Optima Leash Review

When I first brought home our puppy, she came with a standard leash and collar.  After Kaycie was a few months old, I was complaining to my sister-in-law, "Kaycie won't heel!"  My sis-in-law is a dog trainer and master groomer.  "You need a retractable leash!" she kept telling me. 

 When I first priced the retractable leashes, I didn't want to fork over the $14.99 for a leash.  I gritted my teeth and kept on trying to teach Kaycie to stop lunging forward with her regular leash.  It was a hopeless cause.  Two months later, I gave in and purchased the Optima Retractable Leash.

Good gosh, why did I wait so long?  The Optima leash extends thirteen feet forward and it allows Kaycie to roam around a bit during our walks.  She quickly learned to heel with this leash.  One click with the leash handle and the leash would stop retracting.  Another click, and the leash would release forward and then retract whenever Kaycie kept pace beside me.  Kaycie actually learned that if I started that click, she needed to back off on the leash.  The clicks actually became part of her training.

 The only annoying con with this leash is that it would vibrate upon retraction.  Most of the length would retract smoothly, but about two feet of it would vibrate.  This can be a bit of an annoyance during a walk.