Retractable Leash—A Cautionary Tale

by Marianne Sackett
Trainers have long argued against retractable leashes because they teach dogs to pull on the lead instead of walking next to you. Vets don’t like them because when you are distracted (perhaps picking up after your dog) you can easily find the dog in the street chasing a squirrel and subsequently getting hit by a car. There are some that argue that their dogs are little and/or it gives them freedom when playing to run around the dog park or other area without being off the leash. I’ve even heard some say that injuries occurred because people weren’t using the leash properly.

Here’s my experience. You decide if you, your children, or your dog is worth using the leash.

It was a friendly interaction between 2 dogs, both under 20#s. Matilda and Dottie were running playfully in front of my home. Matilda was wearing a regular leash, Dottie, a retractable. After we detangled the dogs a number of times, the accident happened: Matilda ran behind my 11 year old son, Dottie followed her. The retractable leash was like a razor cutting the back of my son’s leg right at the spot where your leg bends. The wound was about 1/8″ deep and 6″ long. It wasn’t the type of injury that could be stitched or glued. There wasn’t too much that could be done except keep it clean and immobile since normal walking would cause the wound to open again. It took several weeks to heal.

About a month later, we encountered a young couple walking their small dog with a retractable leash. We kept walking backwards as they approached. They assured us that the dog was friendly. My son said, “We’re not afraid of your dog, we’re afraid of the leash. Those things are dangerous.” They both rolled their eyes and kept walking.

Seeing the damage the leash could do just running against the skin I couldn’t imagine what would have happened if it wrapped itself around any part of my son or either dog for that matter. There are decapitation warnings on the leash for a reason. Here’s a Consumer Reports story about said leash http://blogs.consumerreports.org/safety/2009/03/retractable-leashes-pose-problems-for-people-and-their-pets.html.

Even if you don’t use the leash beware of encounters with dogs who do.

Bark in the Park