Training

The Flexi Lead

The Flexi is an expandable lead that retracts instantly when pressure is removed. It is a wonderful tool to use when your dog or cat needs to work at a distance from you yet be on a lead. It has a brake that is easily set, locked and released with just the flick of a finger. By the same token, it can be dangerous if used incorrectly. If the retractable cord of the lead is grabbed by a hand, that hand can be "burned;" if the handle is dropped, because of the weight of the mechanism, it can be very noisy and frighten some animals. Also, the quick retraction of the cord could cause the handle to snap into the animal or a person. Still another consideration is that the length of the cord when fully extended could wrap around objects or animals or people.

In therapy flexis are used on dogs who retrieve, dogs who pull wheelchairs or walkers, or by patients who want to "take the dog for a walk." Because this tool can be used with or without the brake set, it is a motivational device to inspire patients who are reluctant to further their ambulatory abilities and are afraid to try to walk. If the brake is not on, there is very little pull on the lead; but with the brake set there is quite a bit more. The handler maintains control of the dog by using a traffic lead on the collar while the patient holds the flexi, which is attached to the 'D-ring' on the harness.

It is a policy of Intermountain Therapy Animals that handlers do not turn their dogs loose. However, sometimes this proves to be very difficult because to have a dog retrieve well it needs to run after the item to be returned to the client. With the flexi this obstacle can be overcome. The length on the Flexi 8 is 26 feet, which allows quite a bit of running room for the dog to maneuver.

Because the Flexi 8 is a relatively heavy instrument, for a client with limited use of their hands we recommend the "kitty" flexi. This is quite a bit smaller, weighs considerably less and is better suited to small or very weak hands. The "kitty" flexi is 16 feet long and is adequate for balance exercises, grasping and most of the same things the Flexi 8 can do.

There are a couple of things you need to know when you first begin using the flexi-lead. It is possible to strip the gears in the braking mechanism if you are tentative when you apply it. A firm press on the button is the best way to use the brake. If you are slow or unsteady the gear will make a loud ratchety sound. This could startle your dog as well as ruin the flexi.

You can prepare your animal for the flexi control by using a word that will help them know they have reached the end of their rope! Some dogs can get up a bit of speed by the time they have run out 26 feet, and when they hit the end of the line it can either throw them down from the abrupt halt or spin them around, to say nothing of what it does to your arm, if you can manage to hold on to it! In preparing your dog for using the flexi, just as you apply the brake at, say, 10 feet, say "easy." This is a reminder later on that the end of the flexi-lead has just about been reached. Dogs are pretty quick to know when they have traveled the requisite distance, just as they quickly learn how to tell time.

A frequent occurrence with the flexi is for the client to drop it. The larger flexi makes quite a clatter when it hits a hard surface. The sound is startling and so is the grip when it quickly retracts and chases your dog down the hall! Accustom your animal to a dropped retracting flexi by having someone hold the snap end at a short distance from you (simulating the dog) as you drop the handle. Have your dog close so he can hear and see the object hurtling past him. Praise him if he stands his ground or startles and then recovers quickly. Just be sure the animal is far enough away from this interaction that it doesn't have a negative experience from it. When you determine he isn't frightened, you can gradually move the dog closer to the action until it is no big deal. Liberal praise and a treat or two will increase your animal's confidence level quickly.

It is very important for you to maintain neck control of your dog on a short lead at all times the flexi is being used by the client. Children love to run with dogs and it may seem safe enough to let them take your dog on the flexi, but it is not. Again, the cord on the bed can burn small hands if it is grabbed when trying to get the dog to stop or come back. The line could wrap around someone the dog has run past. It can burn skin, precipitate a fall, or prove harmful in some other fashion.

It is not uncommon for a client to release the brake when they are holding the flexi. One way to overcome this is by handing the client the flexi in the upside-down position. The brake is located on the top of the grip and is a different color than the main part of the handle. It is natural to reach out and push the black button just above the thumb. If the handle is presented to the client in the reverse of normal position it is much more difficult to release the brake and much less frustrating to accomplish your goal of pulling the wheelchair or working on a balance exercise where a certain amount of pulling is required.

Once in a great while you may be asked to allow a client to take the traffic lead on your dog's collar. If you feel you can control your dog verbally this can be done while still keeping a modicum of control by attaching the flexi to the collar, too, or to the 'D-ring' on the harness and walking with the client. However, this would be done under only extraordinary circumstances and is not recommended by ITA. One last observation about the flexi-lead. You, the handler are the final decision maker when it comes to using your animal in the therapeutic setting. You are the one who ultimately determines if the flexi is appropriate to the circumstances and if it is safe to use. You need to assess the setting in which you are working: note the equipment, the number of people, the amount of room in which you have to work. Could the flexi wrap around an IV pole? ... Will the ball roll under the bed or chair? ... Can the dog entangle someone or something when it is scrambling across a slick floor after a rapidly rolling tennis ball? If you deem the area unsafe you need to say so. It is your responsibility to say no if your animal, the client or anyone or anything else in the area could be damaged. In a confined area, with no other animals, as long as you can control your dog it may be okay to remove the flexi and neck lead in order to accomplish the therapeutic goal.