“flexi Retractable Leashes Recommended by ABC”

Wednesday | September 23. | 2009

Animal Behavior College (ABC).
animalbehaviorcollege.com
flexi Training Applications

As a professional obedience trainer with over 29 years experience, I have had numerous opportunities to utilize the flexi Retractable Leash in training. Many trainers I have spoken with were under the impression that flexis couldn’t be used in training. I can assure you, this is not the case. Here are a few examples of training applications using flexi.

Housebreaking: Once the house training concept has been shaped and learned by the dog, the flexi can be used by certain clients under specific conditions in a way that is effective, convenient and sometimes safer than conventional leashes. flexi’s long reach allows dog owners to give their dog access to a yard while they (the owners) can stand inside, under a porch, etc. This is potentially valuable, especially with elderly clients who might risk injury walking a dog at night and/or under wet, icy, dangerous conditions. With flexi, the dog has a certain level of freedom while still being restrained by their owner.

Additionally, many owners housebreaking young puppies have not yet completed obedience training. Anyone who has had to spend 20 minutes trying to catch their dog to get him/her back in the house, particularly at 3:00 AM… in the rain, knows how inconvenient and frustrating this can be. It can also be counter productive to obedience training as owners who find themselves chasing their dogs around the yard repeating “come, come, come” are actually undoing any obedience they’re attempting to teach. With flexi, this scenario can be limited.

Loose Leash Walking: While the flexi is not designed to teach heeling or loose leash walking, it can be used most effectively once these behaviors have been shaped and learned. Many people want to be able to let their dogs walk without having to always heel. Sometimes, it’s ok to let a dog sniff the grass and … be a dog. The flexi allows owners the ability to give their dog a good deal of freedom while still being able to restrain their pets if they need to.

Distance work: flexi is also a good tool to utilize in proofing the obedience commands stay and come. The flexi design allows clients to maintain control of their pet from a distance and do so without the inconvenience that can sometimes occur with tangled long lines. To accomplish this many trainers put the dog on a 15-30 foot long leash called a "long line" and review the same cues while using the long line in an attempt to control the dog from a distance. Using a flexi in these circumstances makes this part of the training process easier and more effective.

Control for Physically Challenged Clients: Here too the flexi can be very useful for clients whose dogs have already learned basic heeling. Some people, especially those with arthritis in their hands or walking with a cane, will find the large easy to grip flexi handle much easier to work with. The retractable feature of the flexi is also helpful for these clients if they need a little “help” reminding their dog about the recall. This is especially true with small dogs.

In closing, I can state that flexi does have specific training applications and that in specific circumstances, with certain clients, it can be highly effective and convenient. Clients should always be reminded to follow the “Special Precautions and Directions” included with every flexi leash.

Steven P. Appelbaum has trained professionally since 1980. He is the president of Animal Behavior College, a school devoted to training the next generation of dog obedience instructors and the president of Animal Behavior and Training Associates, Inc. which was the largest independent dog obedience training company in North America from 1995-2004.

For additional information about the entire range of flexi leashes contact flexi USA, Inc., 147 Circle Freeway Dr., Cincinnati, Ohio 45246 or call us at 800-543-4921. Please email us at info@flexiusa.com.