[Jack Naylor]

I have tried them on the past but, as yet, not found any that I deem "adequate" for 50+ pound dogs. I mean I have seen 55 pound dogs break 3/16" steel cables, not so much as from materials failure when new, but from bending fatigue, shock loading and weathering due to plain steel and cheap PVC coating which cracks. Now we use an overhead line 1/4" flex-weave,Stainless Steel with flexible vinyl coating for Old Dog. It has overload springs and zip line brakes to eliminate shock loadings.

Though the yard is fenced, the presence of deer, the dogs' ability to scale or dig under fences and tendency to go on "walkabout" require additional measures. I won't use them for walking, I use loop leashes for that; just want something that I can sit in the yard with for 30 - 90 minutes. The downside to the steel cable is it's heavy and doesn't retract

While Old Dog is on the zipline, I leash walk the other one. Since New dog is very chill,ignores the deer and squirrels (so far) considering a retractable for new dog My issues with retractable leashes are:

-They can be chewed but that's never been an issue, and tho I often read or work on my lappie when weather allows, and might be distracted, dogs just haven't done that.
-When the deer come visiting, the dogs,and even sometimes the fawns want to play .... if a squirrel runs buy and I'm not paying attention, they could tip my lawn chair sideways when they reach the max length
-Reviews by owners say they have to replace them frequently as spring mechanisms rust up or wear out of the tape jams.
-Should thy wrap it around a tree of something it can snap.
-Most have no or inadequate brake. Other users have reported snapping when it reached max length.

Among the best reviewed are the Flexi Giant XL which is rated for 50kg dogs (110 lbs) it's 26' (30' for pro version) long and some people who have reviewed it say it's great; others have said that it broke in a year or even weeks .... same said they were delivered "used" products. We're going to try the pro version for dog number 2 as she's more chill and had good recall. For old dog, the following looks the best so far. They announced a new product, I called and emailed to ask how it differed from one we previously had...no response.

This new "Extreme L"lists the following

• 16 ft/5 m tape leash
• For dogs up to max. 143 lbs/65 kg
• Elastic soft-stop tape element (Bungee ?)
• Comfortable braking system (no description)

Anyone have any better ideas or recommendations ? Again goal is to keep dog (and deer) safe while just sitting under a tree in the yard working or reading.

With just older dog, out in da woods,she was just too excited about all the new smells, critters, noises and such and kept trying to cross my trail when walking 2 dogs the presence of 2 dogs, she is much calmer and likes do stay in check with new dog. so on another note, been educating myselfwith regard to hiking and mountain biking trails that permit dogs. as I said in another, likely misplaced thread, (see below - no responses) if so inclined, wanted to inquire whether anyone found them useful, especially in tandem. I'd prefer to keep my hands free for jogging,balancing,lifting brtanches and such. Any experiences good or bad would be most welcome.

Dog Products (Leashes, Accessories, Zip Lines, etc)

 

[Toedtoes]

I hate retractable leashes. They do not work well if you need to pull your dog in to you as they only retract IF the dog is not at the end and you cannot easily grip and do a "hand over hand" manual retraction. The handles are bulky and annoying.

When we go camping, I use these leads. I have them in the 15ft length as that keeps the dogs in my campsite. With snaps on either end, they are easy to attach to the camper or chair or even my person. They have a bit of stretch to them, so they don't yank quite as hard as regular tie outs. They also are easy to bunch up. Dogs can easily chew through them if they are so inclined.

 

[BKaymuttleycrew]

Not exactly sure what you're asking? I use retractable leashes with my dogs when I walk them. Rural country roads, dogs are taught loose leash walking manners & respond reliably to voice before being allowed to have the 25' freedom of a Flexi (in other words, the retractable leash is a 'back up' for a dog that is basically off leash reliable) Each dog has his/her 'side' and 'place' (although I only have two dogs at this time, I have had up to four who walked simultaneously & compatibly on retractable leashes - with rules)

I live on 10 wooded acres & while we have about half of the property fenced with mesh deer fencing, it's hardly 'secure' (more of a 'bolt stop') for dogs. When I have a new dog who hasn't yet learned reliable boundary training, I simply use a long line/tether while in the yard to make sure there are no security breaches. The lines don't need to retract - there is little chance of entanglement in this scenario. If you're looking to keep a dog safe while "sitting under a tree & reading", I see no benefit of a Flexi over a simple long line (or, in my yard, a length of rope with a snap tied to the end.) It's only while walking & the need to keep leashes from dragging/tangling that the retractable shows it's benefit.

