I'm not sure if any of you have had experience of such a situation but I read this article this morning and found it quite alarming as my lot are always playing rough and tumble and pretending to grab each other round the throat.
I'm attaching the full article below but the upshot is that should a dogs teeth get snagged in a collar, the twisting and writhing can break their jaw and the dog whose collar is snagged can be strangled. If you're on hand and the collar is a quick release type, injury can possibly be averted but if it's a buckle, unless you have a knife etc handy, there's little you can do .
I've never left leads on in the house (which I got lambasted for once but there you go) but I do leave the pooches' collars on. Has anyone had experience of this?
We have a rubber frisbee made by Kong (I think). Even though it spends much time outside in the sun it is not showing much wear and the dog has a ball playing tug with it or catching it. Recommended !
There are some "silly" prices around for dog harnesses, I have used for some years a harness bought in the UK from "The Range" (see link below). There are three sizes available, and the item offers good control, and padded under "arm" straps for your dog. Ideal for walking and for linking in to a dog seat belt clip in the car..... (Link to the small harness) http://www.therange.co.uk/non-pull-harness-black/dog-leads,-collars...
She was probably inviting you out to play! My lot would never think to welcome us in a genteel way. It's complete mayhem when we open the door.
p.s. Alan - I forgot, so a p.s. to your p.s. - I don't use a standard 'people' frisbee. It's a dog one, almost rimless, not plastic. Hugo adores it and it gives the beast a bit of an extra run.
Agree. Cags had a frisbee but only for giving to people when they got home - she'd pick it up herself from the table then drop it once she felt she'd done enough welcoming! We never took it out to throw for her. Mind you there was no point throwing anything for her as she didn't "do" bringing things back!
I do wonder if people who claim to 'know' how to care for dogs have ever done any reading on the subject. Every book I have read, whether it's on gun dogs, or obedience, makes the point 'do not throw dogs sticks or let them chew wood'. Tennis balls are brilliant, thats why the police and military use them.
P. S. NO FRISBEES either, the rim can cause damage to the roof of the mouth. Why not buy some purpose made dummies or just a tennis ball?
Sorry to lose my temper, but often reading this thread I get really up tight about the lack of knowledge.
Richard, you win, I'm not going to ask you any more questions, ha ha ha. Tennis balls it is from now on. Oh, and the frisbee. Unless you know something about frisbees that I don't ...
Years ago and again a Springer 'Gus', throwing stcks for him walking thru woods again. Later in the evening he was really quiet, didn't eat his dinner, just sat in his bed, bolt up right, not complaining just quiet.
I thought it a bit strange so tried to look in his mouth, which was very dry, then I saw the slightest spot of blood on his tongue. I stayed up with him, dabbing his tongue with water, still not knowing what was wrong.
Vets first thing Sunday morning, who operated straight away, and removed a three inch piece of wood which had gone thru his throat into his neck muscles.
The vet said he had seen it before where a dog runs after a stick, which lands and sticks into ground then the dog runs on to it at full speed, snapping off a section.
He was ok after a few days, but I only throw tennis balls for my dog now.
Thats it for my dog stories now......................
Hi Diane and a warm welcome to the Dogs Group! Hugo in fact managed to zap himself today, getting too close to the fence to say hello to my lovely neighbour. It actually wasn't his fault as it only beeped twice rapidly, not even giving him time to reverse before nuking him. I think the wind has been shifting it around so must check that tomorrow. Mine doesn't have a separate remote control but it does sound extremely useful, especially for our spitz Whisky who barks at anything and everything, noisy bugger.
I must say, your Billy is an extremely handsome chap. Great photo.
Say hello to billy our 2 year old boxer. Can you see the small box on his collar this is my secret weapon as you can see i don't live in a town and the fence is not that high that small box will not let him get to with in 1m of the fence or it will beep 2 times if he does not move back Zack a nice electric shock and he comes's right back away from the fence and looks for me or the wife. Step 2 i also have a remote control that has 2 buttons on it that also makes the box beep if i press the button 1 number 2 may help if your dog just will not do as he is told. I can tell you this is not my first boxer and it has made training very easy this time round. So my point is if you have a dog or dogs that start playing a bit to ruff or gets to wiggy when people come around for a cupper or heads stuck in god knows what button number 1 is your best friend.
cost around 250 euros LINK down the bottom.
PS i did think about getting one or 2 more but the wife did not like the colour and the kids just ran :)
Richard, that's awful. I bet you looked a right state by the time you managed to get in/out of there. I hope no gaping wounds or infections. You have piqued my curiosity now about the stick throwing but I'm not sure I dare ask ...
I have two Springers, both which I used to keep with collars on, until walking thru some woods one afternoon, when the younger one launched herself down a bank covered in brambles, she hooked herself on to a branch of a fallen tree and suspended herself a couple of feet off the ground.
She was about 6/8 metres into thick brambles, chest deep, which I desparately waded thru in shorts and flipflops to stop her from hanging herself, very scary for both of us, so since then neither have ever worn a collar.
Not quite on subject re indoors, but hopefully helpful............could tell you an horrific tale re dogs and throwing sticks
yep, agree totally to take collars off @ home. However, because of the stupid prejudices against Rottweilers, drunk hunters and especially because of all those attractive wild boars, the doggies have to listen to some commands without discussion. Simply for a large dog a metal collar can be fetal when getting stacked! So its about keeping them calm!
Hi This is Alan's OH. As he says we remove collars from our pensionnaires when they come into the kennels. However, he did not refer to my experience many years ago with my Ridgeback and Maremma sheepdog who both wore leather collars.
They were playing and the Maremma had hooked her teeth under the R's collar, who then twisted - result was a tourniquet from the collar on the R, whilst the M was trying to remove the collar from her teeth, causing the collar to twist more and more! Both large dogs who were trying to resolve a potentially fatal playtime. I was at hand and managed to cut through the collar on the R, but she was semi-strangled - her eyes with burst blood vessels and blood poring from her nose.
I recently read an article about the dangers of dog collars and decided to buy a good harness for our dog. He adapted to it very quickly (a lot better than his reaction to a dog coat!). Here’s a link to an article (not the one read but quite comprehensive).
our two boxers never have their collars on in the house as i'm always worried in case they could catch them on something and then strangle themselves. having said that sometimes it would help if they did as they both get very excited if anyone comes round and then i would have something to hold onto - they are very wiggly ;)
Our GSD will not go away and stop waiting if his collar comes off. If the clip opens when he is free outside he will pick it up and bring it to one of us to put back on. It is, so as to say, his property. We bought him from the breeder when he was old enough to be sold, so he has never had someone else who mistreated him and also was not kennelled if we were away until well after he had this collar. The clip is getting rather too loose and will probably soon give up, it will be interesting to see his reaction to a new one.
He is also the same about HIS lead. He will accept another one exceptionally, but when we say 'walk' he will go to where it is kept a get it ready by lifting it with his nose.
Thinking back over the years I have had four dogs who were like this. Two of them were labs and the other a collie/gsd cross. Other dogs didn't care as with our other one now.
