Could anyone please give me some advice about extending leads? The recall training is progressing very slowly, but I would like my dog to have a greater degree of freedom when we take her out across fields, etc. There are many on the market and I just don't know what makes one more effective and reliable than another. Is the cord better than the tape, and is there anything special about the locking mechanism that I should look for. What would be a suitable length for a 20 kg ish dog?? Any thoughts greatly appreciated??  Thanks in advance.  Karen

I use a Flexi-lead on my 45kg (ish) Lab X. It is a size 3 which is for large breeds. I prefer the all tape version as it feels sturdier and you can lock it shorter than the cord one. I only use it when I know he cannot be off lead but want him to have a little more freedom than on a standard lead. It is really important when using one near roads to remember to keep it locked short as it only takes a split second for a dog to dash out in front of a car (or maybe just use an ordainary lead near roads). I found it took me quite a while to learn how to use it effectively but now that i am used to it, I find it invaulable in certain situations. Just be very careful if your dog is on one and it spots something it wants to chase (cats/squirrels/rabbits etc)...if you don't get the dog under control quickly enough, you could find yourself being pulled off your feet as the dog can gather quite a bit of momentum by the time it reaches the full stretch of the lead!!

Hi,
    The following are just my opinions, people can agree or disagree, I shan't be offended :-)
You get what you pay for, Flexi are the best extending leads and come in a variety of sizes.
Cord leads are OK but I prefer the all tape ones. With cord you can get friction burns if you try to grab the cord itself or your dog rubs it against your leg whilst you are wearing shorts. Cord can fray if the dog tracks from side to side rubbing it against trees etc.
The all tape leads are stronger and don't twist up like they used to.

The cord leads come in 5 metre or 8 metre lengths, called classic, comfort or long.
The tape leads come in 5 metre lengths, called compact and I believe the Flexi giant comes in a 6 metre version.

They are graded 1-3, 3 being the strongest regular lead and weights are on them, if in doubt always go up a size.

HTH,

J.

I just with they did the tape one in 8m length.  I can get away with a flexi 2 long, but would prefer a tape version.  I also use the Flexi 3 long where the dord is thicker.

The two will do a dog up to 20/25kg which is the weioght my dogs are so I tend to use the Flexi2 on pups and sensible adults, adn the Flexi 3 on males or yobbie adolescnets.

Would echo the same things said by the others, the make Flexi and the tape type are definately better, the mechanism seems to last better than the cord ones too, in fact I have not managed to wear a tape one out yet.  As they say you must keep on a short lead when near a road of any other danger as you cannot control a dog moving out to the side only forward.  Unless you have perfect recall you should practice the art of drawing the dog back to you, you do this by pressing on the lock and moving your arm behind this pulls the dog towards you, release the lock and moving your arm forward so the mechanism "eats" up that extended bit and repeat, a bit like reeling in a fish :)

I got a tape one and a cord one for Poppy and have to say I definately prefer the tape one, for one thing you can see it in the dark!!

The only problem I have is that Poppy has the size 1 which is 16 feet, and she likes to run a bit further than that when we're on the golf course, if you don't call her to get her to stop before the 16 feet runs out, she could end up doing herself an injury as it yanks on her collar.  We put a little tipex mark on the tape just before the 16 feet so we can call her and get her to stop before the tape runs out.

I used to use a flexi with a wide flat webbing collar, but I'd think very seriously about using one today without a body harness (not a 'no pull' type) as I'd be concerned about possible neck damage......

There is a bit of a nack to that as well Digger, if the dog takes off at a rate of knots I again move my arm backwards before they reach the end, when they do the arm is pulled forward but by giving a bit of resistance you can apply the "brakes" in a fairly controlled manner I would say allowing no more of a jolt than if the dog lunged on a short lead without a great deal of momentum but I suppose it depends on the size of the dog and the size of the owner, me and mine are fairly well matched :)

Thank you all for your advice. I have ordered a tape flexi from ebay this evening and I shall use it with caution and try not to cause trouble with it! I expect I will get the hang of it in time.  Just another question though ........ do you think I can use it effectively with recall training?

I don't think so - I tried using my flexi (I have a 26ft heavy duty one) for my dogs for their recall trainnig - they were fantastic on it, but off, absolute rubbish.  The problem is that the flexi gives constant tension, so the dog is always aware when it's on it, and it's also aware that the flexi is coming from you, so to speak - so dog gets wise and knows when he or she is free!!  You could get away with it while you get the basics down, but it won't work for the duration of the training, unfortunately :p

Longlines seem to work best for recall training IME, I currently use a 165ft one I got from Ebay :D

We are still useing a 32ft Flexi that we got over 39 years ago all my have been trained on it and it has been borowed by half the family and they both still work great for recall training. If they ever start to get a bit clever it is back on the Flexi and tibetan mastiff are supposed to be very stubbon

I never use a flexi when road walking but when im in the park i sometimes use it especaily if its raining :P . Im still using my old flexi Its got to be about 18/19 years old :P looks a bit batterd but Ive  bought a few new ones and the cords are so thin it gives you friciton burn and are much harder to control . they always have these things in packets too so you cant look before buying

I have the Flexi Giant 6m lead and its nice and strong but it is heavier than the rest of their range weighing in at 1 3/4 lbs. I also prefer the tape versions for the same reasons as already given.

The packaging will always tell you whether it is tape or cord, the length and the maximum weight capability, with the Flexi brand anyway.