Advice on a new collar/gentle leader/ or something else.

[SheepOfBlue]

Sca is not a Houdogi but has slipped his collar once, I keep it loose. But for flyball he has a harness and slipping that would be impressive. Of course it will not temper his I got to play pulls.

 

[OntarioSheltie]

If they can get the nose loop off, it's WAAAY too loose. The neck piece should be no more than one finger loose. If you can get two fingers under there, it's too loose. When fit correctly, the collar should fit just under the occipital bone, where there is a calming pressure point. It was not uncommon for dogs in my class to fight the leader for a while, and then be sound asleep by the end of class. The nose loop should be tight enough that they can't get it off, but not so tight it makes the eyes bulge.

you might want to see if you can find someone to help you fit it correctly. The dog is not supposed to be able to get the nose loop off easily. My beagle boy, Happy, had a gentle leader and he would roll around and paw at it and it never came off.

I don't think its necessarily too loose, its not meant to be worn in the house with the dog running free. Some pulling at it with the paws can get the metal snap under the chin loose.

My trainer said to redirect their behavior when they paw at the GL by running your hand down the leash till its under their chin to distract them, then make them do something like a sit or lie down and praise them for listening.

The GL has done wonders for Toby, my rescue boy. It calms his fears so that he's not lunging, barking and spinning when he's afraid and he no longer pulls when we walk.

 

[BarbV]

I'm not fond of harnesses for Shelties. But that's me being picky. I just don't like the look of it.

Even well trained dogs will slip their collar from time to time...sometimes, not even on purpose...they just twist a certain way and off it comes.

I really prefer a martingale for Shelties. The beauty of the martingale is that it fits loose when they are not attached to a lead, so it does not chaff their ruff. But when attached to a lead, it adjusts perfectly to the size of their neck, so that it won't slip off.

The thing with Shelties is that they have big necks (with their ruffs), but narrow heads, so slipping collars is a chronic problem. The martingale solves that problem.

If you decide on a martingale, try to find one that is narrow in design - no more than 1/4 or 1/2 inch. Many of us use the martingales by Leashes by Design. These are perfect. The only drawback is that they are not adjustable so if pup loses or gains weight.....

 

[Lacey'sMamma]

martingales

are great for no slipping. But i would strongly recommend finding one with a buckle as well as it being adjustable. I find it really hard to get the collar off my girl. I really wish it had a buckle! i know you can get them. my girl has never tried to escape out of her collar so im thinking of getting a regular adjustable buckle one. She has one but it is orange and ugly haha... im still shoppin!

 

[BarbV]

are great for no slipping. But i would strongly recommend finding one with a buckle as well as it being adjustable. I find it really hard to get the collar off my girl. I really wish it had a buckle! i know you can get them. my girl has never tried to escape out of her collar so im thinking of getting a regular adjustable buckle one. She has one but it is orange and ugly haha... im still shoppin!

If you are finding the martingale too hard to get off when not attached to a lead, then I think its too tight. On a fully grown Sheltie, it does not need to be adjustable.

On a Sheltie, the martingle should fit fairly loose in their ruff. The chain should be long enough to tighten just enough to prevent slipping the collar without choking. Loose, it just just bury itself in the ruff, but without chaffing the fur.

I spent time picking colours for the the Leashes by Design collars...but I never even see them because they hide in the ruff. Perfect!!!!! That's exactly what you want.

 

[Lacey'sMamma]

I actually have the collar to loose on her because the metal rings touch when tightened... i think its because it is a classic flat one inch wide collar and lacey has lots of fur. I like the rolled collars better, just cant find any here! I just hated taking the thing off everyday. My whole family wished it had a buckle

 

[BarbV]

I actually have the collar to loose on her because the metal rings touch when tightened... i think its because it is a classic flat one inch wide collar and lacey has lots of fur. I like the rolled collars better, just cant find any here! I just hated taking the thing off everyday. My whole family wished it had a buckle

I had the same issue, which is why I ordered from Leashes by Design.....she shut down for awhile and only recently started up again, but I think someone said she wasn't shipping to Canada anymore.

I did find some other websites for rolled leather collars. Just google on "rolled leather martingale collars".

http://store.collarsandmore.com/mer...ore_Code=C&Product_Code=MGCR&Category_Code=CC


http://www.auburndirect.com/Collars/Rolled-Leather-Martingale-Collars.php

 

[OntarioSheltie]

I actually have the collar to loose on her because the metal rings touch when tightened... i think its because it is a classic flat one inch wide collar and lacey has lots of fur. I like the rolled collars better, just cant find any here! I just hated taking the thing off everyday. My whole family wished it had a buckle

I have the same problem with Sadie, the collar isn't too tight but she has a big fluffy ruff so I have trouble taking it off. Sadie hates it being pulled over her head and if I don't stop her she'll pull her head backward hard and just about topple over when I try to remove it.

I had the same issue, which is why I ordered from Leashes by Design.....she shut down for awhile and only recently started up again, but I think someone said she wasn't shipping to Canada anymore.

I did find some other websites for rolled leather collars. Just google on "rolled leather martingale collars".

http://store.collarsandmore.com/mer...ore_Code=C&Product_Code=MGCR&Category_Code=CC


http://www.auburndirect.com/Collars/Rolled-Leather-Martingale-Collars.php

Thanks for the links, I'll have to look into them. I may again look into ordering a couple of collars by lbd. I have a family member with a us postal box.

 

[Bellesmom]

does anyone use the old fashioned choke chain anymore? I confess that I still have the one from my last Sheltie in the 90s..and am using it for Belle. On walks it is loose with loose leash most of the time, tightens when need be..

I was taught to use a choke collar in the 70s at the dog obedience classes I took then and like them because they will never slip off. It can tangle the ruff however, so I intend to get a collar that is a combination of fabric and choke chain..

never heard of a martingale.. I guess I have been out of shelties too long.

 

[BarbV]

Yikes! Choke chains! Nope....I think there would be few on this forum that would support those.

A martingale is much gentler way of achieving similar results. Sized properly, it will never choke the dog, but neither will the dog slip their collar.

Slipping collars is common for big haired dogs like ours. Their big ruffs cause us to keep collars looser than we would like, then because of their small heads, the loose collar just flies off.

The martingale is ideal for balancing those issues.

It's not a training tool, however. If you have a serious walking problem, then a harness is what you might need. But I think it's rare that a Sheltie would need a harness. They are not so big or so strong that you can't rein them in.

When my dogs pull on the leash, first they get a gentle tug and pull back on the leash to remind them to keep to my pace. If they keep pulling then they are put into a sit with eyes on me. When I totally have their attention, they are released to walk again. Sometimes it takes a few repetitions for them to remember. But they usually get it.