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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Safe and Non Toxic Flea Control

Been there, done that.  Having grown up with dogs, all my life, dog flea control is important!  Nobody wants to be petting their dog & have pesky fleas all over the place.  Years have gone by since the old fashioned flea collars.  Now we have new & improved flea protection for our dogs.  Dog flea treatments like Advantage Flea Control, Frontline Flea Medicine are the two that come to mind.  But are these topical flea products safe?

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, there are some dangers & risks.  Some side effects can include rashes, vomiting, diarrhea, seizures & even death.  Personally I would rather figure a safer alternative to keeping fleas off of my dog Dexter.  Especially since we are talking about something that is non-life-threatening.  I cannot tell you what you should do, this is certainly a personal preference & one I came to with our holistic veterinarian.   

Our regimen includes regular (2-3 weeks) dog bathing.  And you guessed it, I do my best to use a safe dog shampoo that is free of additives or preservatives.  Our go to dog shampoos include Neem Protect Shampoo, Viva La Dog Spa For Sensitive Skin & Buddys Bath Bar. 

Daily dog brushing & grooming is essential to ensure there are not any fleas & ticks on Dexter The Dog.  If I find a flea or tick on Dexter, I quickly remove it.  The Centers For Disease Control has some tips on how to safely remove a tick from your dog.  Once either the flea or tick is removed from your dog, wrap securely in a tissue & flush down your toilet.  Watch to make sure it all went down, you dont want him crawling back up!

When I take Dexter for a walk at a park, the woods, or somewhere else that has the potential to have a high rate of fleas or ticks, I spray on a natural & safe flea & tick prevention called Best Yet Natural Mosquito Repellent on his legs, tail, chest & back.  The second product I use is Vetri-Science Vetri Repel.  I use one or the other, and both products have been working well for Dexter & me.   Best Yet Natural Mosquito Repellent is a dryer spray & smells like cedar.   Vetri-Science Vetri Repel is a bet wetter (not too much) and smells like lemon.  By the way, I use them on me too!  I am a magnet for mosquitoes & Ive had the most success with this product, particularly for me the Best Yet Natural Mosquito Repellent, although I dont like the smell of cedar.

Finally, but certainly not last is our monthly flea control & heartworm protection from Sentinel.  Because heartworms can be deadly to dogs, we do feel the need for monthly protection during the warmer months here in Ohio.   Sentinel protects dogs from heartworms & as a bonus Sentinel kills flea eggs before they hatch, killing the life cycle and preventing a flea infestation.        

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

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Safe Dog Chew Toys and Dog Bones

Most dogs love to chew!  Chewing is a very natural & normal dog behavior.  Chewing helps alleviate boredom & can even help keep your dogs teeth pearly white.  But dont forget to brush your dogs teeth too.  Puppies and adolescent dogs tend to have a high drive for chewing things.  Hopefully, you are working with a qualified dog behavior counselor to make sure that you are teaching your dog to chew on the right items & not your furniture, or even worse electrical cords, or something that can harm your dog.

So just what makes a dog chew or dog chew toy safe for your dog?  Well over the years my opinion on this has actually been evolving from hard to chew bones to now a softer variety.  You see I have been learning & seeing too many dogs with chipped teeth from tough bones & antlers & even digesting sharp pieces of bones which can be very dangerous.  I no longer use hard bones or antlers with Dexter The Dog & usually dont recommend them.  By the way, if you look closely at Dexters teeth you will see a chipped tooth....from a hard bone.  His last.

Stuffed Kong

Below are some examples of dog chew items that are much softer for your dogs teeth than traditional hard bones.  This will help protect your dog from chipped teeth.  Please be aware that not every toy, or chew bone, chew toy will be suitable for each dog.  I strongly recommend active supervising when your dog chews, particularly if its a new toy or bone or if the chew item is edible.  The right size of a dog bone or dog toy is important too.  

You want to make sure the dog toy or dog bone is not too small that your dog can place the entire item in his mouth & risk choking.  This includes when the chew gets smaller.  I tend to toss the end out before Dexter The Dog swallows it, with the exception of dehydrated fish skins.  The larger a dog toy, the tendency it is to be thicker & tougher.  Something to consider if you have a dog who is a hard chewer.  BUT be aware sometimes if the toy or bone is too big your dog can get his jaw stuck in it.  Finding the right chew for your dog is sort of like the Princess & The Pea.

