I must have been lucky as I only needed the leash when teaching my dog to heel and to teach her that when another dog came running in to play that she was to obey me and not run and play with the other dog. As far as fetching I never used the leash except to keep her from bolting as soon as the bumper is thrown, never had a porblem with not bringing it back cause I always quit while she was still having fun and left her wanting more.(retrieving) :thumbsup: