Long leads face £1000 fine

Having used one of these leads with a JRT puppy, who gave a sharp tug and the lead broke resulting in him panicking and running off down the road, I wouldn't use one ever again anyway. But then I'm neurotic :D

*goes off to measure our favourite pink and purple lunge line*
 
This completely ignores the risks of the alternative, which is dogs being killed on roads (many parks and open spaces have no fencing) or being off lead and causing a nuisance. Which is surely a bigger issue.....

I despair!

Also many dogs that are rehomed dont have the greatest recall and animal charities recommend the long leads as part of their training. What will these dogs do now, PTS? Not nice.
 
Madam has also broken a flexi - not snapped, thankfully, but she wore out the ratchet-thing so it refused to reel itself in any more. I know some husky people who walk theirs on a Flexi Giant, which is supposedly good up to 60kgs, but I no longer trust them either.

Lunge lines all the way! I have a 25ft and a 50ft and though I joke about taking people out at the knees with them I honestly haven't had any trouble, she knows a few directional commands now and I'm careful where I use the longer one.

It's the diddery old ladies who walk their yorkies on a flexi lead, can't press the button in time and let them zip out into the road or onto your ankles that are the problem. :p

And the argument that those with a longer lead don't pick up after their dogs is ridiculous - I'm more likely to pick it up, 'cos I'm the one who has to coil up a wet sh*tty lead after she's run through everybody else's. :rolleyes:
 
lachlanandmarcus said:
Also many dogs that are rehomed dont have the greatest recall and animal charities recommend the long leads as part of their training. What will these dogs do now, PTS? Not nice.
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I have used a long line for that very reason and would do so again, and sod the lot of 'em:p

This being the Daily Fail however (that well known purveyor of quality news which is never ever sensationalised, heavens no) I reckon this is actually about people who extract the urine in areas where dogs should be on leads by using a 100 mile long flexi-lead:p, letting their dog run amok, then going 'it's on a lead guv, honest!' Not about banning them altogether.
 
It' the people around here who walk their dogs on a flexi on the pavement next to a main road that gets me! I had one for H when he was tiny and learning recall and the brake on them was terrible!
 
blackcob said:
It's the diddery old ladies who walk their yorkies on a flexi lead, can't press the button in time and let them zip out into the road or onto your ankles that are the problem. :p

:
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It's not just diddery old ladies - there is one in my village whose a long way off that. I often see them when I ride out early Sunday mornings - two small white fluffy scotty type dogs, they spot horse, start yapping and running in opposite directions round owner's legs, who continues walking whilst telling them off for yapping and trying to recoil lead. At the same time gent with retired racing greyhound walks by; greyhound looks a noisy combo in disgust and horse can't believe what she is seeing and walks by with "nose in air".
 
I'm not backwards in coming forwards about my hatred of flexi leads, some people have no idea how to use them at all, they are unreliable and you basically have control of your dog with a lump of plastic and if you need to grab the line in an emergency, all you have is a very thin bit of nylon.

That said I am a huge fan of lunge/long lines, they are an essential part of kit for recall training IMO, I think most horsey people know how to manage them pretty well already!
We always had a 15m tracking line lying around the house and we still do.
 
My flexi-lead experience when I first got Henry:

1. Attach flexi to dog
2. Go for walk in woods in rain, with dog and mother
3. Walk along chatting with mother, not paying huge amount of attention to dog
4. Dog sees rogue squirrel
5. Dog charges towards rogue squirrel, which runs under holly bush
6. Brakes on flexi fail
7. Grip on muddy ground fails, now being water-ski-ed towards holly bush behind dog, which has built up considerable momentum for a 20kg fat lump of a dog
8. Mother grabs owner around waist
9. Dog brought to a halt by combined strength of two fully grown women - just!
10. Squirrel sits up tree flicking 'v' signs at dog
11. Flexi-lead goes into bin

:D
 
My only issue with the long lines is that they are manky, wet and heavy to carry home - buuuuut that's my fault for picking a dog breed that can't be reliably let off, and is thus my cross to bear. :p

Just seems very odd that off-lead dogs aren't being targeted - surely you're more likely to miss a poop that way? Not that this will stop those people who use short leads, watch their dog sh*t 2ft away from them and then walk away anyway. :rolleyes:
 