 

[Jack Naylor]

I hate retractable leashes. They do not work well if you need to pull your dog in to you as they only retract IF the dog is not at the end and you cannot easily grip and do a "hand over hand" manual retraction. The handles are bulky and annoying.

I understand your biases and everything you say is 100 % true,...however, all non-responsive to the question. I certainly understand your aversion to them for your usages and they make perfect sense in that scenario. But none apply to the stated intended use here.

a) We have no reason to reel in the dog, we're all inside a fenced area
b) I won't be holding the handle, as I said, I'm working on my laptop or reading a book, both of which require 2 hands.
c) We uses stainless steel eye hooks and large SS mountain caribiners that I can loop around up high in a swing under the tree or the overhead zip line. The SS Eye Hooks can be placed on any wooden post (i.e. tall volleyball net) , tree or whatever. At Scout camp, they had a dog on such a leash at the flagpole.
d) We have a long 15' leash just like the one you linked to, well I should say we have most of it, from being dragged along the ground it had become significantly frayed from dragging on the ground. I can't trust the retractables to Old Dog, on the zipline. The downside of her SS 30 foot cable leash on the overhead zip line shares a common issue with your camping leash as the dog gets it caught between her legs and on objects close to the ground. I reduced it to 15 feet and still, I have had it wrap around my legs at ankle level if she gets directly under the line. With new dog I am confident rusting her to a retractable leash and the retractable is on the zipline (12'above ground) the leash never touches the ground....no getting caught on things like small tree stumps that I have cut as close to ground as is safe w/chanisaw, campfie stones when camping, the belgian block curbing @ driveway and or patio stones around the smokeless fire pit.

 

[Toedtoes]

You're asking for two different things. 1) something you can attach to your person, a chair, etc, while you sit; and 2) something to walk the dog with.

 

[DaySleepers]

In my opinion and experience, flexis are appropriate for some dogs in some environments for active walking only. They are almost never appropriate as tie-outs, for all the reasons you mention and more, unless you have a super chill dog who doesn't move from the spot you put them. Even as a walking device, they're not a good choice for walking near busy streets, areas with lots of underbrush it can get tangled in, or if the dog has any issues around other dogs, people, or wildlife/small animals that would require you to get reliable and fast physical control should you have a surprise encounter. Like all long-lines, I believe they should only be used with a well-fitted harness unless the dog is extremely well behaved/has great verbal recall, because charging full speed 20-30' and then hitting the end of the line creates a ton of force, and necks have lots of delicate structures in a small area.

Your best bet if you want to use them is to carry a separate tie-out line, like the one Toedtoes linked, for when you want to sit and work with the dog secured.

 

[Jack Naylor]

You're asking for two different things. 1) something you can attach to your person, a chair, etc, while you sit; and 2) something to walk the dog with.

No. I thought I was pretty careful in the wording. There has never been an instance where I "walked the dog" with a retractable leash ... I do walk to other places independently of the dog when she is atatched to a fixed object. In the usage I have laid out, the retractable and the tie out leash are used in the exact same circumstances.... one end on dog, one end fixed

"I won't use them for walking, I use loop leashes for that"

"Again goal is to keep dog (and deer) safe while just sitting under a tree in the yard working or reading. "

"I won't be holding the handle, as I said, I'm working on my laptop or reading a book, both of which require 2 hands. "

