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Are retractable leashes good or bad for my dog's training and safety?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Dog | Jack Russell Terrier | Female | spayed | 1 year and 9 months old | 11 lbs

Is an extending lead for a dog misleading or not ? I have read mixed reviews on extending leads and i can't make up my mind if its ok or not?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By C. Rathjens, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on October 12th, 2018

I would recommend against using the retractable lead. It can indirectly lead to problems because you have less control (things like her taking off towards a dog/person when you thought you had it locked to a shorter position, "clothes lining" someone with the sharp string, not being able to react quickly to changes in your environment like a car or unfriendly dog showing up suddenly). It's better to have a 4-6 foot leather or nylon leash for walking and then to be fully off-leash in safe situations. If you're doing to let her off-leash in any public area (fenced or not), I think it's important to have a bullet proof recall first. I hope that helps!

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Jessica Keay, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    I do not recommend extendi-leashes except for certain purposes, such as training recall (getting your dog to come) outdoors when you need to be sure they cannot escape. The main problem is that the dog often doesn't learn to heal and the leash can become problematic if a dangerous situation arises such as an aggressive dog and you cannot get your dog close to you quickly.

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