Woo hoo! Fish on! Reel 'er in!

• Ideally, a small dog, or any dog for that matter should be walked on a short leash; next to your left side; abeam or slightly behind you in a classic heel position.
• Ideally, when your dog is in the classic heel position, the leash should be slack and incidental to the walk.
• Ideally, the leash should act as a safety line, only called into use when your small dog is distracted for a moment and strays from your side.

O.K. you can stop laughing now.

There are dogs out there that are paragons of discipline. There are dog owners out there that practice proper heeling techniques at all times. I know a few. I know far more people who let their dogs run willy-nilly at the end of a leash. For them, the leash is a tug-of-war device. Then there are those who use a retractable leash like a fishing line. The dog makes a run for it, then the owner reels the dog in.

People are going to do what people are going to do. If you do walk your dog on a retractable leash, here a few pointers to keep in mind:

1. Never let your dog run out in front in you further than you would let him run to your side. This is a big deal when you are walking on a sidewalk next to a busy street, or on a bike/walk path with plenty of traffic. If the street curb, or opposite lane is four feet to your left, for example, you should not let your dog run more than 4 feet in front of you. If your dog suddenly takes an interest in a squirrel across the street, in less than a second, he could change his direction of travel from straight ahead to straight to the side. Given too much running room, he could dart into traffic before you could reel him in.

2. You and your dog share the sidewalk with others. All sidewalks are public domains. You and I have no greater right to a patch of sidewalk than the next person, even if we are walking five dogs. If your dog is out on in front of you on an extended leash, please reel him in so he does not interfere with other people.

3. Dogs on extended leashes are more likely to get in trouble with other, unfamiliar dogs. A dog out in front of you is in an awkward position. He is leading the way and essentially has control of the walk. At the same time, he does not have the same freedom of movement he would have if he were off-leash. He is in a middle ground where he is in control, but not entirely in control. If he tends to be aggressive around other dogs, especially when he is on-leash, this tendency will be magnified by the awkwardness of being at the end of a long line.

There are some pretty good arguments for walking a dog on a retractable leash. The dog on a long leash gets to stop and smell the roses and the telephone poles. He gets an opportunity to engage in dog behavior while still being restrained. Free rein is free rein. On the other hand, when you and your dog are out on a walk, the two of your are not operating in a vacuum. You share the path with others. Here comes the pun: Please exercise restraint.