Rant about irresponsible dog owners.

[asnnbrg]

I HATE going into pet stores that allow people to bring in their pets. It never fails that someone in there has no sense about how to handle their pet. I'm glad you and your furbaby were ok.

 

[Paula]

First problem being that, since they are so long, if your dog is in a bad situation and you need your dog back with you ASAP, it would take you a while to reel the leash in, you also don't have much control when your dog is so far away rather then being right next to your side. Second problem, many, many, many dogs and owners have been hurt by them since the rope is so small and powerful, if it wraps around your leg and the dog pulls, you're in for a world of hurt (Had this happen to me) Most people also don't know how to use them correctly, they just let the dog run around at the end of the lead doing whatever it wants. They have also been known to break very easily (The mechanism that lets you lock the leash to be short) which is a bad situation because if your dog is running towards something and the leash breaks, you can't grab the rope of the leash to pull it back because it could severely hurt you.

They are also very easily ripped out of the owners hands, in fact when I used to use a flexi a long time ago and I had this happen to me. Since the leash is so long, if the dog sees something it really wants to get to and starts off, they have a long ways to gain speed before hitting the end of the leash, not only hurting the dog, but often ripping the leash from the owner's hands (Since it can't be wrapped around the wrist like normal leashes)

The problem with Flexi-Leads isn't the leashes themselves, it's stupid and irresponsible people that use them. Your dog should never be in a situation where s/he's too far away from you to get back quickly if something goes wrong. I've used this type of leash for all of my dogs for many years and (knock furiously on wood) never had an incident because I'm not an idiot and I don't just let my dogs traipse out as far as they can unless we are in a situation where it is absolutely safe, like an empty parking lot. When I'm in close proximity to people, the leashes are short and locked down. When I need to keep them close to me or I am unsure if I will need them close to me, the leashes are short and locked down. It's common sense and unfortunately too many people are severely lacking in it, but it is not a fault of the leash or its design that idiots choose to use it inappropriately. I do use the 110+ lb approved leashes that aren't the thin little rope things, but I have never, ever had the leash wrap around the dog and been unable to correct it quickly, largely because I don't let them have the slack in the line if I'm unsure of the situation. As for them being easily ripped out of the owner's hands, this goes back to KNOWING YOUR DOG. If you are entering a situation where your dog is likely to pull and become aggressive or hard(er) to control, you need to have enough experience with and knowledge of your dog in these types of situations that you can anticipate that and adjust the leash to the appropriate length accordingly. My Finnegan likes to chase anything that's running, especially joggers, so if I am going to encounter a jogger, I lock the leash down and physically make him stop and put my body between him and the person running - not because he's going to be aggressive, but because he's going to lunge and that is perceived as aggression from a 75 lb dog. I can't tell you the number of times someone has said, "Wow, you really know your dog, don't you?" or something to a similar effect. Yes, I do, and that is the first and most important rule to owning an animal and/or using any equipment with him/her.

I do wish they wrapped around my wrist - I had my last dog break both my wrist and my shoulder blade pulling me so hard after a squirrel and a cat, but I had a leash that was cinched tight around my wrist because it was then and is now preferable for me to break something than lose control of my dog, both for the safety of other people and animals and their own, largely their own.

It's like pitbulls, you can't blame them for what they are - you blame the owner for failing as a responsible owner. You can't blame a flexi-lead for all the ways in which stupid and irresponsible people use them.

 

[Carissa6729]

A lot of people I have met with small dogs neglect training because they see them differently than larger dogs. They think they are just cute, harmless lap dogs. People need to train small dogs too! They are still dogs. They're not moving stuffed animals.

I'm so sorry you had to put your dog down. That person came onto *your* property. I thought in Arizona they'd be more willing to favor the home owner in those situations. Aren't you allowed to shoot home invaders there? Arizona's laws can be kind of stupid regardless, no offense.

Ha, yea, we have some pretty stupid laws, most are based on a logical concept just executed dumb.

