The Flexi Leash…handy but does it do what you want

Hi Upper Pup Friends! I wanted to come on and type a little blurb about my “beef” with the all so popular flexi leashes. I have many clients that initially start with them but I don’t train leash walking on them and will trade out a 6 ft fabric leash instead for training.

Here is the thing: Yes, it’s great you want to give your dog this freedom to move ahead but are they really learning to walk cohesively with you? I don’t think so. They do nothing to curb pulling and in fact, I do believe they encourage it. If your dog is way ahead of you, it’s hard for them to focus on what you want them to do. When I teach leash walking, the dog needs to be within 2-4 ft to learn skills and to be rewarded for them.

Also, I’ve been a veterinary nurse for over 20 yrs before I made the happy switch to dog behavior training. So back in the day, when these leads first came on the market, people were getting injured by getting their fingers caught and stuck if trying to get their dog. If dogs got loose, the poor leash would smack them from behind and cause fear. And I can’t forget when greeting other dogs! I’ve seen numerous dog fights due to those leads getting tangled, even to the point of wrapping around an extremity.

The only time I’d recommend one of these tools is when you are out in the middle of nowhere, or a big field, where no one else is close. There you can safely let your dog run and play without worrying they could take off. But in all honesty, I’d rather you use a long training lead because they are loose and freeing. The tightness of a flexi doesn’t feel as good to a dog .

Ultimately, the best thing we can do for our dogs in a human society , is to teach them to walk nicely without pain, without fear, and with plenty of close reassurance so that they are making good decisions.