Recognize that while reading or whatever, I on the other hand do walk while dog is attached to fixed object, just like I imagine you do in your campsite, .... package deliveries, bathroom trips and trips to the fridge ...work call on cellphone requires a trip to the office (50 feet and 13 stairs away. Your have affixed your tie out leash to chair, the camper or person and, I can only assume, usage is not all that frequent. Weather permitting, I'm outside almost every day;camping not so much. Only difference is I affix my ties out leashes or retractable ONLY to a zip line which is 12 feet off the ground or another high fixed object,

While the good weather usage is the determining selection factor as its the most demanding usage when they are out there with me for hours AND the deer are present. They still get secondary usages as when I'm out there walking the one dog on a loop leash, the 2nd dog was / is "tied out" on the tie out leash or retractable leash. With 3+ years of experience, I'm in a good position to observe the results.

Tie out line - started to look shabby quickly from being dragged along the ground, eventually snapped at 5 months, tangle issue (logs, fire pit stones, branches, old stump remains, etc. 3-4 times a week.
Retractable - Interior rusted up, when brake failed, line snapped @ 16 months. Replacement,if can find one, will have to address this issue. (leash must be open, so tape can be dried if wet, better braking system, serviceable, stronger). Issues with getting caught on something, very rare.
3/16" Steel / PVC Zip Line Tie Out kit - Failed at 11 (leash) and13 (Zipline) months; not as many tangle issues as I would have thought ... stiffness of PVC didn't allow much bending and it would slip off
1/4 " SS / Vinyl Zip Line Tie Out Custom Made - 4 months, so far looks indestructable had to shorten line to 15' because of getting caught on things and between dogs legs, which reduced roaming area from 7,800 SF to 3,450. Caught on something issues now maybe 3 times a month.

They are almost never appropriate as tie-outs, for all the reasons you mention and more, unless you have a super chill dog who doesn't move from the spot you put them. Even as a walking device, they're not a good choice for walking near busy streets, areas with lots of underbrush it can get tangled in, or if the dog has any issues around other dogs, people, or wildlife/small animals that would require you to get reliable and fast physical control should you have a surprise encounter. Like all long-lines, I believe they should only be used with a well-fitted harness unless the dog is extremely well behaved/has great verbal recall, because charging full speed 20-30' and then hitting the end of the line creates a ton of force, and necks have lots of delicate structures in a small area.

Your best bet if you want to use them is to carry a separate tie-out line, like the one Toedtoes linked, for when you want to sit and work with the dog secured.

Yes, as was said, I recognize those downsides can present themselves .... There's lots of reasons not to use a retractable leash and I agree with every one of those situations, but when streets are far away, the handle is 12 feet in the air. But as was said previously:

• None of them applies to my situation
• None of them addresses the downsides of a dog tie out, that gets dragged constantly along the ground across redstone gravel, stone and cut stumps, pit stones etc
• Yes, the cheap retractable that we 1st used (only one in store) failed.... but it held up better than the tie out leash.
• The post asks if anyone knows of more rugged alternatives. I hoped to avoid discussions of why a retractable leash should not be uses THIS leash will never encounter

As to the stated reasons stated why not to use a retractable leash ...

"We're going to try the pro version for dog number 2 as she's more chill and had good recall." When unleashed she doesn't go anywhere,except when the deer visit (doesn't lunge ...just gets as close as she can) and when they do, I'm not satisfied with what we have used in the past.

"We uses stainless steel eye hooks and large SS mountain caribiners that I can loop around up high in a swing under the tree or the overhead zip line. The SS Eye Hooks can be placed on any wooden post (i.e. tall volleyball net) , tree or whatever. At Scout camp, they had a dog on such a leash at the flagpole. "

..." the yard is fenced " no worries about strange dogs and people going to get in ?

""I won't use them for walking, I use loop leashes for that"

The dogs wear and extra strength padded harness with a "short leash" 24/7 ....

Our property is heavily wooded but 85% of the usage occurs in an open lawn area, with just a few ground obstacles that experience has shown, conclusively, has several downsides.

