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Posted by: leashedforlife on 2007-09-19, 17:39:14
FIT: as close to the ears as U can get it. high and snug!! the collar slips over the dog's head, then is adjusted to fit - use the sliding-figure-8 to fit the collar. U are adjusting the collar so that there's MORE doubled-over collar, and LESS single-thickness collar. when properly fitted, the fabric-loop is FLAT, and the collar is HIGH and SNUG. no more than a Pinky-Tip (to first-joint) should slip between dog and collar, once it's fitted; U want it to STAY up there, not slither down the dog's neck toward their chest/ shoulders. once the collar is snug, slide the fabric-loop to the back, so it's centered at the top of the dog's neck. now clip the leash on the metal D-ring. when the dog (or U) put tension on the leash, the fabric-loop closes, tightening the collar. however, since the loop can only close to half its size, there's no danger of 'strangling' or choking the dog. that's why a martingale is AKA a 'limited-slip' collar. a choke or slip-collar closes to INFINITY: they can easily shut-off the airway, especially if U are so foolish as to imitate Cesar Millan, and HANG a dog (suspend them by their collar, with feet off the ground). HANGING a dog is DANGEROUS!! lifting a dog's feet off the ground and shutting off their airway can cause death, brain-damage, epilepsy, and other serious injury. martingales are safer than choke-chains or slip-collars; they are far less-likely to injure the dog's trachea or cervical vertebrae. However, U still cannot safely HANG or SUSPEND a dog, even with a martingale! please make collar-corrections short and firm: a quick tug, then let the leash droop slightly. U want to get the dog into apropos position, then REWARD them with that easy-loose leash. a constant tension on the leash is counter-productive: it teaches the dog that walking is 'tug-of-war'. walking should be BRISk, focused, and point to point, Vs sauntering, meandering, and goal-less. aim for a nearby object, go there; as U approach it, pick another, and repeat. dogs use the direction of our gaze to figure out where we are headed, so by looking toward our goal, we help the dog to understand where we (dog and human) are going. happy training! <smile > |
