I'd been run over! I look back at that now & laugh but I was bleeding a lot at the time & in a great deal of pain!

I dont mind walking the little dogs on them as they're not going to ba-doing me across a path like our Greyhound did - but I do hate to see people using those leads with collars rather than harnesses.

I always lock in my lead at the length that I want the dogs to be (probably a habit gained from our Retriever who could have pulled me down the street if I gave him a running start). If we are walking on the street it's at it's shortest - if we are wandering in the bush I let them wander - but never do they have the flexibility to run from short to fully extended - I can see how that could potentially be dangerous and encourage pulling. I find it far far easier to use the flex lead for a long recall than to try and gather up my 20 foot lead as the dog comes running in. I tried that in my last obedience class and I'm just not co-ordinated enough. I do use a regular 6 foot lead in class and if I'm walking where the dogs won't have a chance to wander.

I always lock in my lead at the length that I want the dogs to be (probably a habit gained from our Retriever who could have pulled me down the street if I gave him a running start). If we are walking on the street it's at it's shortest - if we are wandering in the bush I let them wander - but never do they have the flexibility to run from short to fully extended - I can see how that could potentially be dangerous and encourage pulling. I find it far far easier to use the flex lead for a long recall than to try and gather up my 20 foot lead as the dog comes running in. I tried that in my last obedience class and I'm just not co-ordinated enough. I do use a regular 6 foot lead in class and if I'm walking where the dogs won't have a chance to wander.

I find my two pull neither more or less on a flexi-lead than they do with the 6 footer.

I am quite careful with flexi leads and especially near traffic but when I saw the thread title iIthought it meant that flexi leads could blind dogs.

Did you see the article on that same page about the chow who killed the 2 week old baby. OMG those poor people. I can't imagine the pain they are going through.

MESA, Ariz. -A 2-week-old Arizona girl has died after being attacked by the family's dog in their home.
Mesa police detective Steve Berry says police were called Wednesday night by a woman who said her daughter had been bitten by a family dog.
Berry says officers found the infant in the living room with bite wounds on her head. The baby was pronounced dead at the scene.
Berry says the mother had placed her daughter in a low-lying bassinet or crib and discovered the attack when she returned a few moments later.
The parents' names weren't released. However, Berry says the father is a Mesa police officer who was at work at the time. The mother is an officer for the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community.
The dog, a chow, was quarantined.

I have always used the flexi leads. Gabby has the cord one and Jasper has the tape type, this way I can detangle them easily if I need to. I have had a rope burn in the early days when Jasper was younger, never had one since :xfngr:, and once when my youngest daughter was holding the lead and my eldest daughter unclipped it and let it go at a distance causing it to whizz back, don't think I need to go into the row she had . I always lock the lead and keep my thumb on the brake when I am by a road, I find it easy to reel the dogs in quickly if I need to and I like the freedom it gives them to sniff and explore under control knowing they can't run off and for me this outways the dangers of using the flexi. Also, I should use the small for my dogs weight but I use the medium for heavier dogs, hoping this will rule out the risk of the cord/tape snapping when in use.

Linda, that is so tragic, the poor little baby and family. Just recently over here a young baby was killed by two pet dogs, a staffordshire terrier and a jack russell both the dogs were destroyed.

I must admit i am not that keen on them either.