See Figure 1:

a) The zipline due to its size and weight sags. We have a eye hook at the door to which the collar clip is set when not in use so as to be within reach from the door. As the pulley will want to run out down slope on the sag, the only thing stopping it, is the 30 foot leash.... but the leash has weight and depending on length and weight of the tie out leash, the pulley will run out leaving leash laying across the driveway (been driven over against the gravel) ...or hanging over a portion of it. No fun when amazon makes an unscheduled delivery and catches the cable if kids didn't loop the leash and hang on hook..

My son once backed out of the driveway, caught it on the plastic trim of his bumper and ripped a piece right off his car; also ripped the eye hook off the house. As a result, we have had to coil the leash about 12 times before hanging it up and deal with the tangles, sometimes in the rain. Another time, propane delivery guy caught it. With the retractable, no problem, the spring keeps it within 3 feet of the house, and (for a secondary usage) if I don't like the rain, I can watch her from the doorway to do morning business and I don't have to get wet. Downside? I have to rotate the eye hook 180 degrees open end downward as the spring will pull the clip out of my reach.

b) Once on the dog, leash drags on the ground ... catches stumps, fire pit blocks, my chaise lounge,etc ...retractable, not on the ground, her head is higher than all these things, and it doesn't happen.

c) At the end at the tree, the tie out leash or retractable allowed them 30' of access into the wooded area where there are various fallen logs, branches, etc. that the tie leash dragging along the ground get stuck on. I don't think there's an understanding here that the anchor point / handle is high off the ground. Yes underbrush is an an issue when ya hand and dog are 24 - 30" off the ground. But, a retractable with a high anchor point and her shoulders being higher than all these things, that's not going to happen. ... none of the ground cover even reaches her belly and the lowest point the leash ever reaches is above her shoulders.

Figure 2

d) The more annoying situation is if 1) I have the two dogs out, one on a loop leash or I want to get up of the lounge grab a drink, hit the head,etc ....Remember I am NOT holding the leash, I'm going inside for a minute or so and dog is running around me dragging that leash along at my ankles. This never happens with the retractable, the worst case that it crosses about my waist level and I just have to lift it over my head as I walk buy, no bening over.

My main issue with tie out leashes is the same as why many shelters won't adopt out to people who use them and in some Towns they are prohibited. People tie up the dogs an then leave, the dog is under no supervision. Of course this could happen with retractable ones too but most folks won't figure out how to properly and safely secure the handle. With our last rescue, they came and visited our property .... been asked if I would install one there too.

For their 1st and last outings of the day, one dog goes on the zipline, the other is walked on a 6' loop leash. This allows us to make sure the dogs pay attention to what they out there for and not to conduct horseplay cause the zip line dog and walked dog are kept apart. If the weather is real bad, and I don't feel like getting soaked, I hook Old Dog up and stand in the doorway nice and dry while drinking coffee, 3 minutes later Old dog wants in and new dog does her 3minutes.

I'm not saying that any of the points raised are invalid, they certainly are ...just not on a fenced site 500 feet way from a rural / residential road, 2 miles from a main road and when the handle is 10 feet above the ground. There's no real difference to a 30 foot retractable leash and a 30 foot tie out leash attached to a fixed object no matter how chill the dog is, cars nearby, other dogs / people / animals, busy streets, underbrush, whatever so I don't see the reason as to a tie-out leash being a "best bet". I son't see that a responsible owner would use either under any of those circumstances. But the retractable can do a few thing a tie out can't do:

a) Save the leash from wear and tear from leash from dragging along the ground.
b) Keeping the zip line pulley from running out down the cable leaving the leash across the driveway w/o me having to loop it up a dozen times
c) Keeping the leash from tangling around anything less than 30" off the ground.

If anyone has a suggestion on something a bit more robust or has a reason why a "tie-out"isbetter than a retractable *in this specific usage, I'm all ears .... well eyes I guess

 

[Toedtoes]

Your post is so long and convoluted, that no you weren't clear. You meandered through all sorts of thoughts that apparently have nothing to do with what you are asking.

Then just get something like this. Switch out the included screws for longer ones and permanently affix it to a wooden post (or use bolts to attach it to a metal post) installed near your chair. Keep a leash handy nearby and switch if you need to walk the dog. It will work far better than a retractable leash.

