The Flexi New Classic Cord Retractable Dog Leash is flexi's standard cord lead, the one most people picture when they think of a retractable, sold in three sizes and lengths from 3 to 8 metres.

Key Features

• Size XS: 3 m for dogs up to 8 kg
• Size S: 5 m or 8 m for dogs up to 12 kg
• Size M: 5 m or 8 m for dogs up to 20 kg
• Round nylon cord, which is lighter and slimmer than tape but carries a lower weight rating in the same size
• One-handed brake button with a permanent stop, so the lead can be shortened and locked without changing grip
• Chromed snap hook and a soft-grip handle
• Four casing colours: black, blue, pink and red
• Takes the optional flexi Multi Box for treats or a poop-bag roll, and the flexi LED Lighting System, both sold separately
• Made in Germany by flexi, part of Bogdahn International in Bargteheide, which invented the retractable dog lead and has been building them since 1973

Choosing The Size

• Every flexi housing has its maximum dog weight printed on it. Check that figure against your dog before the first walk
• The weight rating is about what the mechanism and the tape can hold, not about how big the dog looks. A lively 20 kg dog hitting the end of the lead generates far more force than its bodyweight
• Tape is wider, stronger and easier to see. Cord is lighter and slimmer, and it is the one to avoid if your dog lunges, because a thin cord under load is the worst thing to grab
• Longer is not automatically better. In a town, 3 m of tape you can actually manage beats 8 m you keep locked at arm's length

Using A Retractable Lead Safely

• flexi's own instructions say never to grasp the tape or cord, and never to wind it around any part of your body. Nylon under load gives friction burns, and this is the injury most often associated with retractable leads
• Hold it in your hand and nothing else. flexi states the lead should never be used to tie a dog up, and never used other than by hand
• Keep it locked short near roads, car parks and blind corners, and walk the dog to heel whenever other people or dogs approach. flexi says the permanent stop is for exactly that — walking to heel on a short lead
• Do not let go of the handle. A dropped handle retracts noisily and chases the dog, and a frightened dog then runs
• Clip it to a well-fitted harness rather than a collar. A dog hitting the end of several metres of lead at speed puts a hard jolt through its neck, and flexi advises checking the collar regularly
• flexi states children should not be allowed to use these leads
• Never open the casing. There is a recoil spring under tension inside
• A retractable lead gives a dog freedom. It does not give you recall — that still has to be trained

Looking After It

• Check it over before every walk. flexi is explicit that even good materials wear out
• If it gets wet, pull the tape or cord all the way out, lock the brake and leave it to dry overnight rather than winding it back damp
• Wipe grit off the tape or cord before letting it retract. Dirt drawn into the casing is what wears the mechanism
• Stop using it if the tape or cord is frayed, abraded or chewed. flexi says a damaged lead should be taken out of service, not nursed along
• Do not open the casing to clean inside it

Good To Know

• The Multi Box and LED Lighting System fit the S, M and L sizes. Neither fits the XS
• Cord is the wrong choice for a dog that lunges. A thin cord under load is the worst thing to grab, and grabbing it is how people get hurt
• The 8 m versions are for open ground. On a pavement the extra length is something to manage rather than something to enjoy
• If your dog is close to the top of a size band, go up a size. The rating is about the force the mechanism takes, not how big the dog looks