The thin rope-like cord of the retractable leash can cause severe burns, deep cuts, entanglement or strangulations. It can even cause amputation to limbs and fingers of both humans and pets. If the cord portion of the leash is grabbed while it is being pulled, the chance of injuries increases greatly. From experience, this is very painful! Hands and legs tend to receive the most traumas. 
 
The leash can cause people to trip and break bones and hips. If two dogs on retractable leashes get tangled, there is an even higher risk of injury to the dogs or to the humans attempting to untangle them. Tangled dogs are more fearful and unpredictable, creating an increased risk of bites or cord injuries. The cord can be wrapped around a neck or leg cutting off circulation of blood flow and oxygen.

Some dogs will bolt if they are scared, excited, or trying to chase an animal. The sudden force of a dog pulling can jolt a leash from a hand. Some dogs are strong enough to pull their owners off their feet or break the cords. The built in locks on a retractable leash tend to break or wear out allowing loss of control. The combination of loss of control and a split second pulling of a dog can allow them to break free. They could end up in the middle of traffic or in contact with another dog.

In small spaces, such as a veterinary and boarding lobbies, the “roaming” dog can have unwanted or harmful encounters with other animals. In new or different environments, many dogs are stressed. Dogs maybe overstimulated, and may not behave as they would at home. Dogs can react in a defensive manner leading to injury.
 
Some dogs can be protective of their family. Some dogs, even friendly dogs, may not be receptive to another dog running up to say “Hi.” These negative interactions can cause either member of the encounter to have a fearful and stressed experience.

For the safety of your pet, it’s best to use a non-retractable leash in enclosed spaces, situations where you cannot give your dog your full attention, or areas that are shared by other pets.

Dog collars help to manage, control and protect your dog. They also serve as a place for identification; rabies tag, dog tag with the name of the dog, your address and phone number, etc.

A dog’s collar should be selected according to your dog’s size, weight, and the circumference and length of its neck. A dog’s collar should not be too tight or too loose. There should be enough room to slip two fingers between the collar and the dog’s neck. It should never be too loose that it’s easy to drag the collar over the dog’s head.

It is also necessary to consider the type of your dog’s hair. While some dogs keep around the same amount of hair all year round, some of them shed during the summer or get haircuts, but are fluffy again in the winter months. For these dogs, you should account for the enlarging and shrinking of the neck circumference.

Similar to people out-growing their clothes, dogs can out-grow their collars. You should regularly check to see if your dog’s collar is fitting properly using the two finger rule, especially with a growing puppy.