There is a trend on TikTok right now where various experts are sharing “things they would never do” after some years of experience in a certain field. The “things” are all activities that would expose a person to needless risks. I’m a dog writer, not a TikTok creator, but here’s my contribution to the genre! Based on my personal experience (and access to the experience of our many contributors and readers, shared with me over the past 25 years of editing WDJ), here are the top five things I would never do with my dogs to compromise their safety and wellbeing – from choices in dog chews to behavior training classes.
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Leave my dogs home alone when there is a potentially disastrous condition nearby.
It took only one conversation with an owner whose dogs were home alone and killed in a fire to teach me this important lesson; the pain in her eyes haunts me to this day.
When wildfires erupt, authorities are quick to call for mandatory evacuations and they close roads to keep people from going home to rescue their livestock or pets. While this seems barbaric to the owner frantic to get home to save their pets, the public safety officers’ mandate is to save human lives above all else. They will allow registered animal emergency evacuation teams into closed areas if they deem the situation safe enough, but this is rarely the case in the first day of any kind of disaster.
Obviously, if you’re already at work when a fire breaks out in your area – or a levee breaks and floodwaters are engulfing your neighborhood – there is not much you can do. Find out who you can contact to report the need for your animals to be rescued; there is almost always an agency that is assigned to this important task.
But if there is a fire burning within 30 miles of your home, a tornado warning in your area, or it’s hurricane season and your local river is rising, take your pets with you if you leave the house. I’ve taken my dogs to a friend’s house when I had to go to the store with a fire burning 10 miles away. Leaving them home is not a chance I will take.
If you’re leaving your dog with a pet sitter, supply them with a “go bag” in case of an emergency. We cover more about this in our blog post, “Leaving town? Make sure a “go bag” is available to your pets’ caretaker before you leave!”
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Sign up for a dog training class without researching the dog trainer and observing classes first.
Monitoring training-advice Facebook groups, I’ve read many posts from people who have paid for a six-week class, only to wonder if they should quit after the first session because the instructor insists that all the participants use choke chains and/or use leash yanks. Every time I hear this, I want to ask, “How was this a surprise? Why did you not observe a class first?”
I read dog trainers’ websites carefully, looking for evidence of a positive-training education and credentials. If their website gives little detail beyond years of experience and some catch-phrases (including “positive dog training”), I send an email and ask what programs they have graduated from and which training conferences or seminars they most recently attended. I want to see passion for and commitment to continuing education, because modern training is advancing every year.
I recommend observing any dog trainer you’re considering taking a class with. I’d watch the instructor teach several classes of beginning-level students, because watching an advanced class march around flawlessly will not tell you whether force and fear were used to get the dogs to that level. I’d be looking for smiles on the faces of the dog handlers and loose, relaxed body language from the dogs and puppies. If the humans look grim and the dogs look shut down, I wouldn’t sign up for even a single session, much less a six-week class. And if the dogs show up in class wearing choke chains, pinch collars, or shock collars, I know it’s not the style of training I want to pursue with my dog.
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Let dogs play with other dogs while wearing collars or harnesses.
I had read warnings from people who claimed that it was unsafe to allow dogs to wear collars while playing, but until I saw for myself what could happen, I thought the warnings were overblown and unnecessarily dramatic.
I was wrong.
When wrestling or playing “bitey face” games, it’s very easy for a dog to get his or her jaw stuck in the gear worn by their playmate. Don’t think because you haven’t seen it, it won’t happen to your dog; all it takes is a single playmate who likes to grab other dogs by the collar. And when this happens, both dogs panic and freak out. It’s incredibly difficult in the resulting melee to figure out how to free both dogs, especially as they spin, roll, and scream in pain and panic.
Since we first ran an article about this potential hazard (“Don’t Wait: Prevent Collar Accidents,” December 2020), dozens of readers have shared stories about dogs who have been maimed, traumatized, and even killed by their own collars. I guarantee you that my warning is not overblown. Become familiar with dog collar safety and let your dogs “play naked.”
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Give my dogs *most* rawhide chews.
