Has anyone had much experience with retractable dog leads?
we are on our third and the best so far is the $8 cheapie from Kmart. We had one from online last a few days until it dropped another that seized up in a day- the internal death stripped and gummed up. Kmart cheapie over a week.
Dog Cocker spaniel pup
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Hey @Tom1
As an ex ‘professional’ dog walker, maybe my opinion will be helpful. Retractable leads were a pain to deal with with single or multiple dogs. The mechanisms never felt reliable and could always choke up or break depending on the size and strength of the dog. I had one that cost over $80 for larger/multiple dogs which buckled under the pressure within weeks.
While it may be an inconvenience to some, I used traditional leads and rolled them up around my hand if I needed it shorter. It gave me a lot more reliable control over the pooches.
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Personally I use them for my small dogs and find them much easier to keep a walk paced out (if one stops to smell I can keep moving for a few seconds before having to stop).
I can’t comment on any particular brands as I work in the area and would have a conflict of interest, but remember that products in Australia have to be ‘fit for purpose.’ If you buy a lead and it fails in a short space of time despite you following the directions, that’s a major failure. You’re entitled to your choice of a replacement or refund.
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