Choosing the right Tool

When you trawl through the internet or walk through a pet shop you will be confronted with a scary amount of different dog leads and collars. Choosing the right one for your dog can unfortunately be an expensive hit or miss game.

Many of you will know how this feels and will have a draw or cupboard full of leads, collars, harnesses ect that you have brought. Each one just didn’t work the way you where expecting them to or promised by the manufacture.

Many dog leads and collars just don’t work unless you put the training in from a very early stage and more importantly creating a positive to the lead.

Head collars work, however not all dogs will accept them and fight them constantly.

The body harness is a great tool but will only reduce the impact of the pulling. It will never stop pulling completely and will never give you the control you truly need with a hyperactive, excitable or aggressive dog.

The slip lead works but only if you use it correctly, so many people I meet buy these type leads and use them in the wrong way. Unfortunately this is why these type leads are by many trainers and behaviourist put into the same category as negative tools like chock chains and prong collars.

As a leading Behaviourist I am often asked “How to walk your dog on the lead”. And also  have to use and understand all of the tools available to me on a day-to-day basis.

Unfortunately I am not always able to help a dog with the owners chosen tools, the we have to ask the question with this wide selection of leads and collars which one suits your dog.

Well for Max we have already established a head harness is just not suitable for his breed. We have tried the standard slip for a time and it has worked but we really needed something a little different. A collar and lead set up that would take away all the fight and the pressure for his owners.

We have imported an Illusion Dog Collar and Leash for Max.

Using a training lead connection we have been able to calm Max’s energy on the walk, quicker and easier. Which in turn has enabled us to control his adverse reactions that had been triggered by the external stimuli.