Thanks for the comments. I checked out your site and certainly defer to your experience, but I must say I use one of these leashes daily and have not had the problems you’re suggesting at all. Have you used a leash like this?

Using your reinforcement model all one would need to do is properly lead the dog so it knows what it’s doing is unacceptable, just like anything else. The thing I like about it is it offers some flexibility of how far the dog can go, sniff, etc. without the extra length of a standard leash, which I find gets caught under the dog’s legs too easily.

It seems if one can teach a dog to walk with fishing line, one can teach a dog to walk with a giant rubber band.

When a dog does something and gets what it wants, the dog learns to do that thing again. Period.

Their entire learning system is built on a reinforcement model. Any leash that stretches or extends absolutely does teach the dog to pull.

1. The dog pulls.

2. The leash gives (stretches or extends) so the dog gets what it wants (instant distance from the person holding the leash).

3. The dog pulls harder next time.

The fact that you can pull the dog back within a second is irrelevant, because their brains learn in real time — instant feedback is all they get.

The only benefit to this leash is the jerk will be less violent on the human holding the leash. If I wanted dogs that pulled me down the sidewalk I’d probably buy a leash like this.

It’s just that I prefer dogs that follow.
.-= Gill Wagner´s last blog ..How To Own The Door- So Sparky Won’t Have To =-.

I don’t think any leash teaches your dog to pull. As you know, it doesn’t matter if you have fishing line, canvas, or the finest Egyptian cotton attached to your dog, it’s how you walk the dog that matters.

The wacky walk’r is just another kind of lead for you to use that offers some benefits to dogs that may be prone to excitement, but just because it does stretch doesn’t mean the owner should let the dog pull at it.

I agree that a person should learn how to lead the dog and walk in a confident manner with the dog at their side, but I don’t think having a certain type of leash makes that any more or less possible.

Best,

R.
.-= Robert Fure´s last blog ..The Lowdown on Stress Management Ten Strategies That Work =-.

If you have no idea whatsoever how to control a dog, I suppose this will at least save your shoulder.

That being said, any dog alive can be taught not to pull on a leash within one mile — I walk my two using 15lb fishing line (and the only reason they’re on a leash at all is the leash laws in my area).

Learn how to lead and your dog will follow. And the ego boost you’ll get from walking a well-trained dog through your neighborhood is wonderful!
.-= Gill Wagner´s last blog ..How To Own The Door- So Sparky Won’t Have To =-.

A colleague of mine had bought one from the same vet and she has noticed that it has started to split.

Any leash is going to break if the dog gets a hold of it and chews on it, unless you’re using a chain. Remington actually did the same thing a few months after we got the wacky walkr and chewed through the lead – but I came up with a very simple and cheap solution.

Go to PetSmart or PetCo or wherever and buy a clasping dog collar. I found an extra long (for very large dogs) and double woven one on clearance for $4.99. Remove the old, chewed lead, you may have to cut through the stitched area. Now you should have the handle and rubber as one piece and the clip as the other. Slip the dog collar through the loops of both the clip and the rubber lead and clasp it shut.

You’re pretty much done at that point. You’ve replaced the old chewed lead with the dog collar loop. I used a zip tie to tidy it up and keep it secure.

The last part of this fix is just to try to keep the dog from chewing on it. The double stitched dog collar is at least twice as thick as the part it replaced, so it can absorb more damage.

Hope this helps and brings your wacky walkr back to life to save your investment.
.-= RobertFure´s last blog ..Linkszomania for March 3, 2010 =-.

THEY SHOULD OF USED A STRONGER MATERIAL SUCH AS CANVAS. Nylon is cheap and susceptible to chewing.