Let's Talk About Flexi Leashes… (Retractable Leashes - Are They So Bad?)

Flexi leashes have been super controversial and hated on these recent years, but is it justified hate?? let's talk about it.

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Flexi leashes, aka retractable leashes, are one of the most controversial things amongst dog owners and trainers, but are they really all that controversial? Let’s jump right into the pros and cons, and stick around til the end for the final verdict, and when and how this leash might be a fit for you.

CONS
Let’s start with the reasons why people hate Flexi leashes. One obvious reason is that they can actually be super dangerous - there has been a time when somebody’s Flexi leash has wrapped around my leg because they didn’t have control around their dog, and when their dog pulled, I got this huge bloody slice on my leg. This is obviously a super negative, and it can also happen to other dogs.

Another one people will say is that when your dog starts running while on a Flexi leash and they don’t know when the end of the leash is, they can get yanked back really hard and really hurt your dog! That is really my biggest concern with Flexi leashes because they tend not to have much stretch or flexibility.

And to piggy back off that last point, if you say “well, if they start having zoomies, I can just drop the leash to let them run around free”, this does NOT work well with Flexi leashes because when you drop a handle of a Flexi leash, it’s so heavy that when your dog drags it around, it can truly traumatize him and make him keep running away which you obviously can’t run away from something attached to you, and that can make your dog run into a street or something.

Another con of retractable leashes is that they tend to be less sturdy that normal leashes for big pullers. Even if the leash says it can handle up to x amount of weight, I wouldn’t trust a Flexi leash if I had a 50 pound dog that pulls hard.

And lastly, Flexi leashes are really bad for training your dog not to pull because a retractable leash teaches your dog that if he pulls, the leash actually stretches with him, and it also doesn’t help to teach your dog to stay close. Also, let’s not forget that if your dog is at the end of the leash, it’s a lot harder to control him in an emergency like near a road or if a dog pops out.

PROS
Ok, so I basically laid out how awful Flexi leashes are, but to tell you the truth, I’m not 100% against Flexi leashes! The obvious benefit is that your dog can have more freedom without the risk of being completely off leash. And yes, I always say in my videos that you can do that with long leashes, but sometimes, a long leash is really annoying to manually adjust the length if the ground is wet or something.

SO, my final verdict is, Flexi leashes are great, but ONLY for specific situations, so let’s talk about the criteria.

First of all, if your dog pulls on the leash, forget about using a Flexi leash. A Flexi leash is an awful tool to leash a dog not to pull, and if you let your dog pull, then the sturdiness level is simply not good enough.

Secondly, if you see other people or dogs often on your walk like on a sidewalk or urban area, again, forget about using this tool! Like mentioned earlier, if the leash gets caught on someone or another dog, it can be super dangerous, so this leash only works when you’re in a rather rural area.

Thirdly, if your dog is a puppy, I strongly advise against this because puppies are less reliable to walk nicely on these leashes, so start with a normal leash or long leash with puppies to teach them how to walk nicely, then you can use a Flexi leash in the future maybe.

Always use harness

Lastly, it all depends on the kind of Flexi leash! I have a great retractable where the leash isn’t a thin string which is the most dangerous when it gets wrapped around someone, so I’d recommend something like the leash I have here. Another thing is to not get a Flexi leash that has like 40 feet on it. A Flexi leash is more for a dog that stops every not and then to sniff or walk a few feet ahead, not for your dog to be walking a mile in front of you. So, look for a retractable leash thats like 6 to 10 feet maximum to keep it fun but also safe.

Like I said, if your dog pulls, Flexi leashes are probably not for you. But, check out the video linked here on screen to learn how to stop leash pulling!