This was why we took it to court, he was seen as "vicious" (big black dog + dog bite) and would have been put down immediately if we let them but my mom fought tooth and nail to try to save him. The logic of the courts was that although she entered our property, through a gate (she said it was unlocked, while I know it was locked, it was her word against mine), she was a "known" person to our family and the dog shouldn't have attacked her and I know there was some fuzziness between having a security gate and somebody entering your front door to your house. She of course lied about what really happened but I saw, unfortunately the last 5 seconds before I could do something. I was inside and he went through the dog door to go check out the noise and when I got up to go to the door to see what he was investigating, I saw her get bit. This was almost 20 years ago so I don' t remember a lot of the facts that happened in the case and I wasn't there for most of it, they just took my testimony (since I was home) and had me testify in court.

I don't think Arizona has the "step on my property and I can shoot you law", think that's Texas although I wouldn't be opposed to it.

 

[PigPandemonium]

The problem with Flexi-Leads isn't the leashes themselves, it's stupid and irresponsible people that use them. Your dog should never be in a situation where s/he's too far away from you to get back quickly if something goes wrong. I've used this type of leash for all of my dogs for many years and (knock furiously on wood) never had an incident because I'm not an idiot and I don't just let my dogs traipse out as far as they can unless we are in a situation where it is absolutely safe, like an empty parking lot. When I'm in close proximity to people, the leashes are short and locked down. When I need to keep them close to me or I am unsure if I will need them close to me, the leashes are short and locked down. It's common sense and unfortunately too many people are severely lacking in it, but it is not a fault of the leash or its design that idiots choose to use it inappropriately. I do use the 110+ lb approved leashes that aren't the thin little rope things, but I have never, ever had the leash wrap around the dog and been unable to correct it quickly, largely because I don't let them have the slack in the line if I'm unsure of the situation. As for them being easily ripped out of the owner's hands, this goes back to KNOWING YOUR DOG. If you are entering a situation where your dog is likely to pull and become aggressive or hard(er) to control, you need to have enough experience with and knowledge of your dog in these types of situations that you can anticipate that and adjust the leash to the appropriate length accordingly. My Finnegan likes to chase anything that's running, especially joggers, so if I am going to encounter a jogger, I lock the leash down and physically make him stop and put my body between him and the person running - not because he's going to be aggressive, but because he's going to lunge and that is perceived as aggression from a 75 lb dog. I can't tell you the number of times someone has said, "Wow, you really know your dog, don't you?" or something to a similar effect. Yes, I do, and that is the first and most important rule to owning an animal and/or using any equipment with him/her.

I do wish they wrapped around my wrist - I had my last dog break both my wrist and my shoulder blade pulling me so hard after a squirrel and a cat, but I had a leash that was cinched tight around my wrist because it was then and is now preferable for me to break something than lose control of my dog, both for the safety of other people and animals and their own, largely their own.

It's like pitbulls, you can't blame them for what they are - you blame the owner for failing as a responsible owner. You can't blame a flexi-lead for all the ways in which stupid and irresponsible people use them.

True, I'm not claiming it's to products fault (Though I may have worded it to seem that way) So much as most people who get one don't learn how to use it correctly, and therefore most people who use them have problems like that. I only know a very few select people who should own them because of that, I've had way too many bad experiences with people using flexi leashes. Though I do use a flexi leash with Bella, however only in places like the woods, anywhere else I use a 6ft lead. I trust her off leash, but would never let any dog off leash in an area that wasn't enclosed, so I just use to flexi leash for her, that way she can have a little more room to run around, but is also safe. Though with a lot of the dogs I help train, I use a lunge line (The type used for horses) which works well.

 

[doglaurasmudge]

Did not know all of that about flexileads xD Thank you for replying to my question though. We have a spare normal lead so I think I'll use that from now onwards, I'm the only one that walks her ;P

 

[Carissa6729]

I have two issues with flexi-leads and both are operator error; 1. the owner puts too big of a dog on too small of a flexilead (yes, your 130 lb puppy can break a leash made for a Yorkie) and 2. the owner allowing their untrained dog to run wild on the end of one thinking they are in the "right" because they are technically leashed.

If used properly, they can be a great tool, especially when you have dogs known to bolt if let free no matter how well they are trained (ie. Huskies) to give them some extra room for exercise while still staying safe. Personally, I prefer to use parks however, not dog parks however but that's another issue all together. Enclosed baseball fields, tennis courts, and other areas with fencing are great for some extra exercise for your dog if your park allows it. Our local one is a recreational park so it's fine for me to let my Stormy run around the baseball field since each one is enclosed with a gate and I don't have to worry about her running off and getting distracted, she's not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed but I love her.