Why do vets recommend against retractable leashes

In daily life with dogs, walking is an important activity to enhance the relationship between humans and pets and ensure the health of dogs. The choice of dog leash, as a key tool connecting the owner and the dog during walking, is crucial. Veterinarians often do not recommend using retractable dog leashes, as there are many professional and health and safety considerations behind this. Exploring these reasons in depth is an important step for us to better care for dogs.

From the perspective of physical harm, the risk of direct injury to a dog's body caused by a retractable dog leash should not be underestimated. When a dog suddenly pulls on a rope and runs out of curiosity or excitement, the rope of the retractable dog leash will quickly stretch. Due to its special stretching mechanism, the rope undergoes extremely rapid speed changes in an instant. Once a dog suddenly stops or turns while running, the rope is like a whip thrown at high speed, which is highly likely to hit the dog. Especially the legs, abdomen, and neck of dogs, which are relatively fragile and sensitive parts, are easily scratched and strangled by ropes. There was a lively Border Collie who saw a butterfly while taking a walk in the park. It was instantly excited and rushed out. Then, it was attracted by other things on the roadside and suddenly changed direction. At this moment, the retractable dog leash suddenly hit its abdomen, causing extensive abrasions. The dog rolled on the ground in pain, and its owner was heartbroken. Cases of dogs being injured due to retractable dog ropes are not uncommon, causing immediate pain to the dogs.

Long term use of retractable dog leashes can cause chronic damage to dog joints, which is even more concerning. Dogs' natural tendency to pull ropes leads them to frequently tug on them when using retractable dog ropes. Every time you pull hard, your body will bear a strong impact, and this impact will directly affect the dog's joints. Taking the hip and knee joints as an example, these two joints play an important role in daily activities of dogs and are also the most vulnerable parts to injury. When a dog pulls the rope forcefully, the leg joints not only support the weight of the body, but also bear the additional force generated by the pulling. Day after day, this excessive pressure can exacerbate the wear and tear of joint cartilage, narrow the joint space, and lead to joint diseases such as arthritis. For dog breeds with inherent joint genetic problems, such as Labrador Retrievers, German Shepherds, etc., the damage caused by the retractable dog leash is even more severe. The dog, which used to be full of vitality and loved to run and jump, gradually became sluggish due to joint pain, losing its past joy. This made the owner see it and feel pain in their heart.

From the perspective of behavioral training, the retractable dog leash has serious shortcomings in correcting bad dog behavior. Dogs learn and understand their owners' commands through conditioned reflexes. When they pull the rope hard, the retractable dog rope will stretch out with the pull, which is equivalent to the owner's recognition or reward for their pulling behavior in the dog's cognition. Over time, dogs will continue to reinforce this erroneous behavior pattern, and the behavior of pulling ropes will become increasingly severe. In sharp contrast, a fixed length dog leash allows the owner to provide clear feedback in a timely manner when the dog pulls the leash. Owners can make their dogs understand that pulling ropes is not allowed by stopping their steps, giving gentle but firm commands, and other methods. After a period of training, dogs can gradually correct this bad habit, learn to cooperate with their owners and travel in a civilized manner.

Safety hazards are also an important reason why veterinarians do not recommend using retractable dog leashes. In densely populated areas such as residential roads, parks, streets, etc., if a dog suddenly pulls a retractable leash and rushes out, it is highly likely to collide with pedestrians and cause accidents. Dogs' behavior is uncertain, as they may suddenly lose control and run due to seeing other animals, hearing strange sounds, or simply being excited. The stretchable nature of the retractable dog leash makes it relatively difficult for owners to control their dogs and greatly reduces reaction time. In addition, once a dog breaks free from the retractable leash, its range of motion may be excessively stretched by the leash before breaking free, and the dog may instantly run to a farther place, such as the road, facing a huge danger of being hit by vehicles. Once, a small dog broke free from its retractable leash in the bustling city and rushed onto the road, almost being hit by a speeding car. The scene was very dangerous and left its owner scared.

Veterinarians do not recommend the use of retractable dog leashes based on professional assessments of potential harm to the dog's body, behavioral training, and safety measures. As owners of dogs, we have an undeniable responsibility for their health and safety. When choosing a dog leash, it is important to fully consider the advice of a veterinarian and avoid retractable leashes. Instead, choose a fixed length leash that is safer and more conducive to dog behavior training. Meanwhile, through scientific training methods, help dogs develop good travel habits. Because dogs accompany us with all their trust and love, we are the only ones in their world. We should also do our best to protect them in a scientific way, so that every time we go out for a walk, it becomes a wonderful experience for dogs to grow up happily. Let this precious human pet relationship bloom with even more brilliance under the care of safety and health.