 

[Jack Naylor]

Your post is so long and convoluted, that no you weren't clear. You meandered through all sorts of thoughts that apparently have nothing to do with what you are asking.

Saw no other alternative as the only responses were being repeated over and over again and none of the reasoning applied to the situation at hand. I added the picture and tried to describe the situation in a different way because responses were not accounting for the fact that a hand would not be at the other end.

When it's said in the OP "I won't use them for walking, I use loop leashes for that" ? I'm not any closer to an answer with repeated posts extolling the pitfalls of walking the dog.

If the OP says "the yard is fenced" why are strange dogs and people approaching in any way relevant

If the OP states that a steel cable previously failed and looking for a better alternative, is it not clear that another steel cable is off the table ?

Then just get something like this. Switch out the included screws for longer ones and permanently affix it to a wooden post (or use bolts to attach it to a metal post) installed near your chair. Keep a leash handy nearby and switch if you need to walk the dog. It will work far better than a retractable leash.

1. Let's be perfectly clear, this is simply a retractable leash with the handle replaced by a mounting plate and that's fine with me.... but exactly how do any of the stated negatives of retractable leashes as has been described not apply ? It will never be in anyone's hand other than maintenance. Flexi had one but they decided to take it off the market. Remove the spaces in link below you want to see the product
https:// www.amazon.com/Flexi-Retractable-TieOut-Dogs-10/dp/B0006G55MQ

I have already seen, evaluated and rejected the product you recommended .... I tried to find one with of stainless steel, of more robust construction and that can be more easily trolley mounted (As several customers noted they have done). BTW, they do have a larger one (Blue stripe) which has a longer leash than the model you recommended. Insecure web site (HTTP requests and responses are sent in plaintext, which means that anyone can read them. HTTPS corrects this problem by using TLS/SSL encryption) Remove the spaces in link below you want to see the product

http:// www.lixit.com/products/dog

I'm not opposed to using a product like this, I actually would prefer it. But it would have to be pulley mounted, stainless steel and of far better quality than this product and I have never seen one available. I have looked at industrial cable reel suppliers and not found anything I could readily adapt. However, not something I'd ask for on a dog forum. While I'm doing that, I thought this might be the place to ask about retractable leashes as that has already proved to be the most problem free and longest lasting solution do far. The 1/4" SS leash is certainly robust,but the drawings shows the issues best avoided.

2. Retractables of all types, even the classic tape measure, require cleaning and maintenance. I remove the SS leash to lubricate the attachment clip from the pulley below about every 3 months to keep it from seizing up. I did the same with the retractable, cleaning the tape, shacking out the debris, lubricating the mechanism. Rather easy process

2. The thread has a list of stated goals to avoid the problems experienced with dog tie outs. This product solves none of them.

3. As was said more than once, the dogs both have short traffic leashes on 24/7.

4. You saw the drawing right ? I'm not seeing how this will work "far better". Remember, as shown, we're starting with the existing 1/4" flex weave stainless steel cable w/ flexible vinyl covering that provides 7,800 square feet of roaming area. This linked retractable tie out is better because ?

• It a a plain stiff steel leash, of the type noted that has already failed with a PVC coating like the old one that will get destroyed by UV and fail within in 3 months ...not better than larger diameter,stainless durably coated, flexible aircraft cable we have now
• users report it doesn't retract or stops retracting after short period of use...not better than we experienced with cheap old retractable
• users report can barely hold the cable off the ground ...not better than we have now, vastly inferior to old retractable leash
• users report the dog gets tangled in it ...not better than we have now, with old retractable this did not happen
• it limits dogs to 707-ish Square Feet of roaming area (and that's if placed at ground level... area gets smaller at 8, 10 or 12 feet post height) ...I think dogs enjoy having 10+ times as much room ...not better than we have now
• it doesn't have a built in "elastic soft-stop tape element ?...not better than newer retractable leases
• users report it failing anywhere from 1st use to 8 months ...it was noted that our steel leash broke after 11 months in the exact same conditions.
• it doesn't have any inherent safety safety mechanisms provided by a spring mechanism at each end of the zip line and elastic soft-stop tape element

Yes, its a lotta words and makes a long post, but when the alternative is deficient in so many ways that's going to happen.

