Hi everyone,
I’ve got a question about slip leads. I’m thinking of getting one for my girl; I currently walk her in a Julius-K9 harness, but when she decides to pull, even though she’s only small, she’s surprisingly strong! I’ve read recently that those harnesses aren’t actually that good for their shoulders. I’ll admit I just followed the trend at the time; it’s good quality and sturdy, but maybe not the most comfortable long-term.
She walks much better on a collar, but she manages to slip out of it easily. The issue is that her neck is as wide as her head, so if she pulls backwards, the collar just comes right off. It’s happened a few times now—talk about a heart attack when you’re in the middle of town!
So, I was wondering if a slip lead would suit her build? Also, is there a risk of her choking herself with one?
Translated from French
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Exactly.
A slip lead gives you better control—in a way—over the dog’s head. It allows you to feel what they’re doing much better. So, in an ideal world, the owner trains themselves to stop having to look at the animal. You feel their intentions through the lead.
Right, I’ve said it before. There are lead corrections and then there are *lead corrections*. You’ve got the ones meant to punish, to discourage the animal, or to intimidate them. That’s no good. We don’t want that. And then you’ve got those little feedback flicks used to communicate with the animal without punishing them. It’s not even uncomfortable; it shouldn’t even be felt as something unpleasant, just distracting.
THE best example of what I’m illustrating here is by the best dog handler in the world, who swears by the slip lead: Cesar Millan. It works for him because he believes the dog should stay right by his side. That’s the deal with him. Short lead, no tension.
You should never, never never never never, never (is that clear?) put up with constant tension on that lead. It must be short, with no tension, otherwise you can’t feel your dog. And they can’t feel you either.
[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OYJ8sN897S4]
Around 1:10, something very important happens, which probably goes under the radar. Three lead corrections in a row. There, he’s establishing contact. He isn’t even looking at him. He’s starting to condition the dog to this feedback. Loose lead, flick, release, flick, release, flick. It’s not nasty. He’s got no time to waste; this is all live. It’s happening exactly as you see it. The last important flick is around 1:53. There, he’s really making a big statement to this Rottie, who isn't used to paying attention to the person walking him.
After that, it’s conditioned. It’s sorted. That form of communication is understood by the dog. Now it’s just up to the human to learn how to juggle without looking at the balls. It’s the same thing. If you feel the dog’s head betraying its intentions, the movement to distract them is instantaneous. Short, no tension.
I’ve never seen a balanced dog resist that.
With a slip lead, the dog absolutely has to stay right by your side; the whole point is that it keeps their head up, so they don't get the urge to pull forward. So no, you can't use it as a long lead.
I’m a bit unsure about how a slip lead actually works: when the dog pulls, the loop tightens around their neck (where does it put pressure exactly, is it on the windpipe?) and if they stop, does it loosen up automatically? And is it just meant for walking? I mean, could it also be used as a long line? I’ve only had my second dog for a fortnight now and I don’t quite dare let them off the lead yet, even in a dog park, so can you use a slip lead as a training lead or to hold onto them while they’re swimming?
@En fait Energie, I don't mind her walking a bit ahead of me, and she is capable of walking without pulling. I thought about a slip lead for when we're in town and it's busy; I’d prefer her to walk by my side, as it's safer for her. I know she still gets a bit anxious in crowds and tries to get across quickly, which is why she pulls, so the aim would be to teach her that walking to heel is better for her.
In that case, a slip lead is definitely the tool of choice.
Oh, I forgot to mention @Energie, I’ve got an Easy Walk harness with the front clip, but you know how Shar Peis don't have an undercoat and their fur is quite short? Well, mine has ended up with almost bald armpits and it really chafes her; even if she wants to pull, she'll just go for it anyway, and it hurts her. I imagine it works a treat for a dog with a normal coat! :)
Using a 2.5m horse lead rope from Decathlon for about £5, I took off the clip. Then you just have to thread the rope through the remaining ring and make a handle at the size you want. I’ve got all sorts of fancy collars and harnesses, but I only ever end up lugging this thing around.
@Docline, I’d never really looked into it before but since so many people are happy with it, why not.
If it’s possible to make one yourself, I’m definitely up for it :)
@En fait Energie, I don’t mind her walking a bit ahead of me, and she’s capable of walking without pulling. I was thinking of a slip lead for when I'm in town and it's busy; I’d prefer her to walk beside me, it’s safer for her. I know she still gets a bit anxious in crowds and tries to get across the road quickly, which is why she pulls, so the goal is to teach her that walking by my side is better for her.
I often walk her on a collar in town because it keeps her close to me, but the collar just slips.
So yeah, there is a training side to it; eventually, she’ll realise it’s better not to walk too far ahead of us.
I'll have them posted tomorrow once I’ve had a chance to compress the photos. Modern technology is brilliant, isn't it? But I don't have a single photo under 3.8MB now, and this site won't accept anything over 1MB!
