Dogs in the Snow!

[felonytexas]

We were out at the local 7th day advantist school, which is closed. Or has so few students I never see any. Their fields are HUGE, and good for running the hell out of Bodie.

A friend of ours brought her dogs with, Bodie likes her, and pretends her puppy Bruce Wayne doesn't exist.

The Dogs are as follows...

Bodie: blue merle aussie

Sissy: in

Comments

[felonytexas]

Bruce isn't my dog. and it isn't my place to judge what his owner does with him, unless I am ASKED. Which is the first rule of polite business. And the choke on Sully, he doesn't "play" with other dogs. Why worry about something that isn't an issue? Sully does not play with other dogs. All he does is run in circles and try to convince humans to throw a ball for him. If no one is throwing a ball he's off doing his own thing, or trying to sucker a different human (or stealing a ball from another dog playing fetch - he simply beats them to it) into throwing the ball for him. That's his only motivation. He doesn't play with other dogs. He plays in the yard with my pack but at home in the confines of our own work space he doesn't wear anything but his flatbed which has his tags (that have gone missing thanks to a bad clip job on my part).

Bodie wears a prong for the safety of others. And again does not play, in fact he has no sense of humor and considers any time we're out in public to be serious work time, whether it be the large open field, the acre back yard of a friend who knows and can work safely around him, or an actual dog park. He doesn't play. And the prong is for the safety of other people.

[recreatexme]

I have NEVER met an experienced trainer who would think twice about speaking to someone quietly about a potentially dangerous situation in their presence. Period. I wouldn't hold them in very high regard if they didn't, frankly. Whether the dogs really do play or not, neither a choke or prong collar belong on them while out running and doing other activities. It is really not that hard to just take it off of them while playing.

And how is the prong for bodie a safety measure if there is no leash attached? I have to wonder why he is off leash in public if he really does pose that much of a threat anyway.

[felonytexas]

And I have never in my entire career and life with dogs had a single issue leaving a prong or chain on a dog in an environment that I feel is relatively controlled. These two packs of dogs know one another well, I know the dogs well enough to feel confident no one is going to cause a scene with any one else. And as I saw no immediate threat to any one, I felt there was no necessity to worry about the prong. If Bruce's owner and Myles's owner weren't worried about it, not my place to tell them how to raise their children/dogs. And if I was going to start speaking up every time I saw a "potentially" dangerous situation...I'd do nothing but nag other people because frankly there are thousands upon thousands of dangerous situations presented to dogs every day. Hell when I run my pack with the endurance horses that could be considered terribly dangerous because someone could easily get stepped on. (And you're more than welcome not to think highly of me, I'm sure the feeling will be mutual.)

And like I have said again and again, Bodie and Sully don't play with other dogs. Though ironically they WILL wrestle with one another in the backyard. But that's about it, out and about they have no inclination to play with other dogs the way Bruce and Myles do, or even Sissy who will occasionally try to join in (and than gets kicked out for being a brat).

The prong on Bodie is what I call the e-break. It's the emergency handle I can grab if I have to, and when I grab it, I want him to KNOW it and I want it to count for something. Because I am not grabbing it for shits and giggles. And as explained (because clearly no one is reading thoroughly), Bodie is off leash off muzzle in public ONLY in an environment where the other people present know him, are familiar with him, that he has been around before