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Kudos, first of all, for being thoughtful about the equipment you’re using and considerate of others around you. That’s safe dog-walking off to a good start right there.

I am a (rare?) trainer who is a fan of Flexi-leashes, under the right circumstances. For example, I agree with Andi above who expressed concern about them encouraging dogs to pull. For that reason, I would not use them on a dog that does not otherwise have good leash manners.

However, for a dog with lovely manners, that responds to my vocal cues (or better yet is in the habit of paying attention to me), and remains calm in all encounters (human, animal, bicycle, etc.), I think a Flexi-leash can be a really pleasant way to go.

Having said that, just like they’re not for every dog, they are definitely not for every environment. They have no place, for example, on a city street or highly trafficked area. But for a quiet country road, or even a suburban area where there’s space and not a lot of foot traffic, I think Flexi-leashes afford a measure of freedom that’s nice for both dog and human.

One last word about Flexi-leashes and that is, whenever using a Flexi-leash, the handler has to be paying attention. IMO it’s not a piece of equipment you can slap on and forget about. When using a Flexi-leash (really any leash, come to think of it), you have to constantly remain aware of your environment, and actively anticipate potential obstacles or hazards along the way. On a Flexi-leash especially , where there’s 16 feet between you and your dog, there’s no time to respond, so you do have to be careful to avoid in advance any situation that might be problematic.

Bottom line: with the right dog, in the right environment, with a handler who is paying attention, I think Flexi-leashes can be great. I don’t have any experience with two dogs one one Flexi-leash so I’d be interested to hear from others about their opinion on that. It sounds like it’s working for you though! Thanks for bringing this up