[Dailydrool] Flexis & other collars

[Beverly Szaton]

Ok despite what I said about not liking Flexis for walking multiple dogs, I
love them for other things. If you have one dog and can see ahead of you
they are great for letting the dog get more miles in that you could possibly
manage without a bottle of scotch and CPR.
If you cannot see the path or there are apt to be loose dogs then  I don't
use one.
I am also a believer in prong collars: that being said I wish to emphasize
that even with a correction using one your dog should not yelp. Also, they
can fall apart. I always use one on the Belgian when we are out and about
because he is big and scary looking and I want to be positive I have
complete control. I rarely use them on Bassets as I think they are apt to
bruise the loose skin on the neck and instead use a well-fitted martingale.
A martingale should not close completely if it is the right fit. Neither
should prong collars be worn with the prongs out, and they fit high on the
neck, and snugly, not dangly loose. I see that all the time and want to
throttle people for using a collar that is going to be ineffective or
harmful just because they don't bother to ask how to use it. The higher on
the neck the collar is, the more control you have over the head. Wherever
the head goes, so goes the rest of the dog. There is a reason, in the show
ring, that those little teeny 1/8th inch leashes work: they are hiked right
up under the jaw.
The prong I have now has leather woven through the links to keep the collar
from coming apart. I have had that happen twice and when it is someone
else's dog it is a t errible, terrible feeling.....trust me.

MomPerson getting off the soapbox
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