Health & WellbeingAre retractable leashes good or bad for my dog's training and safety?
I would recommend against using the retractable lead. It can indirectly lead to problems because you have less control (things like her taking off towards a dog/person when you thought you had it locked to a shorter position, "clothes lining" someone with the sharp string, not being able to react quickly to changes in your environment like a car or unfriendly dog showing up suddenly). It's better to have a 4-6 foot leather or nylon leash for walking and then to be fully off-leash in safe situations. If you're doing to let her off-leash in any public area (fenced or not), I think it's important to have a bullet proof recall first. I hope that helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025