People who took classes with us know that “no flexi lines” is one of the first course requirements listed in the initial greeting email.
In the very first class I often talk about why I recommend against the use of flexi lines. Sometimes, I find myself needing to repeat my reasoning again. In rare cases, people refuse to follow my advice and, while bringing good, sturdy and non-slippery long lines to classes, they keep using retractable leashes on their walks, which often significantly slows down their progress in the course.
See, obedience classes in general should not be treated as an isolated case of practicing specific skills that never get repeated at home. But of course, not doing homework is a whole separate topic which I will address in a separate post at some point.
This one is about flexi leashes specifically.
The very idea of having a device that can be employed as either a short line or a long line is very tempting. It conveniently retracts, which seems to make this type of leash a superior alternative to an old-fashioned 30-foot line. However, there are three significant issues with flexi leashes.
The first issue is that it maintains pressure, however slight. Unless you let the line come all the way out and then lock it in this position, there will always be tension in the leash; tension which your dog can feel (but then, of course, letting all of the leash out defeats the whole purpose of flexi line).
This tension creates a response in a dog which is known as “resistance” reflex, meaning that, upon feeling a pulling force, the dog will pull with an equal force in an opposite direction. This natural reflex is used in some dog activities, such as drafting, bikejoring, sledding, and others.
Most importantly, though, once a dog learns that leash equals tension, they will be automatically tempted to pull away from you, thus giving you hard time on your walks. This tension is also the reason why we sometimes see very little progress in heeling: if a person uses regular long lines in class but then goes back to flexi lines at home, the dog does not really learn anything except for confusion.
The second issue is the bulky handle which incapacitates any other leash manipulations except for clenching to the massive plastic piece with the curved space holders for the four fingers. The only alternative to clenching to the handle itself is pushing a “stop” button with a thumb and releasing it. The leash itself is very thin and pretty much impossible to hold on to when handling a dog larger than twenty pounds.
This means that you cannot grab the line itself with two hands—something we use a lot in heeling. Likewise, you cannot easily maintain a leash slack, which is crucial in teaching loose leash walking and similar skills. You cannot correct your dog with the leash pressure because there is always pressure in their leash. Ultimately, this means that you have very little control over where your dog goes; your timing with recall and leash pops will really suffer; and any negative behaviours will happen way before you can physically prevent them. Again, this means that all the progress made in class will be destroyed by poor timing and bad reinforcements at home.
The last issue is the one pertaining to safety. No matter what the manufacturers’ label says, flexi leashes (unless they have an actual leash inside of them, not a thin rope-like line) snap and break. I have witnessed it happening a few times – this is never fun and has potential to lead to all sorts of disasters, from dog fights to car accidents, especially when your recall is not rock-solid.
Indeed, using a long line on your walks can be inconvenient. It gets dirty and messy. Dogs can sometimes tangle themselves in it and it takes them some time to realize how to avoid this. However, a long line gives you all the necessary control. It does not create any tension, and it is very hard to break.
Most importantly, walking and training with a long line mimics the conditions similar to those present in an off-leash situation, only that you have more power over your dog’s decisions. Ultimately, long line training results in better obedience, which is the primary reason most of the people join our group classes.