Daily ammunition for a dog

 The modern market for pet products offers a wide selection of ammunition for dogs. What from daily ammunition to choose for walks with our pet? What should be avoided? Let’s figure it out?

Dog collar

To be honest, I prefer not to use collars except to enter the ring. And I actively advocate for the rejection of the use of collars in pulling dogs on a leash. According to a study by the Swedish cynologist A. Hallgren, more than 70% of dogs regularly walking in collars suffer from spinal injuries.

The most common health problems that the use of collars can lead to are: damage to the cervical vertebrae, injuries to the thyroid gland, compression of the muscles of the neck, injuries to the trachea … 

 Regular painful sensations affect the general condition of our pet. As part of a study that tested the relationship between aggression, shyness of a dog and pain in the spine, it was found that in the tested group of aggressive dogs, 79% of the individuals were diagnosed with back diseases. That is why I personally think that the best choice for daily walks is a walking harness.

In the photo: dogs in collars

Harnesses for dogs

Of course, the harness does not wean the dog from pulling, but at the same time it does not injure our pet. The harness is good for everyone, if it is correctly selected. 

Pay attention to the design of the harness: anatomically thought out according to the research of veterinarians is the Y-shaped design of the harness. 

 In a good harness, the straps and accessories do not cross and do not lie on the muscles of the shoulder section, thereby not pinching or injuring the muscles and tendons that are tense during movement or tension of the leash. Make sure to properly adjust the length of the harness straps: the chest strap should be located no closer than 5 cm from the dog’s armpit so as not to rub the delicate skin. 

What to choose for walking with a dog: a leash or a tape measure?

Any dog ​​handler will answer this question without hesitation: “Leash!”. The fact is that such a well-publicized roulette serves you an insidious service by teaching the dog to pull. We ourselves explain to the dog that he has a permitted 3/5/8 meters of tape measure length, which he must get by pulling on the leash to roll out the tape measure reel. If you relax your hand and pull on the tape measure carabiner, you will feel quite a strong pull. No matter how close your dog is to you while walking on a tape measure, he will always feel this tension. In addition, when using a tape measure, not only the dog’s spine suffers, but also your own. Using a tape measure, you cannot hold the leash with both hands, properly distributing the load. We bend one elbow, raise the shoulder, regularly overstraining the muscles of one side of the back. The leash may not look as comfortable as a tape measure, but in practice it is on it that our pet can walk in comfortable conditions, it is with the help of a leash that we can teach a dog walk without tearing the owner’s hands. The length of the leash is selected taking into account the task. For a walking option, 3 m is the ideal length. If the leash is too short, the dog will not be able to sniff the ground, besides the dogs try to maintain an individual distance (which on average equals the dog’s body), and on a short leash we ourselves will force the dog to pull forward and a little to the side.