To Hershey's Dog-Mom

[enochs-fable.livejournal.com]

If you're taking your adorable chocolate lab out for a stroll on the bike-path on a lovely Sunday afternoon, please protect your dog and other people using the path and keep him on a leash.

I witnessed an almost-accident at close range as the dog ambled from one side of the path to another, forcing a bicyclist to slam on his brakes and stop hard to avoid hitting him.

He doesn't know any better, he's just a dog, doing what dogs do. You, on the other hand, should.

Comments

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

d.) If your dog breaks away, the clack-clacking of the huge plastic box that holds the coiled up leash often frightens the dog causing it to pick up speed and keep running away from you.

[sparkgrrl658.livejournal.com]

also true. they actually warn you about this in the packaging on at least one of the brands i tried.

i just feel like the dogs/areas these actually work out in is such a super tiny fraction of the majority of dog owners.

[on-reserve.livejournal.com]

I've volunteered at the ARL with dog trainers and every dog trainer I've ever talked to *hates* retractable leashes. With a fiery, fiery passion. Primarily because they do not aid in keeping a dog by your side, which is where he/she should be when walking *with* you ... walking along your side, periodically looking up for direction -- not walking ahead of you.

[aquaflame16.livejournal.com]

one of the few ways that does actually make sense to me is how my grandmother uses a retractable leash:
She (my grandmother) is old so it's hard for her to chase a dog around or whatever, and she has a small dog (that doesn't pull much), so she uses a retractable leash in a yard/enclosed area/appropriate park to let her dog run around within a small-ish radius of her while she stands still but still maintains the ability to pull her dog back to her when she wants to leave. When walking on the sidewalk or whatever she keeps the leash locked at an appropriately short distance.
This makes sense to me, most other uses (including, and especially, NOT on the bike path --even if locked-- because of the dangers of the thin cord), not so much.