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You may be aware that Mom is a total leash freak! She does not think it is a good idea to allow a dog to roam off-leash outside of an enclosed area. Her reasons are quite valid, because dogs can be unpredictable. Just yesterday, one of our Twitter friends turned his back for a second, and his recently rescued pup was the victim of a hit and run right in front of their home. Even the best trained dogs have been known to dart out into traffic or to chase something down the road. I suppose I should also mention that my Mom is also a control freak. No leash = no control. Because of that, I generally always wear the latest in leash fashions, from Atlanta Braves to Harley-Davidson and Georgia Bulldogs to Florida State Seminoles.
Though she is a HUGE fan of the leash, there is one thing that really bothers Mom. That one thing is the invention of retractable leash. Quite a few pet owners outfit their dog with a retractable leash and take them out in the neighborhood, allowing their dog to go be 20 to 30 feet away at the end of the leash. This leads to many situations where the dog goes around corners out of sight of the owner, leaving them vulnerable to whatever situation lies ahead. Outside of their safety, they can also encounter small children and other curious creatures that may become in harm’s way. I think that you can see the beginnings of a problem here.
Mom and I have a short quiz for people that want to use a retractable leash. Feel free to take it and see how you do.
- My dog SITS, STAYS, and COMES every time that I issue one of those commands. TRUE FALSE
If your dog will not sit, stay and come when you have him on a six foot non-retractable leash, what makes you think that he will come at the end of a twenty or thirty foot retractable leash? **REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL** - My dog never pulls when he or she is on a six foot leash. TRUE FALSE
Until your dog can control his pulling on a six foot leash, he has not earned the privilege to walk on a retractable leash. If you are unable to get your dog NOT to pull on his six foot lead, then YOU have not earned to privilege to use a retractable leash. **REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL** - My dog never jumps on anyone, including me. TRUE FALSE
If you cannot keep your dog from jumping on others when he is on a six foot non-retractable leash, what makes you think that he will not jump on people when he is on a twenty foot retractable leash and often out of your sight. **REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL** - Since I am a responsible dog parent, when my dog and I are out for a walk or shopping in a pet store, I do not allow my dog to extend the retractable leash to its end. TRUE FALSE
**REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL** - Since I am such a responsible dog parent, I realize that allowing my dog to extend a retractable leash to its end may result in my dog being unsupervised. This lack of supervision can result in a myriad of accidents. TRUE FALSE
**REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL** - If my dog is on a retractable leash, out of my sight, and he attacks another dog, I will not be held responsible because my dog was on a leash. TRUE FALSE
**REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL** - If my dog is attacked by another dog who is also on a retractable leash, but neither dog was in sight of their parents, no one is a fault. TRUE FALSE
**REMEMBER, YOU CANNOT TRAIN WHAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL** - I completely understand the dangers to myself and others, including accidental amputation for both myself and my pup, in using a retractable leash. TRUE FALSE
While using a retractable leash may seem like a good idea, there are many potential issues to consider. Unless you answered “TRUE” to the first 5 and final statement, AND you still do not see any issue using a retractable leash, my recommendation for dogs and parents considering a retractable leash purchase or use is this: DON’T!
Tags: accidents, amputation, COME, control, danger, jumping, Leash, non-retractable, pulling, retractable, safety, Sit, Stay, TRAINING