I use normal leads (double ended police leads I love em) about 90% of the time, but I keep two flexi's in the car just in case I stop off at a stream and there are loads of kids around, the flexi is so they can go for a bit of a dip and go into deeper parts to get clean but cant bother anyone and I can put the brake on if they decide somone's picnic looks good

I had both until Loki demolished his ordinary lead. He's started taking bites out of the flexi now too.

I like the flexi so that he can explore a bit more when on-lead, but being Loki, no matter how longor short a length he has to work with he will still go to the very end of it and pull for all he's worth. :smt021

I did get a flexi lead for puppies, unfortunately my pup is already taller than my labs at 14 weeks!

The one I got is too flimsy, so have been using an ordinary lead.

However, once my broken foot has healed, I will be taking him to the country park nearby and am planning to get a stronger flexi lead. Mainly because his recall has not been tested yet, but I want to give him the chance to explore.

We tend to have our female lab on a flexi lead near busy roads - she is very good and my husband doesn't really use a lead on her. The lead I use is mainly for 'show'.

I like both - if I want to train on 'heel' etc and while walking near roads, I would rather an ordinary lead. But if the dog is safe and able to explore better on a flexi lead without my losing him, then I'm fine with that - he is only young so I need the safety net of being able to 'reel him in' if I need to.

Roxy has a flexi, but ever trainer we've seen has asked us to stop using it

I can't see why. I should think they just mean when training, as it does not give as much control as a normal lead. When out just for a walk, a flexi is ideal for giving the dog a degree of controlled freedom

Speaking personally I haaaate flexis

They are imho dangerous if dog is near the road, as they can't be wound in fast enough, and also they teach the dog to pull! Yukky things

I hate flexi leads, they offer little control and get caught around bushes and coated in cow dirt ...yuk no one ever mentions this so perhaps it just happens to me

If I have a dog/dogs on a lead I like to know they are secure and under my control, if the dog is having a run off the lead I will take it to an enclosed safe area.

I appreciate people do not always have access to an enclosed area where a dog can have a run and they may need to use a line when training recall, in this case I would use an ordinary lead most of the time and just use the line when giving my dog a run in a park or field.