Tag: leash

Animal Control

My Dog Has A Fear Of The Leash. Heres What To Do…

Rusty

Exercise is a major part of our dogs? lives.

Cesar Millan, the ?Dog Whisperer?, tells us that to maintain a healthy relationship with our beloved pooches, that relationship should consist of 50% physical exercise, 25% discipline, and 25% affection. That?s a lot of exercise! In order for us to be able to enjoy exercising our dogs as much as they need, it?s important for them to behave well both on the lead. Unfortunately, there are many dogs out there who are afraid of the leash itself ? resulting in neurotic, fearful, submissive behavior whenever the lead comes out. In this newsletter, we?ll take a look at the most effective way to deal with fear of the leash.

Fear of the Leash

The majority of the time, the sight of the leash is enough to bring on a fit of joy ? the dog knows that leash = walk, and reacts accordingly.

For some dogs, though, the leash connotes fear and submissiveness more than anything else. Perhaps the leash was used in a negative way with a previous owner ? as a tool for dragging the dog around. Perhaps it was used to confine the dog for long hours at a time. In some extreme cases, dogs have even been whipped with the leash as punishment. Or perhaps your dog is just very highly strung, and is prone to developing phobias seemingly arbitrarily. Although fear of the leash can have a severely negative impact on your walks with your dog, the good news is that it?s easy to cure.

You just need some patience and some basic equipment.

What you?ll need A leash, made of webbing or leather. Approximately 5 feet (1.25 meters) is a good length, as it enables control without risk of the dog getting tangled in the leash when out walking. Chain-link leashes aren?t recommended, as they?re hard on the hands ? and also can flick the dog in the face, which isn?t something you?d want to inflict on any dog, let alone one that?s suffering from fear of the leash! – A good-quality collar, again made of leather or nylon webbing. If you?re using one with a snap-lock, make sure it?s safety-approved and won?t come undone under pressure. Slip-chain collars (also known as ?choke-chains? or ?check-chains?) should never be used on an unattended dog, as they?re a training tool, not a real collar. – A little bit of time, and a little bit of patience.

What to Do

* Your aim here is to accustom your dog to the lead a little bit at a time, keeping him well within his comfort zone at each step of the way. Because he?s already got a fear of the leash, some discomfort in its presence is to be expected, but watch out for signs of extreme fear:

* hyperventilating,

* drooling,

* submissive urination,

* rolling eyes (often showing the whites).

So step one: remember to take baby steps at all times!

* If he?s really afraid of the leash, you?ll need to accustom him to it very slowly indeed.

* Practice leaving it out in full view, preferably in ?fun? places: next to his food bowl, in preferred play areas, near his bed.

* Once he?s stopped reacting to the sight of it, introduce the leash to him in a more active manner. You can do this by wrapping it around your hand as you pet and groom him.

* Hold the leash in your hand as you prepare his food; sit by him and stroke him, with the leash wrapped around your hand, as he eats. Keep this up until he?s stopped showing any signs of discomfort ? it may take some time, but remember that you?re aiming to accustom him comfortably to the leash. Any rushing is counterproductive.

* When he?s not showing any signs of nervousness with this level of progress, you can start attaching the leash to his collar.

* Put him in a sit-stay, using a firm, calm voice, and clip the leash on. Don?t make a big deal out of it: your dog will take his emotional and psychological cues from your behavior. If you act as though it?s not a big deal, he?ll follow your lead.

* Once the leash is on, give him some time to get used to the sensation of something hanging off his neck. He may get a little panicky at this stage, and start pawing at his neck and trying to rub the leash off along the ground. If he?s showing signs of nervousness, distract him with a game: a short game of tug-o?-war (providing he knows to drop the toy when you?ve had enough) is a good idea; if he can run without getting tangled in the leash, play a short game of fetch; or, …

Adopt a Pet

A Cat Harness And Leash – Exercise And Fresh Air For Your Cat

Rusty

These day it is not at all unusual to see folks out walking their feline companion using a cat harness and leash.

Many of us keep our cats indoors for many reasons. One drawback is that our cats may not be getting sufficient exercise.

Of course playing with your cat helps keep her in trim, as does cat equipment such as kitty condos or climbers. But a regular walk about may be just the thing for keeping your indoor feline in tip top shape. A cat harness and leash is essential for accomplishing this safely.

If your cat has never been walked on a leash before then she is going to need training and it will take quite some patience.

You cannot take a trip to the pet store, select a leash and harness, and be out walking your cat the same day. It is going to take time for your cat to be comfortable with the idea of wearing a harness, let alone being restricted by a leash.

Please, understand that cats should never be walked with a leash attached to a collar. Cats are not built the same way as dogs, their necks are not as sturdy. A leash attached to a collar would put a strain on your cat’s neck when she resists the pull, a harness is essential.

The first thing is to get your cat to wear the strange looking contraption. This can only be done with gentle loving persuasion. A good tip is to just leave the harness on the floor for a few days, let your cat sniff at it and get used to it as an object.

Next, attempt to get kitty into the harness, all the time talking to her soothingly. Yes, it is likely she will resist, wriggle and fuss, maybe even attempt to scratch. Don’t force the issue, let her be and try again later.

When your patience has triumphed and your cat is harnessed, give her a lot of praise. If she accepts wearing it all well and good, keep her in it for no longer than ten minutes, but it is more likely she will protest and if she does let her wear it for a few moments, then release her before she gets stressed. Again giving plenty of praise.

Repeat this routine until your cat is quite comfortable walking around wearing her harness indoors.

Now is the time to attach the leash, but don’t try to walk her yet even indoors. Let her drag the lead around, watch that it does not snag on anything. The idea is to get your her used to the idea that a cat harness and leash go together.

When your cat is happy with wearing both leash and harness, pick up the handle of the leash. Follow your cat, don’t try to get her to follow you just yet. Should your pet sit down, pull at the lead or stop, then don’t pull, keep the leash slack and use enticing words to try and persuade her to move.

After several sessions, you may be able to congratulate yourself that you’ve trained your little pet to walk around indoors wearing her cat harness and leash, well done.

Now for the outdoors.

Make it a very short walk out at first, and pick a quiet time. Most probably kitty will not be much interested in walking at first, too many new smells to check out.

Don’t try five mile hikes, she is only a cat, investigate where she wants to with you in control to keep her out of trouble. Your feline friend will get great benefit from her little walks on a cat harness and leash, a little exercise, fresh air and some relief from being indoors.…