HRM Dogs In The News
Looks like Halifax Councillor Reg Rankin plans to raise the issue of expandable/retractable leashes at the next community council meeting.
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One Halifax councillor thinks when it comes to dogs, short leashes may be the way to go.
(Evan Mitsui/CBC)
A Halifax councillor says it’s time to review the city’s animal control bylaws.
One Halifax councillor thinks when it comes to dogs, short leashes may be the way to go. (Evan Mitsui/CBC)
Reg Rankin says he’s been getting complaints from homeowners in the Clayton Park area about expandable leashes that allow dogs to walk a considerable distance away from their owners.
Rankin said those types of leash can cause a couple of problems.
“The length of the leash allowed dogs to go to further into private yards and defecate and then leave the stuff behind. Also, if it’s too long it allows an unruly dog to be more free to lunge at a person,” he said.
Other municipalities in Canada and the United States have placed limits on the length of a leash.
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My family has always referred to retractable leashes as ‘fishing leashes.’ The motion of leaning forward, click to lock, and pulling dog back with your body weight (repeat as required) has always reminded me of deep sea fishing. Pulling a Husky back one click at a time (I have been there) with these leashes is not unlike reeling in a marlin.
My thought on the topic? When it comes to walking a dog on city sidewalks I am not sure why owners would want their pets more than a few feet away from them. Bicycles, strollers, crosswalks, parking cars, hidden driveways… personally I want my dogs at my side or very near to. But that is just my opinion.
What do you think?
Posted on February 19, 2013, in Dogs4PPP - About Us. Bookmark the permalink. 7 Comments.
I think this is daft. I only use a retractable leash very seldom, there is no control, which is surely one good reason for using any leash. Banning retractable leashes is not going to make people more responsible, or cause them to pick up after their dogs more often.
In short, you can’t legislate morality. Or respect or common sense, apparently.
Very true. An owner who allows their dog to make a ‘deposit’ on a neighbour’s yard with a long leash, is just as likely to allow the behaviour with a short leash I would think.
Personally, I don’t like flexi leads as they are dangerous for both people and dogs. They were orignally designed for tracking dogs and that’s best where they are used. I do use a long training lead and I feel it would be a great dis-service to responsible dog ownership to ban training leads as they are the best tool for training a proper recall. Unfortunately, training leads are not used enough!
Both my dogs spent time on training leads to learn recall. They are a great tool.
Way back when Bronson was a pup, I thought about getting one. Then I read where one particular brand tended to fail if too great a stress was put on them.
I like the 6 foot leather leads.
I also have a lead with reflective thread sewn all down it’s length which is great for those long dark nights in the winter. In the summer, when gloves aren’t worn, I’ll only take it out on dark rainy nights.
The key here is education as to the right leash for your dog and fines for those who don’t pick -up after their pooch. I’d like to see council spend their time on more pressing issues of funding for the SPCA.
I love the Flexi leash, will never use the other type again. They can be locked in to a shorter length if desired, no big deal.