Flexi photos?

If anyone has a photo they can post or email that shows your dog(s) on a retractable leash -- successfully or otherwise -- that I might be able to use for an upcoming column at SFGate.com, I'd love to see it.



You can email it to me or, if it's online already, just post the URL in the comments section and I can get it that way. Please identify how you would like it credited, and of course, your dog's name.

Comments

[Christie Keith]

Thanks, straybaby! How would you like that credited?



Christie

[straybaby]

Comment by shadepuppy — August 2, 2007 @ 11:47



i use 15-25 ft training leads. much easier to handle for me than a flexi and i was warned against flexi's by someone who knew the damage they could do. i just shorten the lead for street walking, but have the option to give more leash when when we hit the park.



i will cross the street in a heartbeat to avoid another dog coming my way on a flexi. the flexi owners around me seem to leave their brains (if they have any!) at home when they walk their dogs.



late night walk:



http://www.flickr.com/photos/straybaby/999784524/

[shadepuppy]

I love the Flexi, but only the tape models -- not the cord. Luisa, I've seen (and felt) the pain and injury that the cord can cause, especially with young, bouncy dogs. The tape models won't do any more damage, I believe, than a regular leash if someone runs into it.



My dogs were medium size, sweet-natured, and generally well-mannered, but they did love to walk ahead or behind and check out as many smells as they could on a walk. I know that the Dog Whisperer says that meant the dogs were in charge, but they never had any bad habits because of it, so I didn't care. The constant tension of the leash, I will admit, probably added a bit to Squirt's pulling, and I will re-think that for my next dog. At the time, it worked well for what I wanted -- a leash that didn't get in my way, and one that I could flip over bushes/mailboxes/boulders that happened to get between me and my dogs. For training, definitely a straight lead, but for fun walking, I really have loved the Flexi leads. I don't have any photos, but I did tape a video of one of my last walks with Squirt -- walking (doddering) ahead of me down the street, heading home. Now that he's gone, I can still play the tape and "walk my dog".

[Christie Keith]

LOL, well, I tackle the bad rap of the Flexi, and explain why it's a tool I love, but only used properly.



You'll have to pry my Flexis out of my cold, stiff hands. ;)

[Luisa]

Shot in the dark, Christie, but I'm going to assume you don't have a photo on hand because you'd never use one of the damn things.



I hate those stupid Flexis. Hate 'em. Joel Stein's remark in an old Time Magazine column is classic: "Why don't you just let your dog run loose, and carry a stick to trip people with?" [Or words to that effect.]



A friend of mine was walking her border collie on a Flexi when her dog was attacked by a golden retriever mix that pulled away from its owners. The border collie suffered some bites and bruises, but the worst injury was to my friend's hand --- a deep gash where the Flexi cord sliced her as she tried to haul her dog in fast to keep it away from the charging golden mix. My friend didn't get stitches, but it was a nasty cut.



If she had been using a good leather lead, chances are neither she nor her dog would have been hurt. She would have been able to take a safe, secure grip on her dog's leash and pull her out of danger while the inept owners got their aggressive dog under control.



PSA: If you must use a Flexi, save it for places where there are no people to trip, and no other dogs.



[slaps forehead] I'll have to recycle all this for my blog when your column comes out ;~)

[KathyF]

Christie, I've got dozens of photos of Bailey, including this one of her walking herself on a retractable lead.



Oddly, I never liked to use it when I lived in the US, but now I use it all the time.

[Mr. Scruffy]

We use a 8 ft. leash, a Halti, and a Flexi (not all at once!). We are very alert to our surroundings when we use the Flexi (our dog is NOT the kind of dog that you can walk and use an iPod, or heaven forbid, a cell)and she loves it because she can can get ahead of our pokey pace. I am quite good on the stop button, and use it automatically, but my spouse did make the mistake of grabbing the cord - once.

[The OTHER Pat]

And we didn't ever use one on our "best trained obedience dog" because she was trained to walk on an absolutely loose lead, and the amount of back-pressure from a Flexi would bring her to a halt!

[Shawn]

Re:i will cross the street in a heartbeat to avoid another dog coming my way on a flexi. the flexi owners around me seem to leave their brains (if they have any!) at home when they walk their dogs.



Straybaby I absolutely agree with you and I used to cross the street as well. People with the retractable leads let their dogs go whereever they want to go no matter what their temperament. In my opinion they are dangerous to all. In my 350 unit community we have had many a dog fight due to people using those leads. And we have had shoulder injuiries and people thrown right to the ground when the dog bolted on the owner. I do not believe it is possible to get the proper leverage that you can achieve with a regular 6/8 ft or so leash. Living in close quarters our animals need to walk beside us and not have the ability to go after neighbors. So I hope you are going to properly warn against these "leashes". They really are only suitable in my opinion for the best trained obedience dog. Sorry, but that is what I have observed.

[straybaby]

Hey Christie, no credit needed! 2AM cell phone shots remain anon, lol!~ ;)

[The OTHER Pat]

So I was just driving down a 50 mph road (which means drivers generally do 60 mph on it) and there on the shoulder was a gal walking a White German Shepherd on a Flexi, pulled out to its full extension.



Now tell me - if that dog suddenly decided to check out something in the middle of the road, just HOW was she going to get him pulled back in time?



I really, really, REALLY hate those things . . . . . . . . . . .