It matters

There is a list of things, which are thought to be of no matter for dogs. Meanwhile, in this list one can find a bunch of things, which are indeed important for dogs, hence for their well-being. Moreover, ignorance of what really matters for a dog sometimes leads to what is called “behavior problems”.

That’s why I decided to tackle this topic with the help of examples and some cases.

Today I’ll talk about “that one tiny thing”. It’s so tiny, that most of owners don’t even suppose, that it can somehow affect a dog.

However, I had such cases in practice, when because of this “thing” dogs started to change their behavior, and owners interpreted it as a behavior problem. In one case the dog strained at the leash, in another one he feared walks, and in the third one the dog had no contact with his owner on the walk and tried to hold a maximum distance.

The owners had intention to use training with positive reinforcement as a solution. But in those cases the problem was solved within 30 seconds (of course, not taking into account time for data collection and analysis).

What is this “thing” I’m talking about? A snap hook. Yes, this metal object, which helps to attach the leash to the harness.

Most of the leashes to be found in a regular pet store are not only heavy themselves, but also have an enormous snap hook, which lies on the back, creating a heavy load even for fairly large dogs. Moreover, the longer the leash, the larger the snap hook. That’s why when an expert gives a recommendation to buy a leash not less than 5 meters long (7-10 meters is even better), without precising (what I didn’t do myself until recently), that it shouldn’t be “any leash” or “the leash, that is comfortable for you”, but with a light snap hook, the life and walks of a dog will get not better, but even worse.

An example from practice. Owner of a young Cavalier King Charles Spaniel complained about her dog’s behavior: he disobeyed during the walks, went away from her to the other end of the leash and just pulled. At the same time, the analysis of the situation and dogs' characteristics didn’t show, that the dog feared the environment or had chronic stress. Moreover, the way the family interacted with the dog clearly showed concern for the dog's well-being. Face-to-face meeting put everything in its place. When we went out together for a walk after a small talk at home and I saw a snap hook attached to the leash, a hypothesis came to my mind. It proved afterwards. All the dog was concerned about was that snap hook, which created a pressure effect on his spine, leading to a huge discomfort. In that case (as well as in others with small dogs) we did away with the situation very simply: we cut off the snap hook from the leash (which was quite thin) and tied it to the harness’ ring. Even no need to buy a new one. The dog changed at once.

Frankly, to find a long leash with a good snap hook (light, small and strong at the same time) is a hard task, but it's worth it.

For now, let me show you a photo – two snap hooks attached to leashes. The leash with the smaller snap hook is 10 meters long, and with the bigger one – 5 meters. I went for a walk with Dakota just once, using the 5 meters long leash, and discomfort my dog felt was obvious. It lay still, waiting for a photo and this post. By the way, this snap hook is far from the biggest one – I chose from what was available in the store.

Conclusion:

All details are important. Dog feels everything, that is in contact with his body. If it’s something, that is uncomfortable, heavy, rings, hits against the back etc., it will cause discomfort and sometimes pain. In its turn it affects, of course, the state of the dog in the moment and his behavior. Apropos, heavy leash + heavy snap hook = constantly moving harness.

When owner claims, that dog has problems, it’s important to start not with dog training (to teach the dog to respond to the call, not to pull the leash and so on), but with a thoughtful analysis. Any behavioral pattern can have dozens of reasons. If you know the reason, you can find the right solution.

Even if a particular dog doesn’t show obvious fear of a leash with a huge snap hook, it doesn’t mean, that he feels comfortable. Just like us, dogs have different levels of sensitivity, including tactility. Therefore, one will experience a lot of stress, while the other one – just a little discomfort. But if your dog's well-being is important for you, no matter how sensitive he is - choose appropriate ammunition.

A good snap hook has almost nothing to do with the dog's back :) Look carefully at the photos with Dakota. The main part of the snap hook lies on the harness, not on the back. In spite of the leash hanging to the side, the harness doesn’t move anyway. And the last thing: hook the snap in such way, that if it touches dog’s back, it does so with a smooth round side, not with a protruding metal latch.

To be continued :)

Lyubov Mishchenko,

dog trainer, CEO in University of modern kinology, LLC, 

PDTE full member and CR for Russia