Wednesday, June 20, 2012

Walkin' On The Wild Side

I was hanging out with my Mom the other day while she read a post by our friend Eric, The Amazing Dog Training Man.  It was about choke collars and how he doesn't like them. 
I never heard of choke collars so I did some research and OMG!  They don't look very comfortable at all.  Even the ones that come in pretty colors look like they would hurt and the ones with the spike things, no way! They are supposed to help train dogs but if they aren't used correctly, they can seriously hurt a dog.  I also read they are NEVER be left on when the dog is alone cuz they can, well make the dog choke to death.
When I was a puppy, I didn't like to walk on a leash. I used to pull Mom along.  I'm a border collie/lab mix.  It's my job to make sure humans are safe by chasing away the birds and herding people down the path and I couldn't do that on a short leash.
Mom was very patient with me.  It took forever to go for a walk cuz we had to stop all the time and do "training".   Training was sort of fun cuz I got treats when I did things right.  Training got really good after Mom bought me a pretty purple halter to go with my bright pink collar and leash. I started doing walking without pulling all the time.  After all, looking good IS everything and the purple and pink combo is for strutting, not pulling, although I still do lapse when I'm super excited.
There are lots of different types of collars for dogs.  There are martingale collars that are kind of like a choke collar but they don't close all the way and breakaway collars that come apart if they get caught on something. There are head collars which are sort of like a halter and dogs can sometimes get themselves out of them.  And of course there are regular collars with a buckle or snap which come is all kinds of colors and styles.  Some even have real diamonds or other expensive stuff.  I don't think I'll ever get one with diamonds but some sort of bling would be nice.  I do wear my pink buckle collar all the time cuz it's where I keep my identification tags.
For Mom it's all about making sure I'm safe, for me it's about looking good.
The best person to help you and your humans decide what collar is best for you is your trainer. So if you and your humans don't walk well together, ask your trainer if a different collar would help or if you just need more treats.
Here's to happy walks,
Your friend Zeva
P.S. Shameless self promotion - Our To The Rescue Gift Basket includes a nylon lease along with many other "welcome to your furever home" items.

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