So far, other than the current SS 30 foot tie out being dragged around, nothing has lasted as long as the cheap retractable Flexi leash. When I previously looked at this and other products, I also read the reviews. Comes no where near meeting the goals; Amazon reviews from your link.:

"It's crap, already threw it away. (within 10 days) 12' ish.... It does not recoil like a leash per se'. It goes out then stays out until you tug it to re-wheel. Our dog got horribly tangled in it. I wish I could upload the pic here.... We went with an overhead trolly type tie out from lowes. She is happy and not falling in the pool"

"I found this product to be poorly made . The weld on the pin that holds the reel broke at first use . Very cheap metal . Quite honestly because of that the pull strength on the reel make little difference . The unit will fall apart first .

This listing is for the large reel, which is 15 feet long

The retract spring is a little weak, and can barely lift the cable and lightweight 8' extension. I can see whey people have complained about the bracket - if this thing is mounted solidly, when a dog reaches the end of the cable, it's going to receive a hard jerk. That's not a problem when on the cable run, as the cable will swing sideways and soften the impact.UPDATE: After 2 months, it's retract pull has weakened to the point where it can't pull any more than it's own cable. Just the coupler to the extension cable I use is too heavy for it. Retract Spring seems to be getting weaker fast.Update: after 8 months, it broke. No longer retracts, and the all the vinyl on the cable has worn off.

The protective layer came off in not even 3 months. My dogs were playing and it touched my dog's skin (dogs roll around espically puppies) and it cut my dog!!! I've asked this

The product lasted 1 week before breaking. I would estimate it saw about 45 minutes of use overall. This is inexcusable! The screws it came with were a joke, as other reviewers noted, so I used heavy duty decking screws which held perfectly. It was the product’s welding that is worthless. The product itself, if it was welded in an appropriate fashion, would be a 5 star item. Unfortunately, this is not the case. DO NOT TRUST THIS ITEM TO KEEP YOUR DOG SAFE!!!!!!!

The wheel where it is welded completely came off from just normal every day use of the tension created by the dog unraveling the cord.The product lasted 1 week before breaking. I would estimate it saw about 45 minutes of use overall. This is inexcusable! The screws it came with were a joke, as other reviewers noted, so I used heavy duty decking screws which held perfectly. It was the product’s welding that is worthless.

Again lotta words, that wouldn't be there if ya accepted the fact that, plain steel, PVC coated cables that drag along the ground are off the table. We already have a tie out that is better than this product in every way. I'm looking for something more robust then what we have tried before ...not less

1) Tie out weave type leash - (5 months) ...off the table

2) Cheap ($29) retractable leash (16 months) ...off the table,emphasis on the cheap part.

3) A pulley mounted steel cable tie out leash of the type / material as the one you recommended ...off the table
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K5YWLZ (11 months)
Amazon.com (13 months)

4) The Lexit retractable that users report failing anywhere between 1st day and 8 months....was off the table years ago

 

[Toedtoes]

I rest my case.

 

[DaySleepers]

As far as I'm aware, what you're looking for doesn't exist. Perhaps you could try making one?

The other option would be something like Ruffwear's Knot-a-Hitch, which is a portable tether system made for camping and the like. It's designed to be easily set up with a zipline between two trees and a lead attached to the dog, and packs down into a small carry pouch. Not a perfect solution, but I'll throw it out there.

 

[Jack Naylor]

I rest my case.

When working on new designs and alternatives offered, I've always given the proposer the courtesy of explaining, in detail, why their proposed alternative was not selected. The short version would have been that my goal was to improve the system in place, with a higher quality option withan expectation of longer life. Alternatives with the same intended functional design, but of inferior quality and materials, drastically reduced range and useable life, highly negative user satisfaction, especially when similar alternatives have been tried and failed do not get me any closer to that goal. I appreciate the effort, but in the end, it had already been investigated and discarded

As far as I'm aware, what you're looking for doesn't exist. Perhaps you could try making one?

