# Any solution to tangled dog leash?



## hammatron (Apr 19, 2012)

This doesn't happen so much anymore, now that my pup is learning, but when I walk him on the retractable leash, I had lots of problems with him as a puppy getting it tangled in EVERYTHING.
He would run all through benches, or try to play with another dog on a leash, and I would be stuck trying to fish the handle through and around everything to untangle it. I've searched google a ton for solutions but am coming up empty-handed.

Anybody find a product that makes life easier with this problem, while he is still learning?


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Generally speaking, retractable leashes have a very narrow margin of usefulness. I really hate (due to an unfortunate rope-burn incident) seeing them used on sidewalks (unless locked to a reasonable length so the dog can't run into the street) or other places with a lot of people around. You might find training to be easier if you use a regular leash. Also, it's best for dogs to play off-leash (in a proper dog park or fenced yard, of course), if they're allowed to play with each other, or they could get hurt from getting tangled. And don't let him run up to dogs he doesn't know. . .you don't know how they feel about puppies; he could get bitten.

So, basically. . .supervise him. Only use a retractable leash in an appropriate setting (wide-open areas with no ankles to rope-burn and no hazards like traffic). If he's in an area with a lot of tangle hazards, keep the leash locked so he has to stay near you. Etc.


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## Shell (Oct 19, 2009)

Ditch the retractable leash. 

Use a normal 6 ft leash for daily walks and crowded areas (sidewalks, busy parks etc) and a 15 or 20 foot flat 3/4 inch or 1 inch wide "training lead" for open spaces, fetch and training recall (come when called).

Retractable leashes are evil when it comes to dealing with strange dogs (your puppy running up to play to an unknown dog could get him severely injured or killed), for getting tangled and ending up with bad rope burn or more serious injuries (if his leg or your finger gets tangled, it can cut right through flesh quickly), and if he's a larger puppy or grows to be a large dog, the leads have a tendency to break (not usually the actual rope but the locking mechanism- which means you think he's locked at 6 ft of rope and all the sudden he's 25 feet away and you have no way to reel him in)


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

> Ditch the retractable leash.


I recommend either smashing or burning it. That way nobody else will be tempted to use it.


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## workerant (Feb 28, 2011)

Apart from the dog-training issues exacerbated by retractable leashes (they teach your dog to pull against the leash), they are very dangerous. Injuries include burns and amputations. Get rid of it.

I trained my dog to "this side" (walk on my side of an obstacle) and "go around" (cross behind me to walk on whichever side I'm holding the leash). Be patient and your dog will get there.


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## zhaor (Jul 2, 2009)

I use a retractable leash. I must be an awful owner.


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## Amaryllis (Dec 28, 2011)

Don't ever let your dog run up to another dog you don't already know. Had you done that with Muggsy (in my sig), you'd have a dead puppy. Unless you're in a situation where he has a clear shot to run around, like a field, just use a standard 5' leash and keep him near you, with little 5' breaks to sniff things.

I do feel you on the tangling, though. I attach Kabota to a 30' lead hooked to the deck support when I garden. For the most part, he's fine, but one time I heard him crying, so I turned to look and he'd gotten the leash tangled around the stairs, another deck support and a bush and couldn't move at all.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

zhaor said:


> I use a retractable leash. I must be an awful owner.


No, you use whatever lead you feel like. Some people have had accidents with retractable leads, you may go your whole dog owning life and never have a problem.


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## Crantastic (Feb 3, 2010)

zhaor said:


> I use a retractable leash. I must be an awful owner.


Whether or not I'd consider you an "awful owner" depends on how you're using it. I will admit that I silently curse people I see coming toward me on the sidewalk with their excited dogs on an extended flexi. I give them a dirty look and move out into the street or onto someone's yard to get the hell away from them. They only sometimes get the hint.

If you're using it extended in a park, on wide walking trails, in a field, or in some other open space where your dog is not going to come barreling up to mine and jump on/tangle them, and if you keep it at a short length on sidewalks or in other areas where you have to pass close by other people and dogs, more power to you.


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## Canyx (Jul 1, 2011)

My flexi-horror story is over five years ago me, my brother, and Soro were in the front yard and Soro was on a flexi since it was our yard and we wanted him to be able to stretch a bit without total freedom. Well puppy-Soro had his zoomies and my brother has a permanent burn scar from the lead that wrapped around his ankle. This was in what we thought would be a controlled environment.

Today, Soro's flexi-lead is his primary leash. Soro's earned the right to have 'free' reign on his flexi (if he's not off leash). But in areas where I use the flexi he can wander as far as that will let him. He never pulls past the limit. I also have it ingrained in him that any time he is on any leash, he stays to whatever side the leash-holding-hand is on, so I don't play the switching game the whole walk. He also comes back to me and walks calmly by distractions without me using the lock function. If we are in a crowded area, I lock it at about 4 ft. All that said, I trained him on a 6 ft lead.

As for tangling, well first don't let him get so far away from you that he gets tangled. If your goal is to have a polite leash walking dog in the end, then I would recommend being very consistent about keeping the leash reasonably short for all of your walks, and then let him roam a bit ONLY with a release cue and only in appropriate areas. With this, I would also keep some degree of spontaneity, so the dog doesn't learn that EVERY time he passes the sniffing area he gets to have a little more leash freedom. This means sometimes you walk by those areas without giving the release cue and rewarding for a loose leash.