I would not give my dogs any of the following dog chews: dried pigs ears, dried bones (the kind sold in pet supply stores), or most rawhide or so-called “collagen” products (same thing) sold in pet supply stores.
I am very selective when it comes to dog chew items. Dead animal parts of unknown age and unknown country-of-origin, processed with dog-knows-what chemicals? No thank you.
There are two issues here: the potential for the items to be contaminated, with either Salmonella and other food-borne pathogens or potentially toxic chemicals used in the item’s processing; and the physical danger to dogs from lacerations to the throat or intestines or impactions in the dog’s stomach or intestines.
Nothing that holds up to assertive chewing for long should be consumed in quantity. And if it doesn’t hold up to assertive chewing, it will be consumed in quantity!
I do supply my foster puppies and adolescent dogs with certain chew items (more about that in a second) for limited periods of time when I want them to entertain themselves quietly for a bit. I also will give my adult dogs a certain chew item once in a while as a treat. But daily chewing is just not necessary – and it’s a risk! Yes, it’s an enjoyable natural behavior for dogs – and the activity is fraught with dangers. There isn’t anything under the sun that dogs chew on that’s safe for all dogs; veterinarians have surgically removed hunks of anything you can name from the perforated or impacted bowels of countless dogs.
What chew items do I feel good about, under strict supervision and for limited periods of time? Absolutely nothing that dogs can consume completely or to a swallowable size in under an hour.
I will procure fresh, gigantic, raw, meaty bones for my dogs once in a while – and I take them away the moment they are small enough for my dogs to get between their molars.
For the teething puppy or adolescent who needs to learn to be content in short-term confinement, I’ll buy dried “bully sticks” (a.k.a. “pizzles” or dried cattle penises) – but only the ones that are about three feet long, and I throw them away when they get to about six or seven inches (swallowable size).
For a number of years there was a single company that manufactured rawhide chew products that I felt were safe: sourced fresh from a slaughter plant in the United States (rather than a tannery in a country that lacks standards or inspections that would protect dogs) and made into giant rolls of extraordinary thickness. The rolls were so thick that it took even my very aggressive chewer an hour to chew an inch or so of these rolls (and then I’d take it away, to save for another day). That company fell victim to COVID-era shutdowns, alas. My search goes on for a company that makes a similar dog chew, but I haven’t found it yet.
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Agree to having my dog vaccinated for anything that I haven’t researched and planned for in advance.
You can’t properly research whether your dog needs a particular vaccination while at the veterinarian’s office. And while it would be lovely to be able to trust any veterinarian’s opinion that your dog would benefit from whatever vaccination they feel is missing from your dog’s chart, the fact is, sometimes veterinary professionals are just checking the boxes, especially at well-pet visits.
Don’t get me wrong; I’m not an anti-vaxxer. I’m a strong proponent of making certain my dogs have the vaccines that will protect them from hazards they are likely to encounter. But neither do I want to overvaccinate. Nor do I want to vaccinate my extremely senior dog for anything; I don’t believe in messing with dogs’ immune systems late in life!
Periodically, I pay for vaccine titer tests to determine whether my dogs possess levels of antibodies for distemper and parvovirus that will provide protection against those diseases. I won’t permit them to be vaccinated for those diseases again until they are needed.
Also, I pay attention to what they might be considered “due” for! I just don’t want to be blind-sided or strong-armed over something with potentially long-term consequences for my dog’s health.
If a vet has information about something new or terrific that may benefit my dog, I say, “Great! Let me read up on that. If it seems like the safety profile is good and it’s likely to offer protection from something my dog is likely to encounter, I’ll make another appointment to come back and get that.” And I will!
I would never deliberately scare my dog by disguising or altering my appearance. My dog Clara was a feral puppy, and I was the only person in the world she trusted for a very long time. Once, I unthinkingly wore something that was unusual enough that she didn’t recognize me – and she was petrified. I was her anchor in the human world, and I was gone, with a stranger in my place. But I wouldn’t do it to a gregarious dog either. We can’t know ahead of time how much a switch like that might scare any individual dog, and fear isn’t funny. – Eileen Anderson
Eileen blogs at eileenanddogs.com and is the author of Remember Me? Loving and Caring for a Dog with Canine Cognitive Dysfunction and co-author of Puppy Socialization: What It Is and How to Do It.
