Are Dog Collars Safe

Why I dont like dog collars

Gag, choke, cough, tongue hanging out, eyes bulging, no control.....these are a few things that can happen when leashing your dog to a regular buckle dog collar, martingale dog collar, choke chain, prong/pinch collar. You get the idea. Dexter The Dog has been collarless since 2012 & I have not attached a leash to a collar to him since 2010.

As a professional dog behavior consultant, it was pretty easy to teach Dexter The Dog how to walk

politely on a leash. But that didnt change the fact that in the learning stages & even around some distractions, he may pull at the leash for a moment. And each of those moments I felt sure were causing damage & pain to his body such as his neck, eyes & spine. Obviously electric shock collars are not an option (click for reasons why). I began to exclusively leash Dexter to a dog harness at a very early age.

Over the past few years, I have urged my dog training students to switch off of dog collars and transition to dog harnesses. I have started to do some research & have found a variety of sources that confirm my suspicions of the harm a dog collar can do to a dog & the dogs anatomy.




According to Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM, some of these issues can include Hypothyroidism, ear issues, eye issues, excessive paw licking, foreleg lameness & neck injuries including whiplash. A study by Amy M. Pauli, DVM, Ellison Bentley, DVM, Diplomate ACVO, Kathryn A. Diehl, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVO and Paul E. Miller, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVO confirm that "Intraocular pressure increased significantly from baseline when pressure was applied via a collar but not via a harness." Animal chiropractors like Dr. Sherry Fries are against using collars and a leash combos. "I implore people to use harnesses as opposed to any collar,” she says.

So what kind of options do I prefer? Harnesses & headcollars are my personal preference. More specifically I like front clipping harness to help teach a dog not to pull on his leash. The Easy Walk Harness & Freedom No Pull Dog Harness are two that I have personally used and recommended. The Walk In Sync Harness looks interesting too, but I have not tried this one yet. For headcollars, my go to is The Gentle Leader & runner up Halti Headcollar.

That said, they need to be used as directed to keep your dog safe. A headcollar that is tight & if you allow your dog to keep pulling & it keeps his head at an unusual angle is not safe. A front clipping harness that is tight & again pulled to the side is not the correct way to use the tool. So, please work with a qualified professional dog behavior consultant to learn how to correctly & safely use these dog training tools.

So, I hope you reconsider using your dogs collar as a way to control him. There are much easier & safer ways to teach your dog how to walk nicely on a leash without pulling.

Check Dexter out here for a demo!

     

      

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

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Why I dont like dog collars

Gag, choke, cough, tongue hanging out, eyes bulging, no control.....these are a few things that can happen when leashing your dog to a regular buckle dog collar, martingale dog collar, choke chain, prong/pinch collar.  You get the idea.  Dexter The Dog has been collarless since 2012 and I have not attached a leash to a collar to him since 2010.

Easy Walk Harness, easy to use with clothing.

As a professional dog behavior consultant, it was pretty easy to teach Dexter The Dog how to walk politely on a leash.  But that didnt change the fact that in the learning stages & even around some distractions, he may pull at the leash for a moment.  And each of those moments I felt sure was causing damage and pain to his body such as his neck, eyes & spine.  Obviously electric shock collars are not an option (click for reasons why).  I began to exclusively leash Dexter to a dog harness at a very early age.

Over the past few years, I have urged my dog training students to switch off of dog collars and transition to dog harnesses.  I have started to do some research and have found a variety of sources that confirm my suspicions of the harm a dog collar can do to a dog and the dogs anatomy. 

According to Dr. Peter Dobias, DVM, some of these issues can include Hypothyroidism, ear issues, eye issues, excessive paw licking, foreleg lameness & neck injuries including whiplash.  A study by Amy M. Pauli, DVM, Ellison Bentley, DVM, Diplomate ACVO, Kathryn A. Diehl, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVO and Paul E. Miller, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVO confirm that "Intraocular pressure increased significantly from baseline when pressure was applied via a collar but not via a harness."  Animal chiropractors like Dr. Sherry Fries are against using collars and a leash combos.  “I implore people to use harnesses as opposed to any collar,” she says.

So what kind of options do I prefer?  Harnesses and headcollars are my personal preference.  More specifically I like front clipping harness to help teach a dog not to pull on his leash.  The Easy Walk Harness, Freedom No Pull Dog Harness and Ruffwear Front Rang are three that I have personally used and recommended.  The Walk In Sync Harness looks interesting too, but I have not tried this one yet.  For headcollars my go to is The Gentle Leader & runner-up Halti Headcollar.

That said, they need to be used as directed to keep your dog safe.  A headcollar that is tight & if you allow your dog to keep pulling & it keeps his head at an unusual angel is not safe.  A front clipping harness that is tight & again pulled to the side is not the correct way to use the tool.  So, please work with a qualified professional dog behavior consultant to learn how to correctly & safely use these dog training tools.

So, I hope you reconsider using your dogs collar as a way to control him.  There are much easier & safer ways to teach your dog how to walk nicely on a leash without pulling.

Check Dexter out here for a demo! 

Need some extra help?  I offer both in person & online, web, video instruction!

Please feel free to contact me for details.

Tonya Wilhelm-Global Dog Training http://www.globaldogtraining.com

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Tuesday Tip Day Head Collars

Head collars are NOT muzzles
or doggy death traps

Have you ever seen those little face contraptions that some people use while walking their dogs that look like these?

These are called head collars, no they are not muzzles and no it does not automatically mean that the dog wearing them is aggressive. So rest assured when you see my (or anyones) dogs with one it does not mean that you should avoid them at all costs because they might bite you ( well I cant speak for anyone elses dogs but I know my dogs certainly wont bite you) and no they are definitely not harming my dog in any way shape or form.

Head collars have been around for a few years now so they are a fairly new concept that is still not widely accepted or known about. Head collars are used to ease your dog from pulling on a walk. A dogs face is very sensitive so when you lead your dog by his face he will be less likely to pull since dogs do not like the pressure. This way of walking a dog works in a similar way as leading a horse and is indeed very safe for dogs. As opposed to muzzles your dog will still have full use of his mouth when wearing one.

However, when first putting on these collars your dogs may not like it so you will have to get them use to the head collar by letting them wear it around the house during the day and giving them treats for not pawing it off their face! They will also need the same training while out on walks although some dogs have instantaneous results and will stop pulling as soon as you put it on, others will spend a relentless amount of time trying to get it off their face and that is why it is very important to  get them use to it before hand.

If your dog pulls I would highly recommend trying these out! They are a far better option (safer) than choke or prong collars and they come in all different sizes. There are a few different brands of head collars also, some have different padding for extra comfort for your pooch. Choose one you or your dog likes and make sure it is the right fit!

Click Here for a good back up article to read about how safe head collars are for dogs and how they work

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