Retractable Leads

[Tilly]

While it makes me cringe to see any lead on a halti not attached to a collar, it doesn't make me angry until the point where the handler demonstrates they're not going to listen to and consider the reasons why it's not a good idea.

A lot of obedience clubs are telling owners to have one or the other - some of them wouldn't even let dogs have a collar on if they were in a halti. They claim it confuses the dog

[Rusky]

The closest we’ve seen to safety concerns involving the family pooch was the in-depth testing and research Choice Magazine did on retractable leads. Back in January 2006 a 10-year old girl was walking the family dog when it decided to pull forward in a moment of excitement. As the dog lurched forward the retractable lead reached its length and unexpectedly the dog clip snapped. The retractable lead rebounded and the remainder of the clip swung swiftly back into the eye of the little girl. Louise Hiatt of Caravonica, Queensland lost the sight in her eye, all while doing something quite normal, walking her family’s Dachshund.

The Woofaz Pet Products leash was retailing between $1 and $5 through various outlets and online stores. It should be noted that nine months after this incident, the Woofaz Pet Products leash was still on sale and only after Choice Magazine tested 12 retractables and notified the ACCC of the safety concerns was it recalled. This horrible accident prompted a ban on the sale of this product by the ACCC and shows that pet products are only recalled once there is an incidence of harm to a human and it takes some time for a ban to occur.

Choice’s strength testing found that many retractables have no guidelines for the weight or size of your dog. They tested the dog leads to a maximum force of 500 N, which is equivalent to an average-size (20 kg) dog pulling two-and-a-half times its weight, a force that smaller, weaker people would have problems resisting. Most of the brands that passed their tests retail between $20 to $50.

Choice couldn’t test all the retractables on the market, however they say that if you still want to use a retractable look for sturdy construction. A sturdy, heavy clasp, and never use one that’s rated lower than the weight of your dog.

My advice is if your dog is a puller then you would be better served using a correctly fitted Halti® or Gentle Leader® brand head collar and seeking some professional training advice. Most of us want our dogs to walk on a loose lead without pulling. A retractable allows your dog to pull and this leads to more freedom–the more the pull and more freedom and distance they obtain. This is quite the opposite of what you want to achieve.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 December 2007 )

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full article here

http://www.muttspace.com.au/cms/index.php?...4&Itemid=40

I like haltis and gentle leaders but would never fit one on a small breed. They should simply not be made to fit tiny dogs.

[granny]

The closest we’ve seen to safety concerns involving the family pooch was the in-depth testing and research Choice Magazine did on retractable leads. Back in January 2006 a 10-year old girl was walking the family dog when it decided to pull forward in a moment of excitement. As the dog lurched forward the retractable lead reached its length and unexpectedly the dog clip snapped. The retractable lead rebounded and the remainder of the clip swung swiftly back into the eye of the little girl. Louise Hiatt of Caravonica, Queensland lost the sight in her eye, all while doing something quite normal, walking her family’s Dachshund.

The Woofaz Pet Products leash was retailing between $1 and $5 through various outlets and online stores. It should be noted that nine months after this incident, the Woofaz Pet Products leash was still on sale and only after Choice Magazine tested 12 retractables and notified the ACCC of the safety concerns was it recalled. This horrible accident prompted a ban on the sale of this product by the ACCC and shows that pet products are only recalled once there is an incidence of harm to a human and it takes some time for a ban to occur.

Choice’s strength testing found that many retractables have no guidelines for the weight or size of your dog. They tested the dog leads to a maximum force of 500 N, which is equivalent to an average-size (20 kg) dog pulling two-and-a-half times its weight, a force that smaller, weaker people would have problems resisting. Most of the brands that passed their tests retail between $20 to $50.

Choice couldn’t test all the retractables on the market, however they say that if you still want to use a retractable look for sturdy construction. A sturdy, heavy clasp, and never use one that’s rated lower than the weight of your dog.

My advice is if your dog is a puller then you would be better served using a correctly fitted Halti® or Gentle Leader® brand head collar and seeking some professional training advice. Most of us want our dogs to walk on a loose lead without pulling. A retractable allows your dog to pull and this leads to more freedom–the more the pull and more freedom and distance they obtain. This is quite the opposite of what you want to achieve.

Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 December 2007 )

< Prev Next >

full article here

http://www.muttspace.com.au/cms/index.php?...4&Itemid=40

I like haltis and gentle leaders but would never fit one on a small breed. They should simply not be made to fit tiny dogs.

This was a very sad story no Child deserves that.

I just don’t understand why a 10y.o. was using a retractable lead! I know I would NEVER allow my 10 Y.O. Grand child walk my Swedish Vallhund on a retractable lead even a top of the range well rated for the weight of the dog! I believe the dog has to be trained to a degree before a retractable is even considered that alone a suspect quality retractable.

I don’t think letting a 10y.o. walk an untrained dog makes any sense what so ever regardless of the size of the breed or the type of lead. Just because the dog is a SMALL Breed does not mean it can’t misbehave and cause damage to a child by accident, PARENTS have to first take the responsibility of TRAINING the dog and NO there is nothing NORMAL about a small child in sole control of the family pet in this day and age.

The collar debate will go on for ever as will the Halti/Gentle Leader debate. In the end it all comes down to personal choice and what works with your dog. The only advice I would offer these days is “try it, BUT get some advice from someone experienced in training your breed of dog first. Then once you have learned to use all of your choices properly THEN decide what works for you and your dog.

Unfortunately all of the above means TIME & Effort by the parent and a lot of parents just don’t have that sort of time to commit, I just don’t know where one go’s from here if children are to be trained in the art of owing a family Pet.

I can only speak from my own families stand point; My kids and their O.H.’s have decided not to own a dog right now BUT Granny can help teach all 5 grand Kids HOW to act around dogs and how to walk a dog by taking a child on walks with Me & one of my dogs (no not the kid holding the lead) and trying to get the kid to understand just how much work is involved and until Mum or Dad has that sort of time a dog is not an option. I feel sad that my grand-kids will not experience the joy of a family dog in the way my Kids did BUT I also have to respect both my kids and their spouses stand on the subject of TIME to do it PROPERLY, as S.I.L. has said Granny has dogs for the kids to love and be loved by and my dogs do consider the Grand Kids their Kids and boy do they let us know when the car with a grand kid or two in it pulls onto the drive the excitement in their Yip yipping seems to say “look the kids are here the kids are here” or does it mean “look the kids are here get the doggy treats out“ :rolleyes: ...

[Leema]

I've used retractables for Mac and now Clover until I feel they're trustworthy off lead. They only ever have them on when on a harness as I didn't want either dog to learn that pulling on a collar is rewarding.

[kelpiesrule]

I love my retractable leads, but rarely use them for walking, they are mostly used when I am at shows and want to give the dogs a bit of exercise or to toilet them, they are usually more comfortable toileting as far away as possible from me :D The leads slide nicely in and out as the dog moves around but is easy to lock if need be. It is like anything, once you learn to use them properly they are a great tool.