I would never attach my dog to a retractable leash. That was true for Samantha and Chloe, my calm Labradors of yesteryear, and it’s especially true about my current Lab Blue Sapphire, who is twice as athletic and loves to chase anything that moves. I might as well have a raccoon or maybe a coyote on the leash! – CJ Puotinen
CJ is a long-time WDJ contributor and author of The Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care and many other books.
I would never turn my dog loose in a dog park without first observing the behavior, actions, and interactions of the dogs and the humans inside the park. Obviously, dogs who don’t play well with others should not be taken to dog parks. The problem is, sometimes these dogs belong to humans who don’t understand this or just don’t care. Resource-guarding can turn ugly in a hurry if another dog doesn’t understand or respect it. Dogs with over-the-top prey drive are not fun for other dogs. And some dogs are just plain too rough. I saw a beautiful young Lab whose hind leg had been grabbed by another dog chasing him. The result? A severed Achilles’ tendon.
Observe the humans, too. People do dumb things! I saw a human thoughtlessly throw a ball such that two competing dogs went for it from opposite directions and collided face first. The result was broken teeth, lots of blood, and expensive veterinary bills. I saw a human throwing a flying disc for their own dog dangerously close to large rocks. Someone else’s dog went for the disc and crashed into a giant rock. That dog left the park on three legs.
If you see anything that looks remotely dangerous, don’t go in. And be alert if a new dog and human enter the park. Any newcomer can change the dynamic of the pack. Collect your dog and observe the new dynamic before deciding whether to stay. – Eileen Fatcheric, DVM
Dr. Fatcheric writes articles about veterinary medicine for WDJ and is a passionate and successful competitor with her dogs in agility.
I’d never make my dog uncomfortable for a laugh. This isn’t a new impulse for humans – I remember watching college guys give beer to their dog and laugh at the stumbling result – but social media has put this impulse on steroids. I cringe whenever I see a dog-themed TikTok start to trend, because all sorts of folks will jump onto the bandwagon, like “Scare your dog to see what they do.”
It only takes a quick scroll for anybody with any knowledge of dog body language to feel devastated by these “funny” videos. The dogs are totally freaked out. The human world they’ve landed in is confusing enough for dogs. It’s heartbreaking to watch the person the dog trusts most deliberately set them up to feel an intense, uncomfortable emotion like fear. – Kathy Callahan
Kathy is a dog trainer and author of 101 Rescue Puppies: One Family’s Story of Fostering Dogs, Love, and Trust.
Most of the things I would never do with my dog involve the use of force, pain, or fear. For example, I would never use a shock collar. There is no reason to shock your dog – not even the euphemistic low-level “stim” that shock-collar trainers try to convince you is not aversive. Studies confirm the position that force-free trainers have long held: Coercive methods are likely to lead to significant behavioral issues, especially aggression.
Also, I would never try to grab something from my dog’s mouth. As I tell my clients all the time – even if it’s rat poison, or your grandmother’s diamond bracelet – you’re likely to get the “something” back faster and with much less harm if you calmly ask the dog to trade rather than trying to grab the item. Offer a high-value treat in exchange! This is especially true if you have taught your dog to trade on cue in advance. – Pat Miller
Pat is a trainer, WDJ’s Training Editor, and author of many books about force-free dog training. Information about her training center and academy can be viewed at PeaceablePaws.com.
Excellent points! Unfortunately, tried to post to Facebook, but they blocked it, claiming the content is abusive. So tired of Facebook’s overzealous control fantasy. Will share on Truth Social instead.
I’m sorry you were blocked by FB for posting something helpful about dogs.!The same FB that allows a user to post pics of cats w fake ticks stuck to their head/fur using garlic, peanuts and colored beads made to look like ticks! I reported this as animal abuse but according to FB these violent posts were allowed?!
