[amirography]

I'm trying to find ways to allow KitKat to have a more active life. And I'm a double majored student. So I do not have much free time. So I'm trying to implement doggy friendly activities in my lifestyle.

I have to study a lot. But I can take my books to a park nearby.
Is it a good idea, if I take KitKat with me, to park, on a leash (Flexi retractable lead 5meters, with a harness), and study?

I hope a lot more fresh air and a better chance to meet other dogs can help improve him.


Ps. I live in Iran. There is no dog parks, dog walkers or other alternatives like that.

 

[revolutionrocknroll]

Something I used to do was record my lectures and then listen to them to study outdoors or in the gym while I exercised. That's another idea.

 

[SilverSageClev]

I used to tale my dog with me to study outside all the time, though I never ever recommend flexi leashes.


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[Artdog]

Sounds like it could be wonderful to me. Try it and see how it goes.

I take my dog camping, and when I camp, I relax and read; that too is out in public.

It won't replace exercise, but your dog can learn to just 'be' with you, relax on on the grass in the park. When you need a break, you are both in the right place to have some fun.

& welcome to the forum!

Would love to see pictures of Kitkat

 

[amirography]

I used to tale my dog with me to study outside all the time, though I never ever recommend flexi leashes.


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Why don't you recommend Flexi leashes?

 

[amirography]

Sounds like it could be wonderful to me. Try it and see how it goes.

I take my dog camping, and when I camp, I relax and read; that too is out in public.

It won't replace exercise, but your dog can learn to just 'be' with you, relax on on the grass in the park. When you need a break, you are both in the right place to have some fun.

& welcome to the forum!

Would love to see pictures of Kitkat

Very well put! Thanks.
I will let you know how it goes.

 

[Artdog]

since you asked about flexi's, I'll answer. There are a few things that can go wrong with a flexi-leash.

1. If your dog darts forward & you drop it it will 'chase' your dog, the spring action will reel the handle section in towards your running dog, and this can cause a dog to panick and keep running.

2. If for some reason the snap or buckle breaks, it can flip backwards & hit you (possibly in the eye).

3. Sometimes people forget to mind their dogs & the dogs will race forward into traffic or a less than friendly dog.

4. A darting dog can create a sudden tripping hazard for people or cyclists when the leash crosses someone's past.

None of these reasons means that you yourself can't use one responsibly but they are things that can be a problem.

These are the reasons I don't use them, but my dogs have all been a good bit bigger than yours. I use a long-line. I have a 15 ft leash I can tie around my waist if I want to relax, giving my dog enough line for calm behaviours.

When I camp, I have a 30' line (1" wide) that I use for tie outs, but always shorten it enough that he can't dart into trouble. If he's getting too excited about squirrels, I just put him on a regular leash.

You might find for peaceful study purposes, a 6' leash attached to your waist will be the least distracting for you.

On a flexi you will need to keep an eye out on everything, how difficult that is, depends on what goes on in the park & Kitkat.

 

[amirography]

since you asked about flexi's, I'll answer. There are a few things that can go wrong with a flexi-leash.

1. If your dog darts forward & you drop it it will 'chase' your dog, the spring action will reel the handle section in towards your running dog, and this can cause a dog to panick and keep running.

2. If for some reason the snap or buckle breaks, it can flip backwards & hit you (possibly in the eye).

3. Sometimes people forget to mind their dogs & the dogs will race forward into traffic or a less than friendly dog.

4. A darting dog can create a sudden tripping hazard for people or cyclists when the leash crosses someone's past.

None of these reasons means that you yourself can't use one responsibly but they are things that can be a problem.

These are the reasons I don't use them, but my dogs have all been a good bit bigger than yours. I use a long-line. I have a 15 ft leash I can tie around my waist if I want to relax, giving my dog enough line for calm behaviours.

When I camp, I have a 30' line (1" wide) that I use for tie outs, but always shorten it enough that he can't dart into trouble. If he's getting too excited about squirrels, I just put him on a regular leash.

You might find for peaceful study purposes, a 6' leash attached to your waist will be the least distracting for you.

