|
|
Post by fatamorgana on Mar 29, 2013 13:24:48 GMT
Caz; headcollars are supposed to stop pulling. Why shouldn't they stop the dog PULLING to get at a stone? Surely they would help a little. A head collar should not be used to force a dogs mouth closed unless it is an emergency. Headcollars stop pulling, they do not prevent the dog picking up objects, they are 2 very different behaviours. The only way you could use a head collar to do that is if you were to tighten it a lot which is not only uncomfortable for the dog but extremely unsafe. The Halti was designed with the ability to momentarily close the dog's mouth if necessary. I would be inclined to use the Halti to teach the dog to leave the stones alone, yet allowing supervised access to them and not using a muzzle. The dog needs to learn to be in the presence of stones without the desire to eat them. Otherwise the problem is not being solved. |
|
|
|
Post by caz2golden on Mar 29, 2013 13:31:15 GMT
Have you ever used a Halti to close a dogs mouth?
|
|
|
|
Post by bextull on Mar 29, 2013 16:42:27 GMT
A head collar should not be used to force a dogs mouth closed unless it is an emergency. Headcollars stop pulling, they do not prevent the dog picking up objects, they are 2 very different behaviours. The only way you could use a head collar to do that is if you were to tighten it a lot which is not only uncomfortable for the dog but extremely unsafe. The Halti was designed with the ability to momentarily close the dog's mouth if necessary. I would be inclined to use the Halti to teach the dog to leave the stones alone, yet allowing supervised access to them and not using a muzzle. The dog needs to learn to be in the presence of stones without the desire to eat them. Otherwise the problem is not being solved. So the fact that you could possibly damage the dogs neck by trying to close its mouth does not matter? Having used a halti before it would have been incredibly difficult for me to close my dogs mouth without twisting his neck. |
|
|
|
Post by caz2golden on Mar 29, 2013 18:36:38 GMT
Fatamorgana please give your personal experience of using Halti in this fashion to close your dogs mouth and how safe you deem this action. When a dog lunges towards an object on a Halti, the lead is in a backwards position from the headcollar and the bit around the nose does not tighten on the muzzle and shut mouth as perhaps expected. Therefore dog is still capable of picking small objects up. The Halti in this situation is designed to turn the dogs head sideways and redirect the head (As such it is a pulling back motion on the noseband). In theory where the head goes the body follows. To use the Halti as described to close the mouth you would have to have the lead alongside the dogs nose (90 degrees) and take a diagonal to upwards motion on the lead. Alternatively you have to be in front of the dog and again pull upwards so dogs nose goes up into the air. These are the only two ways I can see the Halti works in this manner. To do this you also have to have a very well fitting Halti as otherwise you will be applying pressure to the wrong bit of the nose. Dog would also have to be compliant to the action as as Bextull says if my dogs wanted to open their mouths I think you would have to use a lot of pressure to force mouth shut. I agree with Bextull too much risk of potential injury. To be honest though I have used them I am not a fan of them as they pull up into the dogs eyes when they pull. There are better headcollars on the market. I have never used them to shut my dogs mouth up and never would and would never recommend anyone used one in this manner. I agree with Bextull that you risk injuring your dog by doing this and not just the neck. It may be an advertising thing to sell the product to unpredictable dogs but does not make it the right thing to do!
|
|
longhope
Settling in well!
Posts: 63
Pets I own: Parsons Russell Terrier puppy, previously owned an English Springer Spaniel.
|
Post by longhope on Mar 29, 2013 22:02:32 GMT
Just picked up on this, I agree with caz's earlier comment about de-stoning the garden. Having had a springer in the past the nasty tasting spray may not work Sammie (my springer) had no apparent sense of taste.
Orpheous, how old is your friends springer? and is there other strange things the dog does besides run round in circles?
|
|
|
|
Post by orpheous87 on Mar 29, 2013 22:06:39 GMT
Well, that's one of the reasons I wasn't sure whether a bitter spray would work. I know my own Springer will eat all sorts and I'm sure a bitter spray wouldn't work with her.
I think he's 2 or 3, not sure which. No, not really. He can go in a straight line, he just prefers to race around in circles and then stop in front of you with his ball.
|
|
longhope
Settling in well!
Posts: 63
Pets I own: Parsons Russell Terrier puppy, previously owned an English Springer Spaniel.
|
Post by longhope on Mar 29, 2013 22:28:54 GMT
A normal springer then.
Just had a thought (long shot), instead of de-stoning, replace the stones with different ones. There maybe a smell being given off by the existing stones (they do hold some gas element) that attracts your friends dog. What stones do they have? Remember spreading cotswold stone chippings on my drive and the smell given off was like a gas main had burst.
|
|
|
|
Post by orpheous87 on Mar 29, 2013 22:47:36 GMT
Pretty much. He's a very, very 'busy' dog. His tail never stops wagging and he runs with his nose to the floor. Nothing like my Springer at all.
Ahh. That's possible I suppose. I'm not sure really, I think it's just gravel type stones.
|
|
|
|
Post by orpheous87 on Apr 7, 2013 20:01:00 GMT
We saw Benson for the first time since his operation today - complete with muzzle!
They're unable to destone the area, as when the stones came out, they realised that they weren't from the garden this time, but from outside of their work building. He goes to work with Lynn on a morning and in the area outside, there's a lot of rubble and stones that they can't get rid of.
So, he's wearing a Baskerville type muzzle and it hasn't affected him at all! He was still the same happy dog as he always is and was running around happily, although he was still trying to pick sticks up off the floor (which was rather amusing).
Lynn said they tried training him while he was recovering, but everything they did got him too excited so they had to stop. Poor Benson.
But at least the story has a happy ending!
|
|
|
|
Post by gladys on Apr 7, 2013 23:45:26 GMT
Glad the operation went ok and that the muzzle hasn't stop him being excited and happy with life. Lets hope he continues to amuse trying to pick up stones but never succeeding!?!  |
|
|
|
Post by orpheous87 on Apr 8, 2013 17:28:22 GMT
Yes, as long as he doesn't succeed it's all good!  Poor Benson, I shouldn't laugh at him. |
|
|
|
Post by BorderTerrier on Apr 8, 2013 17:31:19 GMT
A bitter spray would work well, I think.
|
|
