Leash & Collar Safety Keep Your New Dog Safe
Simply put rescue dogs and new dogs are a flight risk. They are in a new home with an unfamiliar yard, people, and pretty much everything is going to be frightening until they are fully acclimated. They are often nervous, scared, confused and overwhelmed. Imagine being in a new place where all of these people you don’t know are suddenly paying attention to you, you don’t speak their language, and you have no idea where you are. You would likely feel panicked and confused. You would have the urge to run and hide, no?? Well, imagine being a newly adopted dog just for a moment. Would your first instinct be to run? Most likely, yes. Another scenario where a dog is programmed to run is when they are transported in a vehicle. It’s not uncommon for rescue dogs to be picked up right off of a transport van. Often times these rescue dogs come without a collar or harness. Let’s talk about how to safely retrieve your dog off a transport van and how to keep your newly adopted/foster dog safe when going outside and on walks. Nothing is perfect but we have a pretty good handle on what works. What we know works is a locking slip lead. It’s impossible to size a collar properly on the fly so a safe and effective way to keep your newly acquired friend safe is with a slip lead. This baby will be your best friend when picking up a dog up off transport. Bring the slip lead with you and ask the people in charge of retrieving your new dog to place the slip lead on him/her with the van door closed. Insist that they do it this way. The same applies once you get your new dog in the car. One person needs to be in charge of securely holding the slip lead. We understand wanting to include children in dog responsibilities but this is a job for an adult. Only when chosen person has the slip lead secured will the car door be opened. Once you are home you will be able to properly measure for a martingale collar. They can be purchased on Amazon or if you are looking for something a little more stylish please visit Pezpet on Etsy Visit Pezpet. Pezpet was kind enough to let us use her beautiful pics for this blog entry and I have personally purchased her beautiful collars. Thanks Pezpet! Martingale collars are affordable and work great. Please keep in mind even if you are told your dog will have a collar don’t take it for granted that it properly fitted. Scared dogs will often try to back out of their collars. It is painfully easy for a dog to back out of a collar or harness that is not fitted correctly. Heck, dogs can back out of well fitted collars and harnesses. Sadly, it happens all the time. Which brings me to talk about martingale collars and why they work. Every dog should be fitted with a Martingale collar. Martingale collars tighten when a dog goes to back up. Yep, it’s truly that simple. They are comfortable and safe for the dog. Like with any collar they do need to be fitted properly. Be sure to read how to measure accordingly. They are not measured like a traditional collar. Please read the recommendations provided by the maker of the collar you are purchasing. New canine family members should always have on two forms of restraint. It can be a collar and a harness with a leash attached to each or a collar and a locking slip lead. I know it’s sounds like overkill but please trust this recommendation to keep your new family member safe. Keeping a long lead attached to your dog’s collar while indoors is another safety measure that will provide protection if your new friend if he/she runs for an open door. Truth be told it’s a good idea to keep a leash on a new dog at all times while they are settling in. Doing so provides them with security and offers you control in turn giving them direction. Win, Win!! It a really good practice to help keep your new family member safe. Cheers to many years of keeping your new pup safe!!