Of course, this is assuming you ARE aiming for loose leash walking. If not, and if you just want your dog to not tangles:

-train your dog to walk on your side when you pass things like benches, traffic cones, etc. To do this, start maybe 2 feet away from the obstacle, walk by (the dog has no WAY of getting tangled), reward the dog *as it is walking by your side*. Repeat many times. Gradually walk the dog closer to the obstacle, walk by, reward. If your dog looks like he's wanting to go around it, back up and work at a farther distance. Eventually, when the dog is approaching the obstacle, no matter how close, it will have learned to stick by you and NOT go around it. Repeat around many different obstacles because dogs don't generalize (ie Just because he learned to avoid traffic cones doesn't mean he will avoid benches)

And/Or

-I let my dogs get tangled and let them figure it out... within reason of course. As I said, I train with a 6 ft leash (4 ft for my small dog), and I keep it tight enough that the dog never has the opportunity to wrap circles around a lamp post. But IF my dog walks on the opposite side of a pole, the walk stops and my dog is stuck. I maintain tension on the leash (NO jerking, it could really hurt the dog). If the dog continues trying to move forward obviously it can't. But it very quickly learns that if it moves back, or follows the line of tension, it quickly becomes free. I don't set my dogs up to purposely run into things, but when it happens I don't baby them out of it unless they actually can't get out of it without my help. I say "watch out" as they're about to hit something, as opposed to calling them or reeling them in. I praise when they untangle themselves. Now when I say "watch out" they LOOK for the obstacle and actively avoid it. If they get stuck (and my 6.5 yr old dog will still very seldomly miss a pole or two due to focus on sniffing), they casually walk back around and the walk continues without incident.


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## Daenerys (Jul 30, 2011)

Canyx said:


> -I let my dogs get tangled and let them figure it out... within reason of course. As I said, I train with a 6 ft leash (4 ft for my small dog), and I keep it tight enough that the dog never has the opportunity to wrap circles around a lamp post. But IF my dog walks on the opposite side of a pole, the walk stops and my dog is stuck. I maintain tension on the leash (NO jerking, it could really hurt the dog). If the dog continues trying to move forward obviously it can't. But it very quickly learns that if it moves back, or follows the line of tension, it quickly becomes free. I don't set my dogs up to purposely run into things, but when it happens I don't baby them out of it unless they actually can't get out of it without my help. I say "watch out" as they're about to hit something, as opposed to calling them or reeling them in. I praise when they untangle themselves. Now when I say "watch out" they LOOK for the obstacle and actively avoid it. If they get stuck (and my 6.5 yr old dog will still very seldomly miss a pole or two due to focus on sniffing), they casually walk back around and the walk continues without incident.


I like this idea! I already try and let my dogs figure it out when they go on the wrong side of a pole or tree, but I really like the idea of adding a "watch out" before it happens.


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## Rinblu (Aug 13, 2012)

Yep, ditch the retractable leash. They're terrible.


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## RCloud (Feb 25, 2011)

I occasionally use a retractable leash with my dogs when out walking them in parks or in wide open public areas (never in busy public areas with traffic). I don't think they are necessarily bad things, but I DO think your dog has to have some prior leash training and a sense of control before using them.


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## RCloud (Feb 25, 2011)

Amaryllis said:


> Don't ever let your dog run up to another dog you don't already know. Had you done that with Muggsy (in my sig), you'd have a dead puppy.


Totally this.


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## Fade (Feb 24, 2012)

When I walk Vader in the park to our private spot by the river he loves to play in. I walk him on a regular thick sturdy leash to give me as much control of him as I can. He is very large and very powerful. He Is a walking mass of muscle and I always am prepared for ANYTHING. I want to be a responsible pitbull owner and I don't want to assume anything. You never know what might catch even the most well behaved dogs eye and cause them to run after something. So I strive to make sure I can maintain control of him in public areas and expect the unexpected. ( squirrels, honking geese...an aggressively barking dog being walked nearby...) I could not do that with a retractable leash. But when we get to our private spot I have a retractable leash in my purse. I hook him up and let him run around and play in the sand and swim.

I have seen them break dogs legs from getting tangled. Addy was a G.S.P broke her leg in 5 places from a retractable leash. 
They have their uses...but they should be used with caution and not lightly. Even if you have a 7 lb chihuahua on one and you let him run around he could run up to something he shouldn't. I don't think they are terrible in more private settings but you have to think ahead.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

Daenerys said:


> I like this idea! I already try and let my dogs figure it out when they go on the wrong side of a pole or tree, but I really like the idea of adding a "watch out" before it happens.


when i bike with rox i just use a regular leash attached to my bike and when we go past a pole i slow down and say "over" and she moves closer to the bike
i'm actually not sure why she understands as "over" also means to do a jump as in agility and i unintentionally started using it for both. probably different intonations
but yeah


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## Rinblu (Aug 13, 2012)

I had one break on me when I was at the beach with Shelby, she was about 8 months old. Fortunately, she came right to me when I called- otherwise if she'd bolted, who knows what could have happened? I was using one for a much larger dog than she was, at the time, as well. I could never trust one after that.


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## Kayota (Aug 14, 2009)

i had one break when i was walking a 30 something lb border collie mix
she went and rolled in cow poop and came back to me smelling great
she became a lovely brown color too


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