Soft or tough rubber chew toys.  I am a fan of Kong & have been for many years.  Kong has been the leader in stuffable dog chew toys.  I also like The Rita & Jed stuffable dog toy.  The key to getting your dog to chew on a rubber dog toy is to stuff it!  Read our article on how to stuff a hollow dog toy.  Check out our latest stuffable dog toy reviews here.

Fish Skin

Dehydrated fish skins.  With a good dehydrated fish skin dog treat the treat will be 100% fish skin & no artificial colors, preservatives or flavors.  Its important to check out the packaging and carefully read the ingredient list & where the fish was caught & processed.  A fish skin is a great treat for your dog full of omega 3 fatty acids, typically low fat & fully edible.  Most dogs love the taste & eagerly chew away.  Read our reviews on dehydrated fish skins.

Bully Sticks.  Made from the manly part of a bull, a lot of dogs love chewing on these.  What I like is that they typically just start to get soft & disappear, I havent seen any pieces break off.  However, I have seen a stick every once in awhile peel during chewing like string cheese.  I just toss that piece in the garbage.  Again, when the stick gets too small, I through away.  Tip-get odor free, or low order.  These babies can stick like crazy!  High in protein & fiber & low in fat these make a nice chew.  Look for our upcoming reviews on bully sticks. 

Raw bones.  Raw bones are another option for your dog to chew on.  Because the bones are  not cooked, they are soft & unlikely to splinter.  Cooked bones easily splinter & are very hard on teeth.  Admittedly I will be testing raw bones for the first time in the upcoming weeks.  I spoke in length with Dexter The Dogs holistic veterinarian Dr. Judy Morgan on the safest way to go about this.  Dr. Morgans tips-"Dont clean the bones, feed them with some meat on them, as they come. Let them pull on the meat and sinew and lick out the marrow.  I just allow them to have them for an hour, then throw them away. Its when they sit around the house, get buried, or get dried out that you get bacteria and splintering. They will last in the fridge a week before feeding. Can also be frozen and thawed."  I have to admit when I try our upcoming raw bones I think Ill have Dexter chew on them on a towel & toss the towel in the wash.  Stay tuned for our upcoming raw bone reviews!

Nylon, rubber type bones & chew.  If you read my article on toxic dog toys, you might realize Im a bit leery now on what exactly I give Dexter to chew & play with.  I think this is doubly important when we are talking about a product that will be chewed & possibly pieces ingested.  That said, soft rubber or nylon bones are nice for a dogs teeth.  However, a lot of dogs are not interested in them for chewing.  But if you place a little bit of organic peanut butter on they chew bone, sometimes that will peak their interest in chewing it after they lick it off. 

So there you have it.  That is the current list of dog chew & chew bones I feel comfortable providing Dexter & recommending to my dog training clients.  I am sure this list will be updated & maybe I can try some other chews & feel confident in using them.  Keep checking back for new dog product reviews and tips. And while youre at it, check out our Toledo Dog Training /Global Dog Training Facebook page too for dog behavior & tips.

Thank you to those companies who have been allowing me to test and review products to ensure the best & safest chews for your dogs.

       

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

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Is Plastic Safe

By now you may have heard some of the buzz that plastics are harmful to our health and of course our pets health too.  Companies have been promoting BPA (Bisphenol A) Free plastics, or certain #x that are safe to use.  You may even have known that when a plastic gets heated it releases even more harmful chemicals.  Unfortunately, it does not seem like any plastics are safe to use!

In a recent study "scientists discovered that many unstressed and stressed, PC-replacement-products made from acrylic, polystyrene, polyethersulfone, and Tritan™ resins leached chemicals with EA (estrogenic activity), including products made for use by babies.  However, this study also showed that some PC-replacement products did not leach chemicals having significant levels of EA" (CertiChem, Inc).  Unfortunately at this time for a consumer it is difficult if not next to impossible to determine which ones.

According to veterinarian Dr. Judy Morgan, another pitfall plastics can cause is contact allergies.  Dr. Morgan goes on to say, "there is also the concern from toxic leaching of chemicals when plastic is microwaved or subjected to heat (like the water bottles left in cars). Also, melamine can be an issue if any of that is used in the plastic."

