Today our cocker spaniel was attacked by a dog who was on an extending lead.Our dog was on her lead,this staffy came from behind her,grabbed her neck and shook her so violently that it has caused damage to her eye,which now needs surgery.My 73yr old father had to get this dog off ours,at no time did the other owner help him and in fact kept his distance not even apologising for his dog's violent behaviour.I have seen several out of control dogs exercised on these leads,the owners are unable to constrain their pets,I really think these leads should be banned!

I don't think extending leads should be banned they are very useful when used properly.  It is very easy to stop the lead extending further and to 'reel' the dog in very quickly.  In a case like the one you describe the owner is clearly not bothering to control the dog when he could have done so easily the fact he was using an extended lead is an irrelevance he might as well have been running loose.

my staff is not great with other dogs so i don't let him off his lead when we are out but with the extending lead he can still have a run around and if another dogs gets too close its easy enough to get him under control. i don't think your dog was attacked because it was on an extending lead i think it was attacked due to the other dog's owners incompitence and lack of responsibility as a dog owner. i think they are a great idea

This person sounds like the type of owner that would have let his dog attack whether it was on an extending lead, a normal lead or off lead. I love my extending lead its great to give my dog a bit more freedom if he can't be off the lead for any reason so I don't think they should be banned at all.   I think you have to be very careful to not extend them when walking near roads though in case the dog goes off the pavement and into the path of a car :-(  but otherwise they are great.  Hope your dog and your father are both okay and have recovered from the shock.

This incident had nothing to do with the lead...it was the idiot on the end of it that was to blame.
Archer

here here!! flexi leads allow you to give the dog freedom when its not always appropriate to let them off.
LAY OFF THE DOG LAY INTO THE OWNER!!

Hi
I agree extending leads are great in the right hands. I have them for my YT's. In the wrong hands tho... I thought I'd given a Rottie a wide berth when it was tied up to some shopping trolleys outside a local supermarket. I was between it and my then 3 year old son and was at least 10 feet away from it (it was sitting quietly next to the trolleys). Next thing I knew it was past me and grabbed my son by his arm & pulled him to the ground. It was on an extenting lead!!. Luckily all it wanted was the tube of smarties my son was holding. I was so angry I waited for the owner - she came out and was at least 75 years old. She had no chance of controling the dog no matter what lead it was on. She said it was MY fault for letting him have sweets to entice the poor dog with! Its very true a lot of the time the problems lie with the owner.
Take Care
Helen

Sambo, No-ones having ago at the dog, it's the lead.  Yes they are useful but whats wrong with a normal lead for walking and letting your dog run free in an enclosed area?

Unfortunatley I think some people use them instead of training a recall, where I live there is a man with a GR that, one day, ran away from him in the forest and since that day he always walks it on a flexi. I personally think this is a shame for the dog, and the owner, we have flexi leads in our house as they are a useful training aid, ie for adolescent dogs who have other things on their minds than listening to their owner(:D)and can be used when there is not a suitable place to let dogs off lead. But as I said, I think sometimes they are used for the wrong reasons.
And I agree Roxanne that they can be dangerous tho, anyone here being hit by a 'loose' one, or had a dog running with a loose one and panicking..very distressing.

JMO, of course :)

There aren't always suitable enclosed areas. I've been using an extending lead on a bitch I'm boarding, because I don't want to lose her, but she needs more exercise than mere lead walking.

I agree - I have a flexi for mine (though I don't generally use it when there are lots of people around). My two do not have a reliable recall and there are very few fully enclosed areas around that I can let them off in.

Sorry I believe flexi leads to be dangerous.  You do not have control of your dog, yes you can stop it, but your dogs still a distance from you adn if the dog is to really go you won't be able to hold on no matter what the lead!

A flexi lead has also nearly had my brother strangled when he was smaller, the dog was mooching around as they dog and walked past my brother, other side to owner, lead across brother neck.  A friend had the back of her knees sliced open by one of these leads, she was in pain for too long, it looks horrible and could have been prevented!

Sorry but with those experiances, the leads should be banned because they are leathal!

I don't think that I'd go as far as having them banned :D They do have their uses  - I would have found it very difficult keeping Tara fit, when she had to be on a lead for many months when her paw was bad , without the use of a flexi :) However, they are only of use when exercising a dog in an open area IMHO. They should never be used for walking a dog on a pavement or when in close proximity with other dogs or people. I much prefer to be able to wrap the lead around my hand to ensure that the dog is under tight control. I have seen people try to use them in traing classes (even when they have been told that they are not suitable) and they just have no proper control of the dog :(

Daisy

Absolutely, Daisy. For recuperating dogs (who don't know what they should and shouldn't do healthwise!) they're a godsend. Likewise when you're in a strange area, on moorland, for example, where there may be sheep reasonably close. Or when you're walking someone else's dog, whose recall you have no idea about. The relative freedom these leads give is marvellous.