I have a dog trainer friend who frequently posts material like this on Facebook with no trouble at all. So it might have been how rather than what was said.
I found this article on my Facebook this morning, posted by a rescue organization that I support. I’m in Canada.
If my dog has something dangerous in its mouth, I’m going after it immediately. I am not playing the trade game.
Same. I have seen too many dogs recently, including “gentle-mouthed” dogs, such as Retrievers, with resource guarding because their owners don’t follow through on the drop it, snatch their hand back and act scared of their own dog.
I practice trading with my dog, but drop it is not optional, especially if it is something potentially unsafe. 99% of the time, drop is results in an interesting trade deal, but it is not optional.
I agree. I have had to reach down a dog’s throat to dislodge a bully stick. Luckily, my dogs will allow me to do something like this without biting me.
I’ve taught my two dogs to “drop” anything in their mouths. My 7-year-old poodle will drop a blade of grass (when I tell him to drop something that I haven’t seen him pick up). When I got him at 4 months of age he would leap on anything and swallow it so it was my priority to train both my dogs to drop on command. They now do it with no reward other than praise.
Won’t let a dog play with sticks now as I’ve seen too much damage caused by them including splinters getting stuck in mouth tissue as well as swallowing splinters which can get stuck and cause internal damage. Also sticks can go straight down a dog’s throat! Agree with your views on vaccinations.
CJ Puotinen explanation of not attaching her dogs to retractable leashes is not clear to me. What was the actual problem of using the retractable leash. Please advise
The cord can be caught by dogxs leg or your hand and cause a deep cut. Retractable leashes keep constant pressure on they dog causing home to pull more. If you drop the handle, it can scare your dog (because it is attached to the cord and is bulky and bangs along after your dog like he’s being chased ‐ very scary.
I’ve seen that happen any number of times. You hear the clack, clack clack, of the leash handle as it bounces on the pavement behind the dog as it attempted to escape it.
It teaches bad behavior. When the dog pulls, it gets more space. The long string can wrap around other people or dogs. The brake button can fail, if you grab the stupid string, like I did, to try and stop the dog, it will cut you to the bone, as it did my hand. If you drop the handle, it will fly up the string and hit your dog in the legs. Your dog can pull out in the street in front of a car. There are places for its use, like searches in nose work, but not out in the public. It is a disaster in the making.
I can’t answer for CJ but I can say why under almost any circumstances I’d avoid them. The dog is barely under control, I’ve seen dogs go under cars on them. If they are attached to a collar they can cause a lot of harm. They get tangled easily, and if they get tangled around people’s or other dogs legs they cut through them like a cheese slice. It is really difficult for other walkers to see that your dog is on a lead at all until they are up close so they can’t divert or make sure their dog doesn’t run to greet you. They are awful for teaching your dog to walk on a loose lead because the dog tends to be permanently at the end of however much cord/tape you are giving them with it taut all the time. They break and fail, a lot. In emergency situations some people struggle to co-ordinate the locking fast enough. I can see that for some disabled people in wheelchairs their options are limited but I’ll be sticking with a normal lead and training them to be off-lead wherever possible
They are an abomination. I have scars on my lower leg from one that was attached to a very hyper retriever who darted through my legs wrapping the thing around my leg pulling it taught with the owner pulling in the other direction trying to get control of the dog. Once my dog, a tall Greyhound, got wrapped up in one by a dog that was able to dart through and around her legs and wound up being flipped over on her side. Both times I wound up cursing the owners out because we were both injured. Almost every community has a 6 foot leash law not a 20 foot retractable one, so in case an injured owner or the owner of an injured dog takes legal action you may face charges as well.
Once, an owner of some kind of pit mix was in a local park we were strolling through. It was dusk and I couldn’t see the leash clearly, it was at a shortened length initially. But all of a sudden the dog bolted lunging to the full extent of the length of that leash trying to attack my girl. I have a crooked middle finger that broke when I punched the dog as it leapt. I did call the police in that instance and the owner was charged with the leash violation.
Of course you identify as some kind of pit mix and that is relevant to the discussion how?
