Author Topic: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..  (Read 7927 times)

Offline CadillacQueen

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And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« on: November 30, 2008, 06:47:44 pm »
*Jaws theme*

Today was a disaster. We're both in shame.

We were walking down the road, this being Shanty and I, and I saw a man leading a black German Shepard across the road. I thought hey, cool, that's fine, he's over there.
Well he sees us, waves, and crosses over.
Shanty leaps towards him, barking and snarling, and I'm trying to rein her in, with as much success as a toddler trying to reel in a whale.

The Halti/Gentle leader is digging into her face and neck but she's ignoring it like it isn't even there. Worst thing is, the guy keeps on walking towards us, smiling and waving, and boy am I ready to kill him.

After a minute the Halti/Leader breaks....yes. ..snaps...and she's off and running towards him.
This is the time he decides to turn around go back the way he came, fat little legs peddling, his Shep running as fat as it can with it's tail between it's legs.
Too late, she's running in circles around him, barking and snapping at the Shep.
We know she's not attacked yet, and probably never will, and all she does is run and bark, and does 'play' poses, but it always looks so fierce that the other owner gets terrified.

We eventually got away from him.

Should I resort to a choke chain collar?

As soon as she sees another dog she's like this, and she's a tall and hefty dog that I just cannot hold once she's going crazy.
h*ll, I don't know anyone who could hold her in check.
The Halti was useless once she saw that Shep, and it's the same with every other dog **except Meatloaf** that she sees.

what can I do?

Offline CadillacQueen

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Re: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« Reply #1 on: November 30, 2008, 08:10:22 pm »
I've been intermittent on the forum lately so I am not familiar with Shanty. However, knowing what its like to hold back a 100+ puppy with clear designs on getting somewhere, I would strongly recommend a prong collar. They look awful but are very effective.

How do they work? Are they safe to use and legal in Australia?

yellow_dog_mom

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Re: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« Reply #2 on: December 01, 2008, 02:22:23 am »
The collars only look evil. I go to a dog REtraining class on occasion with a friend whose dog was in an abusive situation. Some of the dogs are only in class because they are hard to manage due to incredible strength. Almost all the dog owners use these prong collars, and as Tina, Holly & Tobeysmum said..they are your best solution.   
« Last Edit: December 01, 2008, 02:30:37 am by yellow_dog_mom »

Offline Scootergirl

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Re: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« Reply #3 on: December 01, 2008, 02:50:01 am »
We tried everything with our pully Kentucky: gentle leader, halti, illusion collar from Cesar Milan, slip leashes. I can testify that the pinch/prong collar has been most effective. Shanty will not keep straining at the leash when the prongs start pinching.

You may also want to work on socializing her with other dogs. I know it's scary, but since she hasn't attacked any dog yet, she may just be curious and used to asserting her dominance. Maybe you can talk to an experienced trainer who has a tolerant dog that Shanty has never met. Take them to a neutral place and see how she does. When you see she is comfortable meeting new dogs, have the trainer go with you to a dog park, if you have one - or invite some other dog owners over to a fenced in area to let her meet dogs and learn from the other dogs how to properly introduce herself.
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principle difference between dog and man." -- Mark Twain

Offline Amy (guffer)

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Re: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« Reply #4 on: December 01, 2008, 02:59:31 am »
My boys pulled with the halti collars, too.  The prong collars let me walk both dogs (all 220 lbs) by myself with complete control.  It doesn't pinch as long as they behave, so they figure it out quickly that it pays to walk nicely.  Even my 70 pound 8 year old son can walk one of the dogs with pretty good control.  We don't have to use the prong collars all the time either, only in unpredictable situations where we feel we need that extra measure of control.  I think we only paid about $15 for each, and they were totally worth the investment.

Tonda

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Re: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« Reply #5 on: December 01, 2008, 04:19:20 am »
I haven't had to resort to one with the pups (yet), but I will if I have to. I used one with my Staffie, and I swear it was like magic. One time and she was a totally different dog. I only ever had to brake it out one more time, yeeeeaaaaars later. Because it gives a pinch, it's more effective than a choke chain (and safer too, since most strong dogs will simply power through being choked, even if they do real damage to their necks).

Offline CadillacQueen

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Re: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« Reply #6 on: December 01, 2008, 09:22:55 am »
I just found out prong collars are illegal in my state.

What else can I do?

Tonda

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Re: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« Reply #7 on: December 01, 2008, 09:52:28 am »
I just found out prong collars are illegal in my state.

What else can I do?

This is so stupid.

You can try one of the many halters that are out there that are supposed to stop pulling and lunging.

The Larz (I have a friend who swears by them) might be your best bet if you REALLY need control.
http://www.larzequipment.com/dog_harness.html


Offline CadillacQueen

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Re: And JUST when you thought it was safe to go back in public..
« Reply #8 on: December 01, 2008, 05:14:15 pm »
I just found out prong collars are illegal in my state.

What else can I do?

Use one anyway. It's better than a lawsuit or a big vet bill. If Shanty has long fur it will be barely noticable underneath.

She's a Dane so she has very short fur.
I was considering getting one anyway, and tying a bandanna around her neck to conceal it.

We tried a body/chest harness that the vet fitted for us, and she broke that one when we went for a walk and she saw a terrier across the road.