Walking our dog in town on busy streets requires a no-risk standard six-foot leash. Playing with her in the park behind our house is usually without a leash – we have one but it’s usually draped over our shoulders and around our neck – so she can run like the wind.  The same applies to play time at the dog park.  When we’re walking in county or city parks where leash laws apply but there’s minimal traffic our young dog is on a retractable leash and she loves seeing that particular leash come out of her tote bag.

Over the past few years we’ve had several retractable leashes.  One was chomped in half by a lab puppy mouth.  It only took a few moments for her to pinking shear through the cord.  Another one somehow disappeared along with many items - I’m convinced there’s a black hole in our house.  Now we keep one in each car in a special tote bag that also carries her collapsible water bowl, scoop bags, spare towel and a few snacks. My favorite retractable to date is the Petmate Walkabout Wide Webbed Retractable Leash.

This 16-foot leash is designed for dogs up to 110 pounds.  Our previous labs weighed in between 90 and 100 pounds, they were big and strong dogs, and I anticipated our blond girl reaching similar weights. Her parents are large 90 pound + dogs and most of her siblings are equally large.  She never did get big in size (just in personality), she stopped growing at 62 pounds and now weighs 60 but she definitely has the determination of the other dogs.  Fortunately she also walks on a leash better and rarely pulls unless there’s a squirrel or favorite neighbor in sight. Then she goes into four paw dog drive. The retractable leash is ideal for her in the right setting.

The web is ½ inch wide.  The handle is large enough for an adult male to grip; it conforms to the hand and is ergonomic in design.  It has a brake trigger inside the grip.  The movement of the web through the housing is smooth and it moves freely without hesitation.  There’s a brake lever on the upper outside of the handle and this combined with the brake trigger in the grip allow for rapid response, both as a lock and as a release.  This comes with an additional security belt (slips around the neck) that provides a back-up just in case this breaks from the dog’s collar. I’ve never used this option.

Petmate provides common sense guidelines for safety such as “do not use this retractable leash to tie your dog to any stationary object, use this retractable leash only when your dog does not exceed the specified weight on the packaging, and this retractable leash is not a toy.”  These are only a few of the suggestions.  Others include inspecting your leash before use.  Don’t use if the web has been cut or is frayed.  In my opinion you can’t ignore your dog while walking on this leash.  You need to pay attention to your surroundings a bit more than with a regular leash.  The packaging includes instructions and advice as well as warnings – read them and heed them.

The advantages of a wide webbed leash include this doesn’t tangle or knot inside the housing, you’re less likely to cut or “rope burn” your fingers with this, and it’s more durable and sturdy.  This wider tape style is safer for both my dog and me; we’re both less likely to have injuries.  Remember, though, that when you’re walking and using this, the leash is always under tension.  You adjust the distance but keep it taut rather than slack. 

This is a practical way to walk your dog in the right situations.  It’s not recommended for dogs with poor leash skills or manners.  While I adored my previous chocolate lab he wasn’t always the best mannered dog on a leash.  Let’s say he was headstrong and quite determined and when he wanted something my command wasn’t necessarily going to stop him.  I only once entertained the possibility of walking him on a retractable.  That ended up being stored until our young blond lab came along.  She’s great on this Walkabout Wide Webbed Retractable Leash but getting her there required a little training.

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