It's probably all down to the retractable leash...

[Caro]

I don't have an issue with retractable leads, heck I use them myself when bushwalking, but I do see them misused alot.

What do you attach the retractable lead to? I recommend that people only use retractable leads with a harness and only use flat leads for collars. There are several reasons for this - the key reason, as you have already guessed, is that retractable leads require pressure for the dog to move forward, so the dog learns to lean into their collar and the idea of forward motion becomes linked with the feeling of pressure on the neck.

As a result it does become harder to teach loose leash walking. It also makes it harder to teach that tightness on the collar means stop - critical for safety and health reasons. Atm your dog is learning that tightness means forward motion giving mixed signals when you want your dog to stop or desist from something - at what level of pressure does the dog realise it must stop. It can also cause damage to a dog's neck when the line between stop and move forward is blurred like this.

So if you want to keep using the retractable lead consider using it with a harness. If you don't want to get a harness try a recall lead on the collar (ie a 5m+ flat lead).

 

[Chinchi]

What do you attach the retractable lead to? I recommend that people only use retractable leads with a harness and only use flat leads for collars. There are several reasons for this - the key reason, as you have already guessed, is that retractable leads require pressure for the dog to move forward, so the dog learns to lean into their collar and the idea of forward motion becomes linked with the feeling of pressure on the neck.

As a result it does become harder to teach loose leash walking. It also makes it harder to teach that tightness on the collar means stop - critical for safety and health reasons. Atm your dog is learning that tightness means forward motion giving mixed signals when you want your dog to stop or desist from something - at what level of pressure does the dog realise it must stop.

I think you are absolutely spot on here!

I would attach the retractable lead to her collar. So when out in the park or through the woods, she would obviously feel some pressure on her neck whilst pulling forward and getting to where she wanted to go, thus rewarding herself.

I feel like such a dog owner noob after realising this. I can't believe all this time I was teaching her the exact opposite of loose leash walking!

We do have a harness for her, I use it to strap her down in the car. Would that be ok to use the harness with the retractable leash to give her a little more exercise in the park and woods? Then I can just use her collar and 6 foot leash to teach her loose leash walking? Would that work?

 

[Tagg]

Many of the people I know in Belgians and Westies show in both obedience and confirmation. Dogs quickly learn the difference between leads so using your retractable on a harness would more than likely be a cue for the dog that it is okay to go forward of you. Myself, I teach the heel position before I start giving the dog a cue that it can move away from me. That way I can use both a cue and the lead if necessary to get the dog back.
I would never think to teach a dog lead manners on a retractable lead with it on extend. I train on a 6' leather, another old standby from 1975. As I said, I teach how to be on a lead with the retractable or a 30' drag line - hard to accidently yank on them - but the leather comes out to teach manners on lead ie heeling, auto sits etc. I know that if I had experienced a dog getting hit by a car because of one I would likely join the group of nay sayers. I am so sorry for those of you that have experienced it. Used correctly and appropriately it gives dogs like Tinsel - flight risks - the chance to roam ahead of me and enjoy investigating the great outdoors.

 

[Diana]

I bought a retractable leash and rarely use it. That is partially because I live in a city. They can be dangerous there—I have see a few people nearly tripped by them since retractable leashes are hard to see. Also, you have so much less control over your dog if they want to see & greet another dog, run after a squirrel, sniff something, or run away from loud skateboarders, etc. I worry about all the people who bike, roller-blade and skateboard around in case they are not watching as they move.

What we do with Buffy is let her drag her 4- to 6-ft lead behind her as she runs around in the field and plays fetch, etc. We also require her to sit (and we grab the fur around her neck, mimicking catching her) before we throw the ball. This guarantees that we can catch her. Buffy doesn't tend to just run away.... she likes to dodge us a bit to play, but if she has a 6-ft lead dragging behind her we can just step on it if we are sick of her games. She tends not to run away if the leash is dragging behind her. We do use a harness for her—at all times, but especially here.

A long training lead would also work. You can make one with rope or by tying a few shorter ones together. We used these in puppy class. I just think that sometimes they can be a pain to transport.

My mom sometimes uses the retractable when she walks Buffy in the suburbs. But now we've generally got her using the short leash too. I think sticking with this one promotes better loose leash walking.

When we took puppy class our instructor would not let dogs get away with pulling. If they pull they either go the other way or else you just plant your feet and wait. If they are intermittently rewarded for pulling that is bad. Our instructor didn't like retractables either.

 

[k9kreationz]

I was going to suggest exactly what you said....lol.

Use a harness with the retractable at the park, and a regular leash with collar when on walks. I also think if you PUT ON the harness at the park, with the retractable, she'll know it's "play time, but on a lead, and it's okay to pull" versus, collar, not okay to pull, etc. Kind of like putting a working dogs vest/working gear on. It's like they know, work time.

For this reason, Miko, my older dog, who was trained on a choke chain (don't judge, this was 14 years ago), knows when I put on any sort of chained collar on his neck, that it's work time. If I use a cloth collar or harness, he knows it's not work time so he can go sniff things, etc. Since many of us don't use "chain", I would suggest trying the harness vs. collar thing. And maybe look into getting a long line, versus a retractable, but that's just my opinion.

Good luck. I think your dog will get it eventually, you just need to make sure you separate work with play and be consistent.

 

[Chinchi]

That's great advice, thanks

I will put her harness and retractable on during the park and wood walks and have her collar on when we are walking by the roadside and heeling. Eventually I want her recall 100% so she can be off lead in safe environments, but until then she has to be leashed.

All your comments have been much appreciated!!