Retractable Leashes Cause Injuries

By Sandy Kamen Wisniewski
Posted November 28, 2003

In the last five years or so retractable leashes have become very popular with dog owners. They are the leashes with the plastic handle that works like a fishing reel would, allowing your dog up to 30 feet of running room. You control the distance your dog is away from you by pushing a button located on the handle. While the retractable gives freedom to both dog and owner by allowing the dog to walk and run farther than a standard six-foot leash, they can be extremely dangerous for both human and canine.

If you read the label on the packaging and also on the leashes handle, it warns people about some of the dangers. The nylon-covered wire can wrap around limbs causing whip marks, lacerations and broken fingers. If the pooch, leashed to it, bolts after a squirrel, dog or person they are at risk of getting hit by an oncoming car or yanking the person holding the other end of the leash off their feet. Further, stopping a dog that is running by pushing the button may cause both the dog and the person injury as the dog abruptly stops. Dogs that are not friendly with other dogs, or people, are uncontrollable on the retractable. The dog can lunge forward after some unsuspecting person or dog, giving the owner very little or no control.

I see people using them at dog parks. I know it's just a matter of time before I witness an accident. The wire is so thin it?s practically invisible to the eye. Imagine a dog, off leash, running along, oblivious to a wire stretched out, making contact with the wire. The damage it could cause makes me cringe.

So, if you have one of those horrid things, do yourself, your family, your dog and the general public a favor and throw it away! The freedom you and your dog get from using the retractable leash is not worth the risks for everyone within range of it.