At a first glance, a retractable dog leash looks like a great tool for dog owners willing to give their dogs a glimpse of freedom while still being able to have a certain amount of control. Indeed a retractable leash consists of a plastic handle that releases a cord ( or a tape for larger dogs) that allows a dog to wander up to a certain point (sometimes up to 40 feet away) thanks to a special locking system .

While this may seem like a great idea crafted by an astute inventor with owners of dogs in mind, in reality, a retractable dog leash may hinder unbelievable dangers. There have been indeed reports of dog owners getting quite serious injuries as far as having their fingers amputated or even losing their eye sight.

Most accidents appear to happen when the cord wraps itself around fingers or when it snaps out and hits the eye or other body parts. While most retractable and reputable retractable dog leashes come with instructions and warnings, accidents still do and will happen. Is it worth to keep taking chances?

Trouble appears to start when the cord runs against the skin causing abrasions and rope burns. This however, can really happen with any normal leash and a vigorous dog. However, the main issues start when the leash gets tangled around fingers or other body parts.

Another risk is if the dog's collar breaks apart or the leash disconnects allowing its hook to snap in an eye or in the face.This is what happened according to ABC news not too long ago when a 12 year girl's retractable leash broke snapping into her eye. For this reason, some retractable leashes enclose now an extra safety collar to prevent this from happening.

Another danger of using a retractable leash is that the dog may face dangers before the dog owner is able to react. There have been reports of dogs getting hit by cars or slamming into kids roller-blading right behind a corner. A dog is not enough ''street- mart'' and cannot predict accidents as well as an owner can, therefore the privilege of walking ahead should not be granted both from a leadership point of view as well as a safety caution.

Flexi-leash, a major producer of retractable leashes, also puts a disclaimer to not use it with a disobedient or uncontrollable dog. Yet, one must consider that even the most calm and obedient dogs may go through some ''exuberant moments'' when seeing a squirrel or getting startled from a sudden noise.

I have personally used a retractable leash with success for many months until I used it on a dog I was training for the first time for a client. This dog was normally well trained on the leash but just needed to learn some basic commands. It only had a certain ''phobia'' of larger dogs.

This one day I was using the retractable leash and we chose an alternate route for our walk. Little did I know that in this yard one lady kept 3 Dobermans and 2 German Shepherds that were acting as if they wanted to eat us in one bite.

Of course, the poor dog I was training got startled and yanked at the leash very hard, trying to run for her life. I ended up falling but was able to keep this dog under control. I did not get my fingers amputated, nor did I loose my eye sight. Instead, as I composed myself after falling, I noticed with horror that my whole hand was covered in blood.

As I walked home, I was able to better understand the happening: the plastic handle moved as the dog pulled and dug forcibly into the skin where my knuckles were. A few deep cuts as well must have been exposed to the cord.

That was a learning lesson for all: I abandoned the retractable leash, my client didn't want it back, and for future reference I made sure that the only tool I would use from that day on was a 4 foot long leather leash that has accompanied me  uneventfully to this day even with the strongest pullers.