Turns out the old guy at the park was right about the retractable leash
I always thought retractable leashes were just asking for trouble, but last Saturday my beagle spotted a squirrel and yanked me flat on my face in Riverside Park. My neighbor Sal, who walks his golden every morning, told me to ditch the flexi and get a 6-foot fixed lead, said it keeps the dog from building up that crazy momentum. I finally tried it yesterday and yeah, the difference is huge, Max still bolts but I actually feel the pull before he hits the end. Anyone else resist a piece of advice forever and then feel dumb when it works, or is it just me?
Thirty years Sal has been yelling at people in that park about leashes and he finally got me too. My beagle snapped a flexi cord once and it whipped back and stung my ankle so bad I limped for a week. The fixed lead feels like I actually control the walk now instead of just holding on for dear life. Also, way less tangles around the benches and the hydrants, which is a win on its own.