Internet e-mail lists are full of dire warnings about them. [...] with a few simple steps, any dog and dog owner can benefit from the greater freedom afforded by a retractable leash. [...] before you ever hook one onto your dog's collar, train your dog to walk on a regular leash. In my over 20 years of using retractable leashes and talking with other people who use them, it's clear that many dogs who start out on a retractable leash develop the habit of pulling on a regular leash. For some reason, the opposite isn't true; dogs who are trained to walk on a regular leash without pulling can easily understand that they need to pull slightly when on a retractable leash. Additionally, retractable leashes aren't suitable in most situations where your dog needs to be on a leash, such as in crowded areas, city streets, and the vet's office; the default needs to be the regular leash. Choke collars, pinch collars, prong collars, martingales, sighthound collars, slip collars, or any type of collar that tightens and releases will not be effective, and could be dangerous with a retractable leash. With that in mind, and with your dog on a standard non-retractable leash, go to a large, open area where there are no other dogs or people. When you are in the center of the open area, fasten the retractable leash to your dog's collar, and make sure you have a firm grip on the handle. Let your dog pull and play on the retractable leash, being sure to pay attention at all times to make sure she doesn't step on the leash. [...] if she seems to be heading out full speed, verbally correct her (my dogs know the command "easy" for this; they slow or stop immediately) and simultaneously lock the leash. [...] use the "pause" button rather than locking the leash. The main reason so many people hate this type of leash is that if you fail to pay attention to your dog and your surroundings your dog can get into, and cause, a lot of trouble. While using a retractable leash, you do not have the luxury of walking your dog while using your cell phone or getting lost in your thoughts. Unless your dog responds well to verbal commands or leash signals, it's not safe to let her get too far ahead of you, because she can move as far to your side -- into the street, down a ravine, among trees lining a path -- as she is ahead of you. Even though I'm extremely comfortable with these leashes and use them three times a day, when I go on walks with other people -- even people without dogs -- I use a non-retractable leash. Christie Keith is a contributing editor for Universal Press Syndicate's Pet Connection and past director of the Pet Care Forum on America Online.