The other option would be something like Ruffwear's Knot-a-Hitch, which is a portable tether system made for camping and the like. It's designed to be easily set up with a zipline between two trees and a lead attached to the dog, and packs down into a small carry pouch. Not a perfect solution, but I'll throw it out there.

Thank you for your response, it would appear that we are on the same page,. I have two options on the table....

1. Industrial Cable Reel - I am becoming all to familiar with the does not exist part... at least that I can find. Something like these:

McMaster-Carr

McMaster-Carr is the complete source for your plant with over 595,000 products. 98% of products ordered ship from stock and deliver same or next day.

www.mcmaster.com

This above uses electrical cords ... the same thing with a SS cable would be perfect

I am very familiar with that product and other ones that use what looks like one of those floats on pool ropes.

2. If I can ask you to take a peak at the pic Message No. 7 for a moment

a) The Knot-a-Hitch is a 36 foot rope with an overhead pulley. If ya take that same product, change the rope to a 60 foot steel cable, that's what we started with (after the rope tie out leash anyway) and you can see the basic set up in the pic in Message 7.

.

b) We went through many other alternatives, rope tie out leashes, cheap retractables, plain steel cables, all of which failed.

c) We finally replaced all cables with large SS aircraft cable designed for flexibility, a double pulley and braking systems designed for adventure park ziplining. Functionally, it's a Knot-a-Hitch but much more robustly designed intended for holding down airplanes in storms and human joyrides high above the forest. All we need to do is get the leash off the ground. Everything available on the doogie market is a significant step down from what is already in place.

The whole system is perfect and already paid for. The only downside is I either have to shorten the leash section to around 10 feet so it doesn't drag on the ground or I need something that retracts. With no cable reel thingie found as yet, the best thing that we used was the cheap $30 retractable leash.

Goal: Until I can find the cable reel alternative, the best option seemed to be a retractable leash. We have looked at (2) so far ...advantages in bold

Amazon.com : FLEXI Giant Professional, Gurt, L: 10 M, Schwarz/Neon : Pet Supplies

Amazon.com : FLEXI Giant Professional, Gurt, L: 10 M, Schwarz/Neon : Pet Supplies

www.amazon.com

Flexi Giant Pro - 33' leash, open reel for easy cleaning, interior mechanisms accessible and serviceable, rated for dogs up to 110 pounds .... 81% 5* ratings

Flexi's New Extreme Model - 16 ft, leash, rated for up to 143 lbs, elastic soft-stop tape element, enclosed reel ,not serviceable

I've been asking fellow engineers for help on the cable reel option ...if you have seen anything better than the 2 items above, please advise.

 

[Jack Naylor]

@DaySleepers

In the end, with no industrial type reels to be found, we decided on the Flexi Giant Professional Retractable Leash

1. It allows us to continue to using the Stainless Steel, Vinyl Coated Cable, Pulley and Brake System which has outperformed all previous alternatives.

2. Has the advantages listed in previous post

3. With the 30 foot Leash of the same material shortened to 15 feet, there's still no corrosion or flexibility issues; it rarely drags on ground or gets caught on anything, but it did reduce the roaming area from 7800 SF to 3900 SF. ... Incidentally saw a pic on my newsfeed that upset me a bunch ... "a mail carrier found the young pit bull mix entangled in a tether and abandoned in a backyard with no food, water, or shelter. Stuck in this desperate situation, Bella had gnawed off one of her back legs in an attempt to escape.... Bella allowed the animal control officers to approach her and remove her from the painful tether wrapped around her body. " The dog must have been left like that for days; and though our dogs are subject to visual observation the whole time they are out. They can't get tangled in it like Bella as the leash won't coil, did I still worry about the thought of them getting injured if, with the leash dragging on ground, it got caught on something .... not to mention tripping me

4. Downside is it's not sold her in the United States so had to ship it from UK.... so won't arrive till next month.