Retractable leashes can be dangerous for dogs and for the people walking them!
Beware the Whiplash Effect
This happens when a running or lunging dog reaches the end of the leash line at full speed. The force of sudden deceleration can give the dog a crushed larynx, broken vertebrae, bruised muscles in their neck and chest or worse. The human on the other end of the line can be pulled over and injured too.
If the dog walker lets go of the heavy handle, it will whip its way back to the dog, potentially causing injuries to the eyes or other parts of the body. Additionally, a dog might run in terror from this handle flying toward them and get lost or hit by a car.
The whiplash effect can also happen if the leash breaks or comes away from the collar or harness, with the line whipping back onto the dog walker’s hands.
Entanglement
The line of retractable leashes can easily get wrapped around the dog walker’s– or another person’s — legs, resulting in someone being pulled over and hurt and/or falling on the dog. The leash can also get wrapped around objects, immovable and otherwise. Imagine a table full of glassware tipping over and falling on your dog!
Distance Leads to Distraction
It’s easy for a dog walker to get comfortable and not pay enough attention to what their dog is doing at the end of a retractable leash. Dog fights happen this way—we’ve seen it happen here in the store–and also speaking from experience we can attest to things getting peed on that should not be getting peed on.
This is why retractable leashes are not allowed at many vet’s offices, dog events, stores and even whole communities. Injuries to humans and dogs from retractable leashes happen often enough that they are tracked by emergency room doctors and vets, who report thousands of injuries every year according to Whole Dog Journal.
Most dog trainers and animal behaviorists recommend using a standard six-foot leash to walk your dog. You can find some cute ones here at Noble Beast, but you will never see us selling a retractable leash!