Blog by K9 Pro and Steve Courtney Dog Training K9 Pro The K9 Professionals
Broken Leashes can equal disaster.
Not that long ago, I was at my local obedience club with my beagle Daisy, she was standing next to me on leash when another club member entered the grounds with their dog. The dog, that became highly aroused as soon as it walked on to the field, broke free of it’s collar and made a bee line for Daisy.
It happened so fast there wasn’t time to think, the dog grabbed her by the neck, threw her on the ground and attacked her. It took two of us to get the dog off Daisy which was made even more difficult because the dog had no collar on. If you have ever broken up a dog fight you know how physical it is and how much strength it can take to pull one dog off another.
Daisy was thankfully fine and has since recovered and remains neutral towards other dogs but these kinds of incidents are a prime example of how important it is to use quality equipment on your dogs.
These attacks are entirely preventable but unfortunately a lot of owners aren’t aware of the importance of using quality equipment and often don’t know how to tell the difference between well made, quality equipment and cheap and nasty equipment that is likely to wear quickly and break easily. Having quality equipment is not just important for people with aggressive or reactive dogs but for all dog owners.
About six years ago I had a leash break on me for the second time when I was out walking my dog – he immediately ran towards a busy main road and while I was able to get him back before anything happened to him it made me realise how quickly I could have lost him. It was that incident that lead me to buy my first K9 Pro leather leash – which I still have and use now. That’s another benefit of quality equipment – it out lasts the cheap and nasty stuff!
When it comes to buying equipment you can’t always use price as an indicator for quality. Whenever I pop into our local pet supply stores I am always surprised at how much leashes are selling for especially when I can see they have the cheap die cast chrome snaps that break easily under shock loading.
You can buy a K9 Pro leather leash from $40, these are the softest leather leashes you can find on the market custom made for us by hand and like all our leashes come with solid brass snaps – plus, all our leather leashes come with a guarantee. Our premium cotton gripper leashes start from just $19, there is no reason why quality equipment needs to cost you an arm and a leg. Martingale collars – one of our biggest sellers – are an excellent option for anyone who wants an affordable, quality collar that won’t come apart under pressure. I stopped using collars that fasten together with plastic snaps almost ten years ago when my first dog was a pup and I discovered how often and how easily the plastic snap would come apart.
The dog that attacked Daisy at club was wearing one of these collars and I never recommend them – it is just too easy for them to fail and pull apart. Because we feel it is so important to encourage people to use quality equipment.
It is really important for trainers and training clubs to make sure that their students are using quality equipment when on their training grounds to minimise the chance that incidents will occur. It is also important for trainers, clubs, boarding kennels, vet surgeries and other places that handle dogs daily and fit and sell equipment to make sure that the products they are using and selling are quality and safe.
Never under estimate the importance of good quality equipment – if you are unsure of whether your equipment is good quality, send us an email at info@k9pro.com.au and we can advise you on what equipment will be best for your dog. If you are a club, trainer, work at a kennel or vet surgery or anywhere else that sells equipment contact us for more information on our wholesale account options. Make safety a priority when handling your dogs and others! Have you checked your equipment lately?
Bec and Daisy
The first product I ever purchased from K9 Pro was one of their 6 ft leather leashes back in 2006 when I was getting help from Steve for my dog aggressive-dog Dave. I quickly realised the quality of this product and it made me stop wasting time shopping at pet stores as they just don’t make the grade. I still use this same leather leash every day and I still get comments of how nice the leather feels in your hand. I honestly can’t remember how much I paid for this leash back in 2006 but I’m sure if I bought a cheap one from a pet store I would have been through at least 10 by now.
Totally agree with you Nic! Your leash must be the same age as my first K9 Pro leash (though of course I have bought about 2000 more since then LOL)
Hi Bec
I remember that night as if it was yesterday and yes if the other dog was wearing a good quality collar and lead that incident would never have happened.
I also remember Steve talking at a seminar about the importance of using quality equipment and have taken this on board in my job as a vet nurse.
I explained to my boss the importance and how it could save one of staff members from being hurt and 2 leather metal buckle muzzles where purchased.
Not long after purchasing these muzzles a client came in with an aggressive dog. I explained to him that if the dog was to come into our clinic he needed to use our leather muzzle and not his nylon one with the plastic clip. He was not happy and grumbled about his being good enough but he had no other choice. When he returned with his dog wearing the leather muzzle he very shyly showed me his muzzle. It had a large crack in the plastic clip and would have broken at any time.
By using quality equipment myself and my other staff members were saved from being injured by this dog that day.
Cheap equipment doesn’t last quality will always stand the test of time.
Another point is equipment needs to be fitted correctly too.
Cheers
BC4ME
Maree, I knew you’d remember this incident as well as I do. It is so sad incidents like these continue to happen frequently when they are entirely preventable.
And I agree, being able to fit equipment properly is so important!
Great post Maree, no good waiting until something goes wrong to think of better ways. Glad the guy with the muzzle was given great advice.