Because at night or dusk when I see a dog and owner that I am unfamiliar with I stay a certain distance away but in that instance I didn’t realize the dog could bridge that distance with the type of leash the owner was using. With a smaller, less aggressive, dog I could have snatched the dog before it got to my girl. With a muscular pit mix I had no choice but to punch it. And whatever your prejudices are I don’t believe you’ve read of many Greyhound attacks. The main issue is the owner but I’m going to be more cautious around a strong, muscular dog that is not easily handled if aggressive. I can handle a retriever or a poodle or Chihuahua, but not a pittie.
Carlos I understand your desire not to stigmatise any particular breed but it is an unfortunate fact that the combination of a large, powerful dog on a flexi lead indicates and inexperienced owner who – by reason of their choice of lead – has little control of their dog so it is relevant to mention it. I would also steer well clear of ANY dog on a flexi having got a friend whose Greyhound was cut badly on the leg by a small dog who was playing around him but out of control.
On the topic of over vaccination, I agree with titering in order to avoid over vaxxing. My mini labradoodle is 4.5 y/o and I had the distemper core vaccine titer run this spring when she was due. She had sufficient antibodies so she did not need the immunization. Since the distemper/parvo vaccine is a 3 year vaccine, can I wait 3 years to run another titer? Also, is it true that while the numbers may decline over time, wouldn’t she still be protected if she had any antibodies at all? If she was actually exposed, wouldn’t her antibody numbers increase as needed to fight off the illness? Looking for direction please.
*A side note, I also had a rabies titer drawn even though I had her get the the rabies vaccine because it is the law. The titer showed she was well protected. I hated to have her immunized again, knowing this. Looking for any recourse….
Our boy is an inside dog and is exposed to any other dogs except our daughter’s (who has now passed). When he went for his 7 year check (2 & 1/2 years ago), the vet agreed to no more vaccinations. When he went for his 9 year check, he received the rabies shot and it must have hit a nerve in his leg because he had a hard time walking. The vet prescribed an nsaid and said he would never get another vaccination ever. He did get better but I If need be, he will get a titer test.
If you have a high prey drive dog, and the “prey” could be in danger, or a danger to your dog, like cats, deer, coyotes, javelina, cattle, people on horseback, bikes, cars, you cannot ‘click and treat” that dog off prey. There is absolutely nothing, as attractive as the chase, catch and kill. I prefer my dog alive and trained with an e-collar. The “death before discomfort” idea has not done our dogs any favors.
Thanks for this – I have a 3yr old female JRT with a very high prey drive, and am desperate to know how to get her under control before something awful happens. She loves running free in the Maine woods (the only time I let her off the leash), but there are bears, moose and coyotes … to say nothing of skunks. Is an e-collar the solution?
I use an e-collar but not the current. Most, if not all, have a vibration setting and a sound setting, the “beepy” noise. Re enforce the behavior with tiny treats or scratches when they come back. I find the vibration or the noise works for my dogs to get their attention.
If your dog is running free in the woods, she will often be out of sight. So you will not know when she might be going after some dangerous prey. Not to mention that is she is spotted by a predator (such as a coyote) she will be prey herself.
The solution? Don’t let her off leash in such environments.
And let’s stop with the prettifying rebranding. They’re shock collars.
I agree with Scott regarding the danger of your dog off leash in the woods (and also regarding shock collars – see below* for reference to an R+ solution/help).
A renowned trainer whom I follow online recently lost one of her small dogs to a coyote when she and her very reliable off leash dogs were hiking near their home.
The coyote apparently ate her dog :0(….
*In terms of mitigating prey drive: There is a very effective R+ “prey substitution training” that we implemented for our recently adopted Beagle x Husky x ? mix who has high prey drive. The training uses the prey sequence rather than trying to fight it – and it is fun.
Best wishes with your pup, Karen!
Actually, there is an effective training process that uses the prey drive sequence to divert dogs from engaging in the chase. It has been very effective with our high-prey-drive mixed breed.
As I am not sure if I can name the trainer, I would simply encourage you to look up “prey substitute training.”
