VIP Advice
VIP Advice
Why You Should NEVER Use A Retractable Leash
3 Minute Read
By Dr. Karie Johnson | Products | June 2019
Why You Should NEVER Use A Retractable Leash
3 Minute Read
By Dr. Karie Johnson | Products | June 2019
By Dr. Karie Johnson | June 2019
SAY NO TO RETRACTABLE LEASHES!
Have you read the stories? Have you seen the cuts, burns, or even amputations caused by a retractable leash? As a veterinarian, I will never recommend a retractable leash. They are dangerous! Not only to the pet that it’s attached to, but to their human as well.
HOW ARE THEY DANGEROUS?
The cord inside a retractable leash can get caught around an ankle, a limb, or a neck and do serious damage when it automatically reels in or quickly reels out! That thin cord will cut, cause a “rug burn” or “road rash” of sorts or at worst amputate a limb. These injuries include Pet Parents who grab onto the cord in times of danger.
IMAGINE THE SCENARIOS
Think about if you were to drop the handle…
…your dog goes running away from you and this loud and hard handle is actively chasing them, causing them to panic and run faster. It’s almost impossible to catch a dog that has a retractable leash attached to them.
Think about other animals…
…imagine your dog is fully out on their leash. You are walking closer to them, but you are still quite far away when another dog gets out of their house and runs straight at your dog. What do you do? Since you are so far away, it’s impossible to gain control over this situation or protect your dog.
Think of being in your car and seeing a dog on a walk with a retractable leash…
…can you even see the leash? Can you see the pet parent they belong to or do you only see the dog? How well can you handle your pet on a retractable leash when they need to cross the street? Too many times, pets run out into the street and into oncoming traffic because they are so far away from their owners that the owners can’t even tell they are close to danger.
WHAT ELSE CAN HAPPEN
What do you do when your friendly dog runs off on their retractable leash and approaches a leash aggressive dog (dogs that have added fear and aggression when attached to a leash). The pet parent of the other dog can’t warn you because you are too far away, and now you are too far off in the distance to gain control of your dog.
One of the worst situations can even occur when your pup is right next to you but sees a squirrel and takes off full speed! They hit the end of the leash capacity and BAM… it breaks… not only is your dog loose, but now you are faced with a leash that is reeling back as fast as it can straight towards you! Your hands and face are in the direct pathway as it snaps back potentially injuring you in the process.
FINAL THOUGHTS FROM A VETERINARIAN
The bottom line regarding retractable leashes is you can’t pull a dog back towards you on a retractable leash in times of danger. You can only keep them where they are at. Retractable leashes also reward a dog for pulling with all their might. If they pull, they get to go further and get closer to what they want. This creates bad behaviors for leash walking. In addition to everything else, these leashes don’t hold up against the test of time. The locks typically break and then you have zero control at all over your pet’s behavior or distance from you.
Just say NO to retractable leashes and say NO to pulling, lack of control, rewarding bad behavior and potentially serious injuries!
Author: Dr. Karie Johnson, Co-Founder of VIP Vet Visit
Dr Karie is a companion animal & equine veterinarian in the Chicagoland area. Her desire to strengthen the human-animal bond while providing enhanced preventative care led her to start VIP Vet Visit – an at-home veterinary care option that provides less stress, more convenience and better care.
SAY NO TO RETRACTABLE LEASHES!
Have you read the stories? Have you seen the cuts, burns, or even amputations caused by a retractable leash? As a veterinarian, I will never recommend a retractable leash. They are dangerous! Not only to the pet that it’s attached to, but to their human as well.
HOW ARE THEY DANGEROUS?
The cord inside a retractable leash can get caught around an ankle, a limb, or a neck and do serious damage when it automatically reels in or quickly reels out! That thin cord will cut, cause a “rug burn” or “road rash” of sorts or at worst amputate a limb. These injuries include Pet Parents who grab onto the cord in times of danger.
IMAGINE THE SCENARIOS
Think about if you were to drop the handle…
…your dog goes running away from you and this loud and hard handle is actively chasing them, causing them to panic and run faster. It’s almost impossible to catch a dog that has a retractable leash attached to them.
Think about other animals…
…imagine your dog is fully out on their leash. You are walking closer to them, but you are still quite far away when another dog gets out of their house and runs straight at your dog. What do you do? Since you are so far away, it’s impossible to gain control over this situation or protect your dog.
Think of being in your car and seeing a dog on a walk with a retractable leash…
…can you even see the leash? Can you see the pet parent they belong to or do you only see the dog? How well can you handle your pet on a retractable leash when they need to cross the street? Too many times, pets run out into the street and into oncoming traffic because they are so far away from their owners that the owners can’t even tell they are close to danger.
WHAT ELSE CAN HAPPEN
What do you do when your friendly dog runs off on their retractable leash and approaches a leash aggressive dog (dogs that have added fear and aggression when attached to a leash). The pet parent of the other dog can’t warn you because you are too far away, and now you are too far off in the distance to gain control of your dog.
One of the worst situations can even occur when your pup is right next to you but sees a squirrel and takes off full speed! They hit the end of the leash capacity and BAM… it breaks… not only is your dog loose, but now you are faced with a leash that is reeling back as fast as it can straight towards you! Your hands and face are in the direct pathway as it snaps back potentially injuring you in the process.
FINAL THOUGHTS FROM A VETERINARIAN
The bottom line regarding retractable leashes is you can’t pull a dog back towards you on a retractable leash in times of danger. You can only keep them where they are at. Retractable leashes also reward a dog for pulling with all their might. If they pull, they get to go further and get closer to what they want. This creates bad behaviors for leash walking. In addition to everything else, these leashes don’t hold up against the test of time. The locks typically break and then you have zero control at all over your pet’s behavior or distance from you.
Just say NO to retractable leashes and say NO to pulling, lack of control, rewarding bad behavior and potentially serious injuries!
Author: Dr. Karie Johnson, Co-Founder of VIP Vet Visit
Dr Karie is a companion animal & equine veterinarian in the Chicagoland area. Her desire to strengthen the human-animal bond while providing enhanced preventative care led her to start VIP Vet Visit – an at-home veterinary care option that provides less stress, more convenience and better care.
