I guess I'm one of the lucky ones.

I bring my dogs to the pet food stores all the time, and never have a problem. But then usually when I go, there isn't anyone there, just a bored employee or two. I think maybe out of all the times I've been there, I've seen maybe 20 dogs. They usually steer clear of Cassy, for some reason a big black dog with a prong makes people go the long way.

I walk my friends'two small dogs on flexi-leads (they love those leads, I hate them for every day use). It is possible to have control but you have to use your brain. One of their dogs is reactive and I constantly have an eye out so I can reel her in and put on the brake at a second's notice. The other one tends to be fearful so I do the same with him. And, yes, I can do both at the same time and even haul them both up into the air to keep them from getting to or harrassing another dog if I wasn't able to see it in time to avoid all together. So there is absolutely no excuse for idiots that have no control even on a Flexi.

I feel for the owner whose dog was decapitated but I feel sorrier for the dog that wasn't trained enough to be under control and not run in front of cars. What a horrid thing to witness.

I've never had a problem at either PetCo or PetsMart but only take a dog in occassionally during less crowded hours. The last time was for Gracie's first birthday so she could pick out a toy (she's 3 this July).

Hi Elaine, yeah my sister said it was gruesome, a very old dot with an out of control dog

There is an ancient old dear in our village who walks on two sticks that has 2 black Lab pups dragging her up hill and down dale! accident waiting to happen, another old dear who rehomed a dog she found wandering the streets of Spain, paid to have it shipped, spent a fortune on getting it here, jabbed, pet passported etc, upshot was of it was, being a feral dog, it went for her all the time, escaped every chance and ended up getting squashed on the road, would prob have been better off remaining as a stray in Spain, but she thought she was doing the kindest thing, best of intentions, but with disastrous outcome

With using a flexi you just have to be at least slightly smarter than the equipment you're using.

I use a giant tape flexi for Logan AFTER training him to walk on lead. The rules are very strict and its locked at about 3 ft when we walk on the sidewalk. When he's allowed to have pressure on it and sniff around, its when I release him only. Then I treat it like a long line, he must come along when I say so, no matter what he is sniffing (I used the touch game with markers for this). When I see another dog or people I call him back to my side and lock it.

As for keeping your dog out of the road...this is on situation I think corrections are needed...its life or death to stay out of the road. At first I said no, stopped him and treated him for coming back to my side. I ended up having to correct him a few times, yes I was hard on him but for him that's what it took. He's not the least bit soft....I had to make him say "ouch" a few times...because for real, the road DOES mean ouch! Now he won't try to go in the road unless I say "lets go across". He puts his front paws on the grass and looks at me, waiting...next to me on a leash, never lose....not a chance I would take.

I use flex leads on young pups when out in the field for a stroll & to allow them some freedom without having to drag a line. I can still control them when needed. I also use a harness on young pups so they don't have any pressure on their necks.

I use leashes on collars on young dogs when I am ready to teach leash pressure training.

I personally don't use them on larger dogs.(for me, not even on a well trained dog) Far to easy for a stronger dog to pull the handle out of your hand(then an actual real leash handle) should they spook at something or get a wooly to take a bolt. But then my hands are arthritic.

I only use a (padded) harness on older dogs for bitework training like back tying, hold & bark exercises etc etc. I don't walk a dog on the street in them. They leave you limited control under certain situations. Worse scenario I have encountered is an owner with a good size uncontrollable pitbull on a harness & a flex lead at the vet's office. Dog was muscling the guy all around the waiting area & charging other dogs. Glad that I was standing over in the corner hallway with my dog in a down & out of this guys way. It was insane & the stupid office staff didn't even ask the guy to take the dog out to his car & come back in & pay his bill.

I also don't totally trust the flex leads, I have had then 'slip' & not catch when reeling them in & had the lock give out. All on newer flex leads not just older well-used ones.

I have also used a flex lead to 'help' a dog solidify his retreive when the usual methods didn't work. Or work on a recall on a young pup.

They have their place, but not for the average person mindlessly walking their dog down the street. I almost ran over a yorkie one day when the owner was standing talking with someone on the edge of the road & her dog bolted for another dog being walked across the street & the flex lead gave the dog about 6 feet to just about get under my truck. Lucky for the dog, one of us was paying attention.

Like most things...there are numerous ways to use flex leads & harnesses. You just need to use your brain & think about how & where is & isn't appropriate places to use them. The vets office is one of the most anoying places that I have encountered folks using flex leads & harnesses. To walk into the vets office is like running the gauntlet. I hate it, especially with a DA dog. Fortunately I rarely have to go there.

I am sure there are others that have other opinions of the use of flex leads & harnesses.

The problem with Flexi leads is that you have to have a good recall to get your dog back to you quickly...and most people who use them dont. They might even have less control than if their dog was loose (maybe not but sometimes it seems like it!)

I have personally almost ran over a yorkie in a parking lot on a flexi that ran out from behind a car...I have heard of a dog on a flexi that also ran into the road and caught and dragged for a very long ways and died. Also more recently a dog on a flexi went into the elevator owner did not and dog strangled to death...makes me sick to my stomache that the dogs had to die this way!

For myself I've used flex leads (heavy tape one for my collies)to let the dog go out away from me to do its business when traveling or when I used to take the collie out on the desert when we were managing a hotel (he was my assistant, security guard and self-appointed Harley greeter).

It's not so much the lead that's the problem it's the cluess owners using the flex lead.

And, Tracy, that dog definitely would have been better off as a stray in Spain. I'm sure she was well-meaning and had good intentions but you know the old saying about good intentions. It sounds as if many in your area need educating but at least, hopefully, you don't have people telling their kids to go pet or stand with (for pictures) wild animals or stud bulls as I've seen here.

No, no pictures of kids with bulls that I have seen lol! prob because it is so common place to see farm animals every other field so it isn't a novelty!

We do though, have waaay too many collies and gun dogs being placed with familys that we only see out on the odd beautiful summer evening or the rare snowy field, then they turn out en masse with all the family in tow, just one of the many things about people that irritate me, must be my age

I think some people could use a flexi lead & harness on their kids at least they should.