Well described

No you were giving "advice" to someone whose dog and life you know nothing about. Typical of the sort of trainer I avoid at all costs. Just saying...

I use mine on the sidewalk. I have some distance between myself and the road (4-6 feet, sometimes less, sometimes more) and then the yard on the other side. I don't need to reel my dog in. She stays in the grass or on the sidewalk. She never sets foot in the road and if she started to I'd hit the button and lock it down. She's rarely at the end of the leash though she occasionally is at the end of it when she goes to sniff something.

My dog doesn't go the wrong way around bushes. She's under constant voice control and knows to stay near me. But with a training lead, it would still get caught if she sniffed and came around. 6 foot leashes have gotten caught. Some of her training HAS been done on the flexi to keep her close to me when I call her to me and to not go the wrong way around trees.

I walk in neighborhoods here (not all the time, but much of the time). Don't houses at the UK have bushes?

My comment about grabbing the leash if if I want to keep her close to me, like a foot or two away. Then you can't just grab the end of the leash. With a flexi, I don't have to grab anything, just lock it down close to me. I love that aspect.

I referred earlier to teaching loose lead no pull/no lunge treat training (pref Look And Treat).
The sort of training that is counter intuitive to a flexi device with its only 2 options of brake and release.
The point being, if this is the training achieved, you wouldnt need to be grabbing the lead on a training lead or long line (obvioulsy there are always emergencies).
By needing to lock a flexi at a fixed point of say, your foot or two away, your remove fluidity, options, freedom of movement and flow and the sense the dog is *choosing* not to pull/lunge/whatever.
Meaning you are not training the CER, just the behaviour.
And the 'locked flexi' technique would equate to negative reinforcement training.

You know what? Forget it. You're twisting every point I make. Soooo typical. I know your type and I know you're the type I don't want to continue having a not really a discussion with.

But thanks. I'll just take my UNTRAINED dog out on her FLEXI now.

gulp

ah well, one can but try and communicate

however, one cannot legislate for how people want to listen

sweet dreams

I dont want to get in an argument here, just saying what happens with me and my dog
When I am walking in the park area where it is not safe for Mia to be offlead she has the added freedom of the flexi, she knows when it is unlocked, she hears the click and feels the gentle pressure on her collar that means the lead is moving with her
When I am walking home along the road I call both her and Ben in, Ben is put on his short lead and Mia's flexi is locked at the same length as a short lead, she knows the difference, the lead in now slack and she walks to keep it so
Easy, no punishment, she was taught with rewards

flexi leads are dangerous,i have seen a few dogs die or arrive doa because of these

i can certainly imagine you achieving that ben, being a trainer n'all

sadly though flexis are still a danger in the hands of unskilled persons and arent the tool for good training

im guessing that you, like crysania, did your training the proper route. sans flexi
unlike many folk whom often dont do much training except by bad habit default.
hence such unskilled/unattentive/poor timing sort of folk are better off not using equipment that can result in negative consequences...ie, flexis, chokers, short tight lead.......due to opposition reflex, defensive handling, -R, etc

SO sad. The poor pup and poor child having to witness that. When I was working at the shelter clinic, one of my jobs was to call back adopters who had missed their spay/neuter appointments. One girl I called said that her OH was roller blading with the pup on a flexi with the dog fully extended on the lead and the dog ran out into the road while the owner was still well on the sidewalk and was hit by a car and killed. I was so so sad to hear it. Poor wee pup!

ETA: Sorry, just read the whole thread. I think there is alot of arguing going on but we are all making the same point. Used properly (AFTER the dog has been properly trained to lead) a Flexi has its place. I have one. I only use it in parks (with leash laws in force) where she can still have a wander and sniff and a bit of freedom while still technically being "on a leash".

However, this is exactly why Flexi's are rubbish when used "as a leash" in the traditional sense. They offer the dog freedom, but don't afford the control needed by most pet owners who don't bother training, or paying attention to their dogs. I have no doubt that Crysania and Mia's owner are both using the flexi appropriately to allow their dogs freedom on walks.

I can sympathize with Crysania, she lives in a similar area to me. We don't have a lot of natural areas in which to walk, and even fewer places to walk off lead. The flexi allows our well behaved and already trained dogs to have a proper walk they can enjoy with the least amount of restraint.

That said, I won't use a Flexi near the road, I'm too afraid the locking mechanism will fail or something will startle her or anything could happen and she could end up in the road and hit. I've seen it happen. That happens in a park, usually no problem, on the road, its too big a risk, for me, personally. I live in a high traffic area. May be different for others.

i agree with the above.
good points, the same as what i was saying