Why Extendable (Retractable) Leashes Are Unsafe

Did you know that extendable leashes teach our dogs how to be experts at pulling?

YEP - by constantly rewarding testing boundaries by pulling. The leash only unlocks freedom when your dog pulls, encouraging us to be inconsistent in our expectations simply because we can lock and unlock the leash anytime we want. With up to 30 feet of play room, that's a lot of opportunities for your dog to learn how to unlock freedom while ignoring you. It's impossible to learn a consistent boundary when the goalpost is always moving.

Extendable leashes also remove your control - and this is a major safety hazard. A dog who is far ahead of you can easily:

• Run into the road after a moving object or animal

• Pull you down and/or into the road with them

• Cause burns, fractures, and lacerations to your hands, body, and legs

• Be seriously injured by the handle if it is dropped and retracts rapidly and hits them

• Injure their neck, trachea, or spine from sudden stops with momentum

• Become entangled with another dog

• Practice unsafe greetings

Retractable leashes stack many risks together. Distance + speed + delayed control + inconsistent boundaries = Unpredictability. You are sacrificing responsiveness, engagement, and teamwork for what feels like convenience, which directly impacts training progress and safety in real-world environments.

There are actually no scenarios in which extendable leashes are ideal. Dogs of all sizes are at great risk.

My advice? Toss yours out and invest in quality leashes that suit the walk: 6 feet for city sidewalks, 8-10 feet for leisurely neighbourhood strolls, and longer lines for offleash training.