On a flexi you will need to keep an eye out on everything, how difficult that is, depends on what goes on in the park & Kitkat.

Thanks for your comprehensive answer, the great suggestions and important warnings. I find the regular leash more comfortable to myself. But I like to give Kitkat as much freedom as possible. I will take a regular leash with myself to park and try them periodically, to see which will be better. But I now know what I should look for. Thanks!

 

[Artdog]

Thanks for your comprehensive answer, the great suggestions and important warnings. I find the regular leash more comfortable to myself. But I like to give Kitkat as much freedom as possible. I will take a regular leash with myself to park and try them periodically, to see which will be better. But I now know what I should look for. Thanks!

ha ha, in the scifi writing world (I'm a geek, not a writer) that's what would be called an info dump (what I did), too many words. You have a little dog & common sense--you'll do fine.

(I had a flexi-lead for a german shepherd<--that was not a good idea)

Enjoy your dog.
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[Shadowmom]

I used a flexilead with my large 75 pound Akita pitbull mix for over a decade and never had any issues. He was strong when he pulled. He was also perfect loose so the few times I did drop the leash the noise startled him and he would stop and come right back to me. You can train animals to run back to you as their safe area with high value treats.
Getting tangled in a super long line can be dangerous too.
Reading and hanging out in a park outside with your dog on a nice day can be a good way to get your dog to learn to be mellow and just hang out with you without needing tons of attention all the time. You can bring bones or toys to keep it amused for a while. It's good for dogs to learn to entertain themselves and just be with their owners.

 

[amirography]

Today I spend a few minutes sitting on a bench and reading my book.
Kitkat immediately calmed down. But I could not stay long, because he started to shake and I forgot to bring his clothes.

 

[Artdog]

Today I spend a few minutes sitting on a bench and reading my book.
Kitkat immediately calmed down. But I could not stay long, because he started to shake and I forgot to bring his clothes.

Thanks for the update, I'm sure the weather will get better.

Where I live, we still have snow--not sitting in the park weather yet. I want to try doing this myself in a bit.

 

[Rain]

I think it's a great idea, but I too don't recommend a flexi lead for all the reasons that are already stated, also it's harder to reel a dog in on a flexi lead should the need arise.

I sit outside my apartment with my dog during nice weather and I have him on a long line that I made out of paracord. It's light weight, around 25 to 30 ft long, and I have a handle around 8 ft from the clasp. My dog is reactive to people so I don't let him have extra slack while he's just laying around. It's important to find a way to keep control of your dog when you are out in public with him. When my boy is up and moving around I'm watching him. If he's laying down, or sitting, I usually read or do some craft project, but I have hold of his lead so that if he moves forward a couple steps the lead is tight and I can feel that he's up ready to move around and I start paying attention again.

 

[Laco]

A flexi-leash is like any device, something that when used incorrectly can be a hazard, or create problems. Used properly and responsibly, they are IMO great, allows my dog to actually run and get some exercise while I maintain control of her. When necessary, there is a lock button, that you can lock at any length, to prevent darting out in front of moving traffic, or lunging at another dog.

 

[Artdog]

A flexi-leash is like any device, something that when used incorrectly can be a hazard, or create problems. Used properly and responsibly, they are IMO great, allows my dog to actually run and get some exercise while I maintain control of her. When necessary, there is a lock button, that you can lock at any length, to prevent darting out in front of moving traffic, or lunging at another dog.[/QUOTE}]

That should pretty much cover the 'flexi-lead' thing. I wish I had made my answer equally succint, as I was only attempting to answer a direct question in a non-judgemental way. I know 'why people hate them' and gave those reasons; I've been on dog forums and groups long enough to have them pretty much memorized. I was hoping if I dumped the list, it would head off yet another debate on flexi's, but, seems to have triggered one instead. I am truly sorry about that.

My apologies to the op if I inadvertently helped sidetrack your thread.

I think taking your dog to the park to study sounds like a wonderful idea, and would love to hear how things work out (and pictures) in the coming weeks and days.