The Good: Light, Easy to use, Durable, Provides a strong, steady grip
The Bad: Button operating issues, Slippage already
The Basics: Petco provides a solid product with their 16 foot retractable lead for dogs, though Myah is already causing it to wear some.
My wife and I, for those who might not read the blog too regularly, came into an amazing Siberian Husky late last year. Her name is Myah and she came from a loving home where young children had recently become a factor. Oddly, they chose to give up Myah as opposed to their babies, so my wife and I intervened and we have been very happy since. I, however, have been a little unnerved. Myah is a bigger dog, at over fifty pounds, she is certainly big enough that I knew we should not be using the 10’ Flexi leash (reviewed here!) we had for poor Mitzie (my wife’s geriatric cocker spaniel). But, given that our cash flow when Myah first arrived was erratic at best, we made due for the past few months. With her portion of our income tax refund, my wife has been splurging on Myah. The second thing she picked up for Myah was a 16’ Retractable Lead For Dogs from Petco.
For those unfamiliar with a retractable leash, the principle is simple; unlike the classic leash that is a set length, the retractable leash is essentially a handle with the leash itself coiled inside. The leash then becomes a variable length which allows one to maintain better control of their dog or allow their dog to have a little bit of free range and room to run. Retractable leashes store nicely because the spring-activated mechanism which retracts the leash pulls the leash into the housing of the handle when one is done. Virtually all retractable leashes work on that principle.
The Petco 16’ Retractable Leash is a very good retractable leash that has a few extra bells and whistles than the standard retractable leash. The Petco 16’ Retractable Lead is intended for large dogs, weighing up to 110 pounds. So, Myah, our active Siberian Husky who still has not put back all her pre-pregnancy weight certainly qualifies. The reason for the weight restriction is the length of the leash and the gauge of the nylon leash. Even bigger dogs are likely to snap or excessively wear (with speed) the Nylon lead. Measuring sixteen feet six inches for the cord when it was pulled as far as it could be, the 1/2” wide nylon cord is durable and enough to please most pet owners with large gogs. With the hook, it added three inches and the handle is six and a half inches long.
The Petco 16’ Retractable Lead For Dogs is outfitted with a steel g-hook which attaches to the dog's collar. In fact, this style of hook is ideal for leashes as it cannot be slipped by the animal; it requires something or someone with opposable thumbs to press down the release and negotiate it out of the metal clasp on the collar one attaches it to. After the dog is attached to the leash, simply wrap your fingers around the grip on the handle and let the dog go! As someone with big hands, the grip on the Petco 16’ Retractable Lead’s handle is the perfect size for maintaining control over Myah.
Usage of this particular retractable leash is easy, though I have been having a little trouble getting the hang of it because of how long I used Mitzie’s retractable leash before this one. The Petco Retractable Lead for dogs features two buttons on the top of the handle. They are designed for controlling the length of the leash and are easily depressed using one’s thumb. If one's dog begins to get beyond a comfortable length for the owner - or people in the vicinity - one need only press the button closest to themself on the Petco Retractable Lead with their thumb and the leash stops coming out of the handle. The stop function is strong, though after two weeks of use, my wife and I noticed that Myah was able to tug it about two inches when it was in the locked position by using a sharp, fast jumping motion.
The Petco Retractable Lead releases when the button that is farther away from the body is depressed. This causes the lead to unlock and begin to retract. I have noticed the retracting function does not always act instantaneously and it has taken me a little while to get into the swing of using the lead. Before, I had a simple retractable lead that locked and unlocked by toggling a single button that one held down to lock. I can certainly dig the two-button design of the Petco Retractable Lead, but when Myah slows down abruptly, I am left with a lot of slack on this retractable lead that is problematic. It has a tendency to get caught between Myah’s legs or my own feet and the Lead never seems to retract as fast as we move, though it does spool out and stop at decent speeds.
While the locking mechanism does not appear to be flawless, the Petco Retractable Lead provides a solid, durable point of control for us when dealing with Myah. The nylon has not shown any signs of wear, even after two weeks of very aggressive walks/runs with Myah through the woods and around the neighborhood. The clasp has remained strong and responsive, so the moment Myah is clasped in, we know that the G-hook is holding the ring on Myah’s harness.
Despite the housing (handle) being made of plastic, the Petco Retractable Lead is very durable. For the weeks we have had ours, we have dropped it several times and it has not cracked or even showed signs of scratching. The solid plastic body of the handle is very easy to clean as well, making this a good lead for active pet owners and their rambunctious dogs!
For other dog product reviews, please check out:
Cocker Spaniel Memorial Urn
Titan Dog Tie Out Large 30'
Millers Forge Large Shedding Blade for dogs
7.5/10
For other pet product reviews, please visit my index page by clicking here!
© 2012 W.L. Swarts. May not be reprinted without permission.
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