Caring for a Three Legged Dog or Cat
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Hah! No more Goofy Leader collar for me. I'm a Big Dawg now!
Anyone who's got themself a crazy psycho dawg like I used to be might want to give this a try.
Wyatt Ray Dawg . . . The Tripawds Leg-A-Cy Continues!
Read all about my adventures at my Tripawds Blog
Cheeto says please please would make my mommy so happy cause I have forgot all my manners
That is a size large right right? Not sure if it will fit Cheeto. I sure don't want to steal that from Cheeto but if you don't think it will fit him I may be needing one of those. The coordinator from the Great Dane rescue recommended one of those to help train any foster Danes. But I'm not sure if it will fit a Great Dane anyway. I may need an Xlarge for a Dane. I have never used one of those before but I have heard that they work well. If it will fit Cheeto just ignore my request. How big is Cheeto? Sometime it is hard to tell how big the Dogs are from the pics.
He is about 60 llbs snout about the same size as Wyatt. If I remember these are a little more forgiving:-)
Wow - he doesn't look like 60 lbs! He looks like a little guy!
Rene - I've been thinking of getting one of those for Rita and am not trying to horn in on the offer - it would be way too big for her anyway - but just wondered how you liked it. I know the "Feisty Fido" book I got (trying to help Rita not be so "reactive" to other dogs on leash) recommends them, but my sister's dog hates hers and always tries to rub her face on the ground to get it off. I know it's supposed to be "gentle" and all, but it sure doesn't seem like the dog enjoys wearing it, and I know I'm too soft-hearted to make Rita wear it if she hates it.
Thoughts?
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Wow I had no idea this would be so popular!
Gals, the sizing instructions are here.
Gentle Leader® Headcollar
| DOG MATCH | COLORS | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| SIZE | WEIGHT | BREED | Black, Brown, Deep Purple, Fawn, Green, Ice Blue, Raspberry, Red, Royal Blue, Silver |
| Petite | <5 lbs. | Tiny Toys, Puppies | |
| Small | <25 lbs. | Beagles, Shelties | |
| Medium | 25-60 lbs. | Dalmatians, Spaniels | |
| Large | 60-130 lbs. | Danes, Goldens, Labs | |
| X-Large | >130 lbs. | Giant & Oversized Dogs | |
Ok, my thoughts are as follows:
The GL is better than the Halti, it just fits better. BUT, just about every dog I've ever met has hated the way it feels on their snout. They become experts at slipping out of it but the good news is that they can't actually come lose from it, only the snout band can come off if it's not sized right. And just about every dog I've met develops a dent on top of their snout from it, but it does go away.
IMHO the success of this depends on the dog and how the handler views it as a tool. It isn't meant to be a calming device, really it's only good for teaching your dog how not to pull while on leash. BUT if the dog has other issues, you have a bigger challenge than this product alone can handle. Read on...
We used a GL on Jerry from the time he was a pup, and it worked GREAT. He didn't need it beyond year one. The way we knew it did its job was because we could walk with him without it, and he wouldn't pull anymore.
But then Wyatt came along...and unlike St. Jerry, Wyatt came with a host of issues, like being reactive toward EVERYTHING. The GL made it easier for us to walk him but it DID NOT solve his bigger challenges like lunging, barking and reacting. He still pulled so hard that it ripped the hairs off his snout! The difference was that we didn't feel the pull, and it made it easier for us to walk away from the situation.
The GL made it easy for us to avoid dealing with his real issues. When he wasn't wearing it, all hell broke loose.
I never thought we would EVER use a prong collar on a dog, I thought they were mean. But it wasn't until we stopped using the GL, switched to a prong collar and found a trainer who specialized in reactive, large dogs that we were able to understand why every German Shepherd who comes out of a good rescue group also comes with a prong collar! It allowed us to work with Wyatt's psyche and his challenges. He still isn't perfect but now we know what to expect and have the tools to address the issue without just walking away.
It's worth a try, for sure, if you've never used one, and I like the thought of trying the "gentlest" method first...but if you notice that your dog is still pullling and lunging whenever he's not wearing it, it's time to kick things up a notch!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Heee heee! Look at meeeee! I was about 75 pounds there. I'm 80 now!
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Wyatt Ray Dawg . . . The Tripawds Leg-A-Cy Continues!
Read all about my adventures at my Tripawds Blog
Wyatt! We are so proud of you for being a big boy now!
We have a Halti around here somewhere...but Rugby could get out of it.
Comet - 1999 to 2011
She departed us unexpectedly January 23, 2011 at the age of 12 1/2.
She was born with a deformed front leg and a tripawd all of her life.
I love these! Julian has one and he wears XL for sure. Athena has a Medium and she is 50 pounds. Some dogs hate them at first but they really do help teach good manners.
Pam
Rita is not toooo bad with the pulling. She pulls at first when we first get going, but she settles down after about 10 min. The bigger problem is how she goes nuts when another dog goes by. Some dogs she is fine, but most dogs she goes nuts.
The Feisty Fido book says to try either a GL or an Easy Walker. We have the Easy Walker. I'm trying to work with on the "Watch" command that they recommend in the book. We need A LOT more work on that. It's mostly me and not her... I'm a pretty lazy dog trainer. She's super food motivated, so I think I can get her to not be so reactive if I just get better about practicing with her. (And get some higher value treats for her.)
Thanks for the info!
Looking good Wyatt Ray !
Abby: Aug 1, 2009 – Jan 10, 2012. Our beautiful rescue pup lived LARGE with osteosarcoma for 15 months – half her way-too-short life. I think our "halflistic" approach (mixing traditional meds + supplements) helped her thrive. (PM me for details. I'm happy to help.) She had lung mets for over a year. They took her from us in the end, but they cannot take her spirit! She will live forever in our hearts. She loved the beach and giving kisses and going to In-N-Out for a Flying Dutchman. Tripawds blog, and a more detailed blog here. Please also check out my novel, What the Dog Ate. Now also in paperback! Purchase it at Amazon via Tripawds and help support Tripawds!
Learning how to get Wyatt to make eye contact was one of the biggest challenges, and when we finally got him to do it without the use of treats, it was one of the biggest victories too. It's made all the difference in our relationship.
Again, if you need any training help, our MySmartPuppy.com friends are awesome.
You'll get there, I know you will!
Tripawds Founders Jim and Rene
tripawds.com | tripawds.org | bemoredog.net | triday.pet
Wow, I didn't realize that Cheeto is 60lbs! He does look smaller than that. It probably will fit him. And you know that he needs it right now so good luck with using it. I hope it helps. Lets us know how it goes. I may or may not need one of those but if I do I'll just buy one. I may get lots of use out of one if I end up fostering many Danes. Alot of the fosters need general training. It seems like it is taking a long time for them to contact me about my first foster but I remember her saying that she was going to try to find an easy one for my first one. And also she said it can only be a male because of me having an adult female and it has to be ok with cats and kids. Also sometimes it takes a while to get the initial evaluations done because the organization is run by volunteers only. I'm being patient though. The time will come. Can't wait though! I recently joined the online group for the Magdrl volunteers. It is so cool because it is a support and info group for all of the volunteers and it's all about Great Danes! Percect for me!
Angel and Valentina Angel Dane
When I used to train at PetSmart one of my jobs to teach pet parents how to put these on and use them effectively. I have always used them for "active" dogs when I did dog walking too. I had been thinking of getting one for CHeeto as soon as I had a few extra $. It would help to keep him focused. If someone else really needs it that is Okey dokey too! Cheeto is very solid!
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