8 meter dog lead - 6.99 LIDL

Hooked

Hope this is ok here mods... Was having my morning coffee and spotted this in the LIDL offers on their website. Couldn't believe it. My own 7M equivalent from my local maxi zoo set me back over 30 quid I think.

I just nipped up the road to my local LIDL and bought 2. One as a spare (or for the second husky she's trying to get me to buy) and one for the brother for his 2 Cavalier King Charles'. Ok, the button to release/retract isn't as user friendly as my current lead - and the quality isn't on par... but still well worth 6.99 IMO. Ideal for a smaller dog but has a max of 35KG on the pack...

Oh - and the bin with 20 bags is removable.

ziggy23

Bought one myself yesterday its great:D although I didnt put the lock on it and my dog ran up the road without warning thinking he was off the lead and nearly pulled my arm out of the socket:eek:

SonOfAdam

These are one of the worst types of lead to use - especially for a larger dog - you have little control over the dog if extended beyond an arms length. They are fine for a run around the park when there's few others around but wouldn't have it as a main lead.

Hooked

SonOfAdam wrote: »

These are one of the worst types of lead to use - especially for a larger dog - you have little control over the dog if extended beyond an arms length. They are fine for a run around the park when there's few others around but wouldn't have it as a main lead.

Have to disagree with you I'm afraid. I've an absolute tank of a Siberian Husky and he is walked/run twice daily with a 7m lead. Short and at my side when I say so and told to wait and then released to wander on his long lead. He is about 95% on recall.

In short, if the dog is well trained/behaved these are ideal to give it a bit of freedom while still being safely anchored to you at all times. I'm not for having a dog heel at your side the entire walk so in my opinion, these are great IF your dog is well trained.

Im teaching my fella mushing commands at present and when he takes off on 'hike' I can't keep up after a short distance so these types of leads give me the perfect security should he ever decide not to slow and stop on 'whoa'. Off lead is simply not an option for me.

Each to their own I guess.

K.C

Cheers OP,

Have been waiting for this to come up in LIDL again. Had one before but lost it. I found it very good for the price and suits our cocker spaniel perfectly.

dmg10

Got one of these the last time they were in, this time last year actually I think. It did fine until it broke at the lead/cord join around October. Had also started to jam. I will buy another one now that they're in, but I wouldn't expect it to last beyond 8months or so, or I might have just been a bit unlucky. I did get a few jokes about it looking like a speed radar gun...

SonOfAdam

@ Hooked I've used them for re-call training but I don't trust the release/retract mechanism as I had to throw out 2 where it failed/jammed. If it suits your purposes then great and you are right re: well trained / behaved dogs. I also came across this article on the pros and cons of them.

Discodog

Having seen a friend with a scar on her leg from a corded flexi lead I only use the tape versions. I use Flexis every day but I would never use one for walking near traffic. It is too easy to release the lock button by accident.

The tape versions only seem to work up to 5 metres. The 8 metre version uses a thinner tape & it tangles. The next one that I buy will be the 8 metre tape Flexi Giant as I believe that it uses the wider tape.

Flexis have gone downhill in my book because the cases are now sealed together so you can't service them.

kylith

Discodog wrote: »

Having seen a friend with a scar on her leg from a corded flexi lead I only use the tape versions. I use Flexis every day but I would never use one for walking near traffic. It is too easy to release the lock button by accident.

The tape versions only seem to work up to 5 metres. The 8 metre version uses a thinner tape & it tangles. The next one that I buy will be the 8 metre tape Flexi Giant as I believe that it uses the wider tape.

Flexis have gone downhill in my book because the cases are now sealed together so you can't service them.

Agree 100%. The cord leads get twisted so badly that they don't recoil properly, meaning that you can't reel in the dog if need be. They're also nigh on impossible to see when it starts getting dark and that makes them difficult to untangle. We stopped using them with ours, and I'd never use them again.

Zapperzy

I'v always used a flexi cord lead as my fella can't be let offlead, 26ft or something like that it is. I use it the same as I would if he was offlead, reel him in if I meet someone or another dog and don't use it near traffic. Has wrapped around legs once or twice and leaves a nasty mark, also the last one the cord snapped, the plastic also gets a bit slippy when wet so I'v dropped it a few times at the beach. With a bit of common sense I don't think they are a bad thing, check the cord regularly for weaknesses and use the same courtesies as offlead time. For a dog that can't be let offlead anyways they are a brilliant alternative, but in saying that my dog is 7.5kg, if I had a 20kg+ dog I would prefer to use one of those extra long training leads. I also will use no other brand than flexi.

I agree those lidl ones look like speeding guns or something with the barrel on top!

Discodog

I tied a piece of thick soft cord around the Flexi handle. The other end is looped over my wrist to prevent the handle being pulled out of my hand. If my Greyhound is behind me & I am asleep, she has up to 50 ft to gain speed before I notice .

Years ago I was walking a friends dog on a corded Flexi & I dropped the handle. Instinctively I grabbed the cord. Luckily I was wearing gloves :eek:.

Tape is definitely much better. The Flexi Giant is a bit of a lump to carry but it's a good lead because the tape is wider & doesn't tangle. The biggest problem with Flexi's is that the retraction springs get weak. They used to be accessible & you could tension the spring if you knew what you were doing & were very careful - they are razor sharp. Now the cases are glued so you can do any repairs.

ziggy23

ziggy23 wrote: »

Bought one myself yesterday its great:D although I didnt put the lock on it and my dog ran up the road without warning thinking he was off the lead and nearly pulled my arm out of the socket:eek:

I take it back it's actually sh1te:mad:
very heavy on your hand after a while, dog keeps getting caught in it and also sometimes I have to tie my dog up outside the local shop and I can't do this with this lead.