By “some third world country” I assume you’re referring to countries generally characterized by high rates of poverty. It’s an outdated term — for good reason — as it puts countries into socioeconomic and political heirarchies. I encourage you to consider ways to refer to other countries that don’t perpetuate stereotypes and bias.
I stand corrected; you are 100% correct. Lazy writing. Changing now. –NK
Thank you!
100 percent agree with all of these! Happy I already don’t do these things!
On the issue of over vaccinating: suddenly our vet has been giving Drontal to my pups. They don’t ask, they just shove it in their mouths before I can ask what’s being given and why. They do not have any indication of having worms or any reason to think they’re at risk for worms. I looked it up and see that it’s being recommended as often as every three months but no reasonable explanation why.
I’m a WDJ subscriber.
My gentle, mellow 4-year-old labradoodle, a Certified Therapy Dog, suddenly saw an unfamiliar dog, lunged, I fell down, he broke away from the leash and punctured the dog. I finally have found a canine behaviorist (with a long-held fine reputation) who wants to use prong collar training. It’s so foreign to my own thinking, but I live in a retirement community and can’t let this happen again. What do you think?
I’ve used a prong collar. Even though it looks like a Medieval instrument of torture IF USED PROPERLY it’s a lot more humane than chain choke collars. I’ve seen many dogs whose throats have been permanently damaged by an improperly used chain choke or even a standard collar. The prong requires very little pressure to get the dog’s attention so no yanking is needed. I used it on my Rottie who was somewhat impervious to pain and could have strangled on a choke. If you plan to try it learn how to use it properly.
I wouldn’t do it and find a trainer with more humane methods. Issue like this can be solved by having an online trainer if needed.
Using any sort of aversive training, eg prong collar, does not resolve the underlying problem and only deals with the symptoms. There is a reason, probably fear, why your dog reacted that way. Imagine you being scared of spiders and instead of me addressing the issue, I will punish you every time you freak out when there are spiders around. Instead of slowly introducing you to your spiders, at a safe distance etc.
Just food for thought…
Anything is more humane than letting another innocent bystander become a victim. This dog now has a bite history, is a danger to other dogs, and is a huge liability for the owner. Failure to control the dog out in public may also present a danger to the dog itself, if it happens to lunge at another dog whose owner decides to protect theirs.
I feel like you are using scaremongering to justify your inhumane methods.
The dog that has bitten should be first muzzle trained. Muzzle training if done correctly is completely painless process for the dog and ideally all dogs should be muzzle trained. Just as all dogs, but especially Ones with bite history should be treated without aversive methods. You seem to imply that aversive methods are the only way with dogs with bite history whereas the opposite is true. Please read Jean Donaldson, Pat Miller, Patricia McConnell etc. these are renowned people at the top of their field.
As a professional dog trainer for 20 years I will tell you that the person you found is NOT a behaviorist. A behaviorist must have an advanced degree and is either a CAAB (certified applied animal behaviorist) or a veterinary behaviorist with certification from AVSAB (American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior). Your trainer is a phony. I hate trainers who call themselves behaviorists.
Find a force free trainer who will actually train your dog instead of using pain as a deterrent.
AGREED, Scott!
Nancy, from what I have learned, a vet visit to rule out a pain-induced change of behavior is a great first step. Identifying what about the other dog and/or environment may have triggered your dog is so important and can be explored with a certified behaviorist,
Regarding force vs. aversive training:
My recently adopted 4 y.o. leash-reactive dog and I have been learning from an R+, Force-Free, Fear-Free, Certified Behaviorist trainer who specializes in helping dogs with aggression and/or reactivity and was listed in Michael Shikashu’s online directory as a graduate of his program.
After our first meeting, I felt safe walking my dog in our neighborhood.
The trainer taught me body-language awareness, leash handling skills as well “exit strategy” moves to
Two months into our practice, I have seen a lot of improvement that includes a lovely increase in connection between my dog and me as well as confidence in both of us – all with none of the fallout that aversive, pain-based training can bring.