And you're spot on that they should never be used near roads.

Tara was very agile on three legs, but would have run off into the stream if off lead. She also had to be kept away from other dogs as she was very sensitive of her bad foot and was inclined to snap if pestered :) The flexi was the only thing that gave her some freedom :) To keep a firm hold of a dog that may suddenly lunge, it is MUCH better to be able to slip your hand through the loop of a normal lead. I have also found with a flexi NEVER to trust the lock knob - I always keep my finger on the button because, on occasions, the lock has slipped off at the crucial moment :(

Daisy

I've had cheaper makes of extending lead where I would not trust the locking mechanism but I find on the Flexi, one of mine being well over 10 years old, the lock in totally reliable.

Well I have had several Flexis - and after the experience of having the lock come off a couple of time, I never use it :) My husband has had the lock come off several times on the newest which is under a year old :(

Daisy

Perhaps the older models are better :)

Probably :)

Daisy

When I got Shiba's about 12 years ago, I switched to the Flexi leads.  I still have one of the originals and it works perfectly.  the "new" one is about 7 years old and going strong.  I don't have a control problem with them at all, but then again, I am used to them....I can see how a novice user could get in a bit of a muddle!

Would you use one in, say, a showground tho' with lots of dogs and people around ? ?

Daisy

Probably not, not because I would not trust it to hold her but because there is no point in using one unless the opportunity is there for a bit of a run about.

I would be loathe to give up my extending lead, we frequently use a path alongside a fast country road, a hedge in between with gaps through at several points along the  way which I find it just perfect for.  We also pass through fields that often have sheep in, my dog has no interest in grown sheep but I would not trust her not to be tempted to join in with the lambs when they scamper. 
I'm really struggling to imagine these incidents that have been described in this trhead happening if the owners have a care or their wits about them.  Admittedly my dog is not a large one but flexileads come in many sizes and strengths the brake, when applied with the thumb, is rock solid and takes no effort to maintain, there is also a lock, nor did I find it difficult to develop the technique of pulling the arm back, releasing it to retract, applying it again and repeating quickly and effectively "reeling" the dog in.  Add to that the common sense to be always aware of where the dog is in relation to other people you might be walking with and the curtesy of reeling in the dog to a short lead when someone approaches and it is beyond me how these events can happen.

But one of the problems with flexi-leads is that you can't completely reel in ALL the lead. It is impossible to acheive a 'short' lead. Also, the handles are very hard and just don't give the control that you can achieve with a normal lead. As I have said on a previous thread, I have had the lock come 'off' when the dog has lunged (on a newish flexi). Also, it is quite dangerous to let a dog on a flexi play with an off-lead dog as it is easy for the dog to become entangled. This does not stop me using a flexi - but I am EXTREMELY careful when and where that I use it :) And as to 'how these events happen' , probably more often to owners who use them willy-nilly without care and attention - BUT they can and do happen to responsible owners - which is why I'm extra careful when I use them :D

Daisy

I'm not defending them,but some extending leads (the tape type) can be reeled in until only the clip is showing. However i don't use them because think my dogs are too strong for them and likely to break them.

Yes, that is the type I use, I could have Amber's feet off the ground if I chose to   I wonder if the tape ones have a more reliable brake if this is not the type you are using Daisy.
Each size has a weight limit, lucyandmeg, that can be matched to the dog.

I know, but my springer has a tendency to dash to the end of the lead at such a speed, i worry about it hurting him or me, i have heard about people not being able to hold the handle and it flyes towards the dog. I used a harness with it, but he had tremendous strength. It is a flexi tape one, bought originally for a golden retriever, so its made for his size.

That's why I taught my lot the word "Steady" which basically means 'slow down!' They can still canter on the flexi. :)

No I don't use the tape type - I don't recall having the choice when I bought mine - I had a job finding one the right length and weight - don't recall there being a tape version :(

Daisy

They are harder to get I think, Daisy, but you can often get the full range online from pet suppliers. 

If I had to get another I might try the tape :) However, we don't have any problems with this one as we know the problem with the lock and only use it when we hang the lead on the hook :D

Daisy