Why You Should Toss Your Retractable Leash

Many pet owners swear by retractable leashes. They feel that using these leashes makes it much easier to take their dog for a walk. However, these devices come with a host of problems. You should toss your retractable leash and replace it with something safer.

The primary purpose of a leash is to keep an animal out of harms way. When using a standard leash, an owner can easily control where their dog goes and keep them out of trouble. This isn't the case with a retractable leash. A dog can get far away from an owner very quickly, and can cause problems or injure themselves somehow.

Many of these leashes allow a dog to get as much as 25 feet away from the owner. This is incredibly dangerous. If a dog runs off into the street or decides to approach an aggressive dog, there won't be anything that the owner can do about it.

To make matters worse, many of these leashes have extremely thin cords, which can break easily. If a dog bounds away on one of these leashes, it may snap, allowing the dog to run away from the owner and put itself in danger. Running off like this can also cause the cord to snap back, injuring the dog walker.

Using a retractable leash also prevents dogs from becoming properly leash trained. While younger dogs do pull on leashes, eventually they learn that that's improper behavior. They then get to the point where they can walk calmly in front of the owner without pulling.

Because dogs who use retractable leashes don't feel that pull at the end of the leash, they never learn that running off and ahead of their owner is wrong. They'll continue that behavior, and taking them on walks will be an issue. Retractable leashes apply a bandage to an easily curable problem.

In addition, retractable leashes have been known to cause physical harm to dogs. Some dogs have received burns from these leashes, and others have received deep cuts. In cases where the long leash has become tangled around the dog, amputation has even been necessary.

These leashes have been known to injure dog walkers as well. Because of the way the leash is designed, it's easy for it to get tangled around the owner, and then pulled. This can cause burning, bruising, and other painful injuries. These leashes simply aren't safe for pets and for owners.

The standard six foot leash is what's best for both pets and pet owners. The cords are nice and thick, and they keep dogs a safe distance from their owners at all times. They'll teach dogs how to walk properly on a leash, and make sure they don't get into trouble.

Toss your retractable leash and pick up a simple leash instead. Your dog doesn't need anything fancy; it needs a leash that will keep it protected. These leashes cause nothing but problems, and they should be avoided at all costs.

Source:http://ezinearticles.com/?Why-You-Should-Toss-Your-Retractable-Leash&id=8875898