My dog wears a Freedom harness whose back rings is attached to the ring of a flat martingale collar via a heavy duty caribeener (not huge, just not sturdier than the keychain kind). The 6′ leash is attached to the front ring of the harness.
I also agree that muzzling is a smart and humane move and it answers the concerns of ;humane Methods” above.
I have learned about it via the MS podcast and intend to work on it in future, just to have muzzle-comfort as one of my dog’s life-skills :0)
What you are facing can be so unsettling and daunting and even overwhelming. But if you look at what happened as a sign from your dog that he has experience some internal change that calls for your support, and that such support is available in forms that will bring your dog and you to an even better place than you were before, you may feel some ease.
You can do it! I wish you and your pup well!
One thing I’d never do is allow a small child to leash-walk a dog and especially not with a retractable. Both dog and child are at risk of injury or death.
Too right! We were once walking our huskies in a park when towards us came a man with a tiny child – just old enough to walk- with a lead in her hand. At the other end was a large German Shepherd mix who fixed on one of our huskies and started stalking towards her. My partner shouted at the man who thankfully ran to the child and took the lead off her. Totally reckless, it’s not cute or funny, it’s disaster waiting to happen. I also dislike photos of babies curled up asleep with dogs – especially large power breeds – for the same reason.
I never take my dogs to dog parks. Unfortunately, there are aggressive dogs thrown in with those who only want to play. I have seen pools of blood on the ground after some poor dog was mauled. Also, dog diseases can be spread in dog parks. Better to let them play at home.
I think retractable leads are a little like cars – they CAN be very useful, but you need to be focussed and alert when using them – no distracted driving! I found using one was a godsend when working with my 5 1/2 year old rescue, Indy – it gave him considerable freedom on our walks, and it gave us both the safety of staying connected. It took a couple years and a ton of patience to get to where he could be leash free. He was always good with other dogs, ignored most people, but in those early days he’d just get a businesslike trot going and head for the hills … or perhaps heading back to his old home, like Lassie. The retractable was great – didn’t get tangled in the bushes or around the park bench like a long line, not restrictive as a regular leash. I wouldn’t condemn them out of hand.
We have a small dog – a puppy rescue that is now 11 lbs and 9 years old. We’ve always used a retractable leash, but the leash is not attached to a collar when we’re outside our yard. She wears a harness & has the retractable leash attached when we make short neighborhood walks. We also use the leash on her collar when she goes outside in our fenced backyard to go to the bathroom. We do let her run loose when we can in the backyard, but we have predator birds in our area and don’t want to risk her being picked up by one when we aren’t looking. I certainly wouldn’t use a retractable leash on a larger dog…
Oh my… there’s so many but here’s 2
Client who wants to meet the trainer at the door with their jumping, barking, nipping dog so they could “see what he does.” The trainer already knows how to deal with the behaviors and can teach the client what to do and doesn’t need to see them, especially in an uncontrolled situation. Safety first. I had a death allergy to peanuts when I was young. My mother didn’t take me to the doctor and say “look what happens when I give Paul a peanut!”
Have a puppy meet an older dog for socialization purposes even if told “my dog loves all dogs.” Some dogs do get along with most other dogs, but not puppies. Happened twice this past week when clients said their puppies were bitten, even though they were told by the older dog’s adopter their dog “loves all dogs.”. Be absolutely sure and err on the side of safety.
Paul Owens author of The Puppy Whisperer and Welcome Home! DVD
Thank you, Nancy! Greatly appreciate and completely agree with your input on all these topics!
I’ve used a retractable leash since 2002, and have only had a problem once (which was my fault, as I wasn’t paying attention). We have a 5 year old Belgian Malinois mix who either walks at heel or slightly in front of me (she never gets more than a couple of feet away from me). I’ve tried her on a regular leash, and she didn’t like it at all (it kept getting caught around her legs).
never let your dog swim with a collar
I had to retrieve my lab from freezing river water with fast current after being snared by a submerged tree
lucky no double drowning because no way i would not attempt the rescue
Tuition for this lesson was practically free and we both graduated