Send Teddy Bear my love:)

Thanks!

(PS – I tried to email you, but the contact form wouldn’t display the Human Test code!)

There was the time when the dog was running around the front of the really large tractor and biting at the wheels trying to herd the tractor while it was moving forward.

Since timing is extremely important for corrections, it’s just not feasible for the owner to stop the tractor, get un-strapped if he has like a seatbelt (not really sure), jump off the tractor, and then go correct the dog.

That and the dog’s behavior was extremely dangerous to its life. Those cases are few and far between. Most of the time what he does is turn the leash into a slip lead, and with his dogs he says all he uses is the little nylon animal control leads and nothing else, which to me shows he MUST really be the Dog Whisperer because he still has hands lol

I suspect the woman told me this because she thinks the slip lead is cruel (thinking of it as a choke chain basically), and only for animal control purposes, but I agree with you about the halti. I had point out to me how in addition to how it jerks the neck, it also since they pull from the right side, the strap can put pressure on the eye/eyelid.

Fully agree with you about the last paragraph above the conclusion sentence. It can also cause trachea problems as well, and is just not fun for the dog. Not just the stress on the neck, but ask the average person how much they would enjoy always having to pull to go where they want to go and never being able to go there. That would cause very severe psychological problems. Dogs have the benefit where they want to please you, and want to follow you, and if you get their respect and become the pack leader, then they’re living a life doing what they want to do, instead of always fighting to do what they can never do.

One example is when he pointed out that using a prong collar on a wolf-hybrid was working against the owners’ goals, because it was actually putting more drive into the dog that they were trying to calm down.

In either case, I always see him take the time to clearly explain the principles behind the tools. Why a prong collar – despite its medieval appearance – is actually a very humane tool when used properly. In my opinion, much more humane than a chain-slip (aka “choke chain”) collar. Same with an e-collar, most people have no idea what the principles are behind that tool. They think it’s all about “shocking” the dog, which when used correctly is not. Like you said – it’s not necessarily about the tool, but almost exclusively about the energy & knowledge behind it.

Looking at your slip lead example – is there a specific reason this person suggested a flat collar or Halti? Personally speaking – I can tell you a Halti is probably the most dangerous tool out there. It’s responsible for countless neck injuries & even deaths (ask any good vet tech about them), but ONLY because they were used improperly. And to be fair, I know people that use them with great success as well.

Not to sidetrack too far on the collar subject, but to me – watching someone allow a dog to pull-pull-pull on a flat collar for its entire life, choking and wheezing and putting all the consistent pressure on its throat – is what I would consider abusive. I’d much rather see a dog on a loose lead and corrected with a training collar 2% of the time, vs. seeing a dog on a tight lead, with pressure on it’s throat 98% of the time.

Anyways – good discussion & comments.

I was told by someone recently that I should not be using a slip lead on my dog, that I should only use either a regular collar or a halti. I felt really like bullied almost, and I kind of feel like if people find that something works for them, why make it a negative experience by telling them you can’t use that because it’s cruel in the opinion of some people.

The most important thing is the energy the people have and how they act around the dogs, which is already usually in need of much help. lol