Now, to start with let me say that I know that Flexi leads can be a darned nuisance and in fact NOBODY recommends them for greyhounds but I'm starting to think about it, and in fact took Sid today out using one. 

Why?  Because I can't always walk as fast as he wants to and when we're off-road I can let him have a little more freedom with his pace.   He can hang back a little bit and bound to catch up, or go ahead and then wait for me. He seems to find this varying speed more comfortable than a steady 'just a little bit slower than he would like' walk, and on our longer steady walks he often comes back with a cramp in his back/shoulders.

I hold the reel of the Flexi in one hand and grasp the tape with the other so I can warn him/slow him if he gets a little too fast and he's already learned that he might have more rope but he still has a limit.  I also hold it because I know that some people have had the Flexi fail on them and come to pieces.

I'm not really worried at all about him taking off, because he really isn't that kind of dog, but I wanted some input from the good folks here on whether this is really a good idea for him or not.

Is the extra length of lead going to outweigh the possible dangers of the Flexi? What do you think? 

I'm biased, because I personally don't like flexi leads from a safety or training standpoint. Having said this, I have  used one, for similar reasons. I don't use it as a flexi, but just a long line with built in storage. I don't want anything pulling on her neck, which the flexi by design, does, or risk it getting caught on a limb. I extend the leash out, lock it, & let her walk at her own pace. Inefficient? Completely! Do I look like a crazy person, winding it up & following her around? Absolutely! I'd never use it in an unfamiliar area or where unknown dogs might be encountered. It was more of an issue in the first few months post amp. Isabelle now does well at a regular pace, on a standard leash, something we worked on in rehab. We have the luxury of walking off leash a lot also. I don't know why this font is so bold & enormous…., but I am not able to change it

Cynthia 

Thanks for the replies and the reassurance! 

I guess I'm posting from the point of view of a greyhound owner.  Flexi's are NOT recommended for greyhounds because they can reach 30mph in just a few strides and really hurt themselves (or you).  Also, there have been cases of recently-retired dogs pulling the handle out of their owner's hands and then being so badly spooked by the thing rattling along behind them that they've run into traffic/got lost and starved because they were wearing a muzzle/injured themselves badly somehow. Just in the last few weeks I heard of one who'd taken off with a flexi and was found after several weeks with it wrapped so tightly around a hind leg that it had to be amputated.  Greyhounds are not your average dog.  :(

And yes, Cynthia. I agree. Not ideal for training purposes or for anywhere you need good control.  And that's exactly how I used the leash this morning – I completely agree on the 'pulling on the neck' thing.  Even without a tripod, you don't want it with an older, arthritic dog. I don't know how big Isabelle is but .. well, Sid's legs are so long that his pace is never going to be slow enough to be comfortable at my speed.

Cometdog – You're right, the tape is way better.  I'm so sorry to see you lost your Comet.  :(

Krun15 – good point!  We don't have that law here, to my knowledge. If we do, nobody frets about it, that's for sure. There are plenty of Flexi's around here.

Jerry – Thanks!  No, he's not a maniac on walks, but obviously, I'll take care in the presence of other dogs and near roads. 

I'll add my two cents FWIW.  I use flexi's…both before and after amputation!  I LOVE flexi's. (the all TAPE one's not the rope one's).    One thing that I started after Maggie was amputated is put HER flexi away and buy her a smaller one so that the tape wasn't so hard to pull out for her and pull on her backwards…know what I mean?  I use a flexi that is weighted for a smaller dog than she is…I think it's the medium weight one whereas I used to use the large size on her.  I also always use a harness on her…never from the collar.  I use the Ruffwear harness or her Comfortflex harness…did that prior to amputation as well.  For Maggie, she understands once she gets to the end of it to not keep pulling but is is tougher now being a Tripawd, so I have to speed up my pace for her, so not to 'drag her down'.  I also often tie her to my waist via my skijor belt that way I don't have to hang onto the flexi, it hangs from my waist belt.(being a little inventive and using a large snap from belt to the flexi handle.).

She has gotten better as time has gone on and able to slow her pace up a tad while being on a leash…but I still try to walk faster for her when needed to make it easier on her.

Tracy, Maggie's Mom

Jay said:

Not sure about attaching the lead to me … Sid would pull me over in an instant if he ever decided to go for it! No sense in us both being under a truck, huh?  

Seriously, if he ever DID shoot out into the road and I couldn't hold him, he'd have a darned sight better chance to dodge traffic on his own than with my dead weight on the ground behind him. 

I hear ya' on worrying  about Sid pulling you over.  Has he really pulled on you since he's been a tripawd?  I just ask cause Maggie will pull and pull hard(like rear up on her hind legs now leg) if we see a deer, for instance.  After being a Tripawd, I was ready one time for it to happen…I put two hands on the flexi handle(not tied to my waist as my other dog was!) and plant my feet to the ground waiting for the big lunge from Maggie….but then, as she did it, I was pleasantly surprised that yup, there is a benefit to being a Tripawd! LOL!  She didn't have near as much "torque" as she used to have and I didn't need my two hand hold stance for her now!

But seriously, I LOVE having my Aussie(weighs 38#) tied to my waist as she pulls ALOT – so by tieing her to my waist she can't pull my freakin' arm/shoulder out of joint!  Go ahead and pull on my waist…there!  Gotcha little dog! LOL

Tracy, Maggie's Mom