That said, I bought one.
My larger dog has recently been diagnosed with a condition that we are now asked to "keep him to a dull roar" for the rest of his life. Our vet has encouraged us to take him places, in a very limited fashion. I asked about taking him on a car-camping trip, because that sort of excursion is Big Dog's 'happy place,' and the vet said "Sure. But keep him tied up." So I bought a retractable tape-leash to minimize the tangled mess that a traditional tie-out can become.
As a couple weeks went by, and I looked at that leash sitting under the table by the front door, I got curious. I mean, as a Teacher, I coach my students about all the reasons why you probably shouldn't be using those to walk your dog. As a Human, I thought "What if not paying as much attention to my dog on a walk might actually be relaxing?" I've had this thought before. I just want to stop being a "trainer" for a minute, and become like every one else in my neighborhood: Let my dog do what he wants. Let him sniff all over. Pee on everything. Wander a little too far. He's a good dog. I've taught him his manners and then some. What's the harm?
I call Little Dog, and hook up his harness (which, by the way, is a graduation--he began his training process 6 years ago, and has earned the right to wear a body harness, because he listens, and can be trusted), and snapped the retractable to it. "ok buddy, let's see what the obsession is about, yes?"
Here is what I discovered:
He didn't like the feeling of the constant, but small tugging pressure on the leash. I have worked hard to teach him not to pull, and when he felt the leash's tension, he would slow his steps, or look up at me to question what he may be doing incorrectly.
After some encouragement, he started to figure out that he could linger longer at smelling points, and just wait for the end of the leash to pull him forward to catch up to me. This meant I was now 16 feet away from my dog, not at all knowing what he was doing, or what he was attempting to eat/smell/roll in. Not to mention the few times I glanced back and found him off the sidewalk, nose down to some scent, in the street.
When we arrived at the park, and started to see other dogs, I was annoyed at myself at just how little control I felt like I had using this leash. It is awkward in my hand, and while the lock seems to be working now, I feel like yeah, that could fail me at any time; or I could drop this whole thing and it would be a loud plastic thing retracting towards my dog, possibly causing him to run. Every time I "locked" it to either pull him back to me, or shorten him up so he couldn't reach something, I was feeling frustrated. So was my dog. He is used to taking guidance from me on our walks, and here I am saying "make your own choices while on a leash." I could actually see him slipping in to what I like to refer to as "a**hole mode."
This is a problem for a lot of dogs in our world, actually. Without proper leadership, they try to be their own bosses, and this causes anxiety. This heightened state of mind, this stress, can cause some dogs to become reactive. Little Dog used to want to fight anything on four legs. As I'm observing, I see him snap to attention at the sight of an approaching dog. His ears are forward. His stare direct. His hackles creep like a slow-motion mohawk from his shoulders to his tail. He begins to whine. He is looking for a fight.
I tell him to leave it, call him off to the side, have him lay down in the grass for some belly rubs and scratchin's, and we wait for the other dog to leave. We head home. I lock the leash at approximately five feet long, ask him to Watch Me, and we Heel almost all the way home. By the time we've gotten to our cul-de-sac, he is relaxed, wagging his tail and no longer anxious or concerned about the things on his walk. He needs the structure in order to feel good.
That is not to say that I require him to pay attention every time I walk him. He has earned the right to sniff and lag, and even to walk in front of me. What he has earned, he respects. On an six foot lead (which is what I usually walk him on) he is close enough that he is paying attention to me, and I to him. I talk to him. I can see what he is smelling, and tell him NOT to eat the things he would like to--STILL wants to snack on cat poop!!!! There is something disgustingly funny about watching him reluctantly drop a chunk of feces and walk guiltily away from it.
The retractable leash no longer calls to me as I walk out my front door.
