Principles of Operation and Balance between Use and Harm of Different Types of Canine Equipment - Part 2

As we said in the first part of our article, harnesses are less harmful, although your Staffy pulls a lead easier. It is not accidental that draught dogs work in harnesses. But there are essential differences in design of the harnesses that influence on dog’s behaviour.

The most widespread design when a harness envelopes a dog’s body. The ring, to which a snap hook is attached, is placed on the back (if it is placed on the neck strap, the harness works like a collar, not like a harness). Another variant is a pulling harness. It is bigger, the straps are arranged over the dog’s body from the neck to the tail, allowing to distribute load most evenly.

The third variant is a corrective harness. The ring for a snap hook of this harness is set on the front part, in the middle of the dog’s chest. It is placed on the strap connecting two shoulder straps. When a lead is pulled, the strap in the centre shrinks pulling the shoulder straps. As a result your Staffy feels the harness tightens its body and presses the elbows. Principle of operation of this harness is also negative reinforcement. Once the lead looses, the straps release and your Stafford feels comfort.

Corrective harness is a piece of equipment for problem dogs. Your Staffy can get itself out of a usual harness, if it tilts its head and moves back. The corrective harness becomes clenched while the lead is pulled, that’s why your Staffordshire can’t wrest out and escape. The second important feature of this kind of dog gear is the chest ring. When the lead is pulled, the dog turns aside itself, opposite side it tries to pull to.

Unpleasant side effects of this harness are the following. Such harnesses are made from light-weighted and narrow straps that begin to rub tender skin behind the Staffy’s elbows when equipment uses regularly. They are to be padded with soft clothing. Secondly the pet is annoyed with metal snap hook that beats the dog’s shoulder during moving. That’s why your Stafford quickly accustoms to walk sideways. You must prevent entrenching such an uneven and leading to redeveloping of the muscles on one side of the body and as a result to back pain step.

If a dog must pull a lead according to its working duties, you should prefer a regular harness. You can accustom your Staffy to run on the pulled lead when it is fastened to the back ring. Resting after work you can fasten the snap hook to the chest ring and enjoy still walking with the dog that stops to pull the leash immediately.

Leads differ in length, material they are made of, strap width, snap hook types and design. The length of the lead has an essential importance. Your Staffy tends to keep the distance. If a lead is short, it will pull ahead and aside, put down its head, while its body seems leant. You can slacken the lead to be longer and your Stafford will move at a distance of about 1,5 m. You can beckon and return it from this distance, teach it to walk alongside of you, even pressing itself to your knee, but only in case when you give your pet a choice. There will be no good walking alongside of you on a pulled lead.

You can choose an optimal length of the lead according to your task. Usually it is 3 m. Some of the leashes of 1,5 and 2 m in length have some stitched rings along and snap hooks on both ends. Such lead is called a leash-rebelay. Fastening a snap hook to one or another ring you can walk two dogs with one lead, make the lead shorter or longer, tether your Staffy, make a loop over your shoulders to set your hands free.

Some leads have rubberised parts or a spring to which the snap hook is fastened. Such leashes are intended to amortise a jerk to prevent hurting your Staffy. Such leads are intended for dogs that have to sit on a leash for a long time. In other cases these leads do more harm than good. You cannot work mild, as the bigger part of your force is amortised, that’s why you, on the contrary, accustom to work harder. These leashes don’t suit for walking purposes.

Retractable dog lead is a well-advertised, but useless product on the animal industry market. As we know, dog handling with dog equipment is based on negative reinforcement. Discomfort should be stopped at the moment your Staffordshire does the right action. But if your pet on the retractable dog leash goes toward you, its mechanism continues to wind the string and your Staffy doesn’t get reinforcement. The retractable dog lead teaches your dog automatically to pull the leash. Even if your task is to train your dog to pull, a retractable lead is not a helper for you in this issue. While using a retractable dog lead not only your Staffy’s back, but also your own one. You can’t hold the lead by your both hands, distributing load evenly. You have to bend your elbow, put up one shoulder and strain your back muscles to control your dog with thick and hard handle of the retractable dog lead. Those who walk their pets on a retractable dog leashes for a long time often feel neck and back pain, but don’t understand their origin.