Spudlet said:
My flexi-lead experience when I first got Henry:

1. Attach flexi to dog
2. Go for walk in woods in rain, with dog and mother
3. Walk along chatting with mother, not paying huge amount of attention to dog
4. Dog sees rogue squirrel
5. Dog charges towards rogue squirrel, which runs under holly bush
6. Brakes on flexi fail
7. Grip on muddy ground fails, now being water-ski-ed towards holly bush behind dog, which has built up considerable momentum for a 20kg fat lump of a dog
8. Mother grabs owner around waist
9. Dog brought to a halt by combined strength of two fully grown women - just!
10. Squirrel sits up tree flicking 'v' signs at dog
11. Flexi-lead goes into bin

:D
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This was us!!! Spudlet you are so very wise! OH still preferred the flexi for a while (silly boy :rolleyes:) but a soaking in a wintery river (complete with ice floating in it) put paid to that.


I immediately helped him out. If by 'immediately' you mean laughed my arse off until I could barely breathe, fetched the dog out and THEN helped him out. :D
 
I hate flexi leads with a passion. Apart from the times I have been scooped up by idiots who don't know how to reel their dogs in, I have also heard of at least 3 instances of dogs being killed when they have run out in front of a car whilst on a flexi lead. I use a lunge line on the Evil one if I feel I need to remain attached to her.
 
I love mine, I got the biggest one possible as the previous one I had broke at the join from the nylon to string with the smaller weight ones, so when I replaced it I got one that didn't have this join and was stitched and was suitable for a humungeous dog but mine's a spangle.

I dont have any trouble with it touch wood and crosses fingers ! she does get let off the lead so is not on it all the time but it has its uses, as we rehomed her, her recall was non existant and I found with a lunge line she nearly ripped my hands off, she is a good girl now, except when she's trying to boss other dogs when she's chopsy on the lead, off it she's fine
 
Flexi leads rule:D:D I would'nt be without mine:)
Although i prefere to us it with a harness, i do use them on the collar as well, my dog that i mainly use it on does respond (usually) to the command , "steady" when he is running, so does'nt get garroted:D
 
Incidentally if anyone was looking to buy a new long line, give me a PM and I'll direct you to the eBay seller I got mine from - I ordered at 3pm, got a confirmation/dispatch email (non-eBay) half an hour later and received it the next morning. They're really lightweight nylon but thick enough to grab and have a ring in the handle to halve the length. Not usually one to pimp like this but I was very impressed. :)
 
This is annoying!! my dog is the friendliest dog you could imagine! we use an 8m flexi lead thing. We can have her nice and short and then on the huge fields she can be let off or if there are ponies bombing up and down we can just go to a quiet part and she can still run round on the lead (shes fond of.. ermm.. rounding up horses) she loves her little runs round and never bothered anybody, ever! I don't see why people think all dogs just run wild, some dogs are really well trained. Iv never had a problem with my flexi, and my dogs a medium size but the speediest thing ever and the brakes always work, do get a bit of a jolt tho.. :D
When walking on streets and through the parks and stuff i always keep the lead short but when on an open field i let her have a run. I have used lunge lines before but because my dogs always running forwards and backwards and i can get a bit tangled, plus they aren't nice to hold when they get muddy.

EDIT: I always use my lead, line or flexi lead on a harness and my dogs isn't well trained and chokes herself
 
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I read the heading as 'Long face leads to £1000 fine' and wondered if it was the dog or the owners!
 
Having narrowly avoided two terrierists and a labrador running into the roads whilst on flexi leads in the last week:mad::mad: I have to say I would love to see the back of them. To use them in an open space is one thing but to use them instead of a 'proper' lead by roads is an accident waiting to happen and I for one would be mortified if I ran over a dog - even if it was a terrierist!;):rolleyes::rolleyes::D:D:D
 
I don't get it I love my flexi- hate the long line- weird I know- but I just cant grab the long line quickly enough and I feel it drags on the floor, get sodden, covered in other peoples dog poo and dog gets tangled in it. Tassy has excellent recall so always comes back when we ask and so flexi just retracts and stays clean- doesnt absorb the wet and when we are in town we change to a short leather lead I keep in my bag. The put the flexi in my bag- a long line takes too much room. Each to their own.
 
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