There are safer alternatives such as glass, ceramic or stainless steel.  Dexter The Dog uses a variety of these safer options.  For our everyday dog water bowl, he has a ceramic dog bowl.  Of course he doesnt have just one dog water dish, he has 2 in the house.  Inside his dog crate, he has a stainless steel water bowl that attaches to the dog crate.  This goes for the same in his car travel crate.  When we go on our dog walks & dog adventures, he uses a stainless steel dog travel water bowl.

I just feel its always better to be safer than sorry.  Maybe one day the scientists will be able to develop a safer plastic.  But until then, I will use glass, ceramic or stainless steel for Dexters dog food dishes, water bowls & treat jars.   

  

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

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Car Harnesses Are They Safe

If you are anything like me (and I bet you are if  you are reading this post), then you want to travel as

safely as possible with your dog.  I am betting that most of you already take precautionary measures to ensure your dogs safety while driving & your safety as well.  So just how does Fido travel?

Do you strap your dog into a car harness for dogs?  Do you travel with your dog in a car crate?  Did you know that for most pet products, manufacturers do not have to test their products?  Is your dog harness or dog crate tested for crash protection, or just labeled to stop distracted driving?

So many questions and they can be daunting & confusing & misleading (shame on those trying to mislead us)!  Luckily for us there is an independent company doing what is right.  They are testing the doggie car seats, car harnesses for dogs, travel crates & are sharing their results.  The Center For Pet Safety is a nonprofit organization stepping up to the plate & trying to find us the answers.  I applaud them & applaud them again.

Lets start by looking at one of their testing videos which thankfully made headlines & needs to continue to make headlines so they can continue their work.  I will warn you, it is a bit disturbing even though the dogs in the video are models (life weighted).  Its the thought that this could be one of our precious dogs.

So where are they in their studies & what kind of results have the found so far?  Heres the link to the actual 2013 dog harness safety study.  Please open it & read their results on the various ways they tested car harnesses, which companies, and their results.  I do also want to say, that The Center For Pet Safety has noted a lot of the companies are trying to improve their product safety, so kudos to those companies!

Top results according to their study:  

• SleepyPod Clickit Utility Harness:  "Center for Pet Safety 2013 Harness Study Report Summary Upon completion of scientific testing of pet safety harness products that claim "testing”, "crash testing” or "crash protection” CPS has determined that the SleepyPod Clickit Utility harness is the top performing pet safety harness brand of the 2013 Safety Harness Crashworthiness Study. The innovative three point connection prevents the launch and subsequent rotation of the test dog, thus improving human occupant safety and providing the dog the best possible chance of survival in the case of an accident." 

I emailed The Center For Pet Safety to ask a few follow up questions.  They were fast (2 hours) to respond. Boy, Im really loving this group!  My first question was about the testing, how the dogs were always in a seated position.  Knowing Dexter The Dog, he would be snoozing during our travels (he always falls asleep in the car).  I was curious to know if this would make the results worse or better.  The answer was that they tested "worse case scenario” so if he was laying down, it would not make the crash results worse, they may actually be better. Whew.

My other question was about crate testing.  At this moment I have always traveled with Dexter being in a wire crate behind the passengers seat sandwiched between that seat & the back seat to prevent movement.  The only video thus far I saw was where a wire crate was what looked like in the back of a SUV & slid around before being crushed.  My answer was that they are working on more funding to do extensive testing on crate safety.  They have not had the opportunity to extend this study out yet to crate safety.  BUT, she did respond, " The only brand we know that has completed ample testing - and they publish their test evidence - is the VarioCage."  

I was pretty excited to hear that a crate made the cut, but not so thrilled when I saw the crates started at over $700 Gulp!  I love the idea of traveling with Dexter in a crate, so I can run into rest stops without him getting into mischief....he can be a stinker pot.  Plus I always like to cover the crate when I do go inside so that its not obvious I have such a great dog inside!  So what is a girl to do?  Well, I think I will order the SleepyPod Clickit Utility harness & keep our wire crate also set up in the car to pop Dexter in when I run inside to do my business.  This should cover our traveling needs for now.

What you can do to help:  As I mentioned, The Center For Pet Safety is a non profit organization & can use monetary donations to help fund their studies.  Every dollar counts & every dollar is going towards OUR dogs safety & our peace of mind knowing we are doing what is best for them.  Please join me in donating to their cause & sharing this information.  Not only will it help fund their studies, hopefully, it will increase the likelihood that manufacturers will continue to work up safe & comfortable traveling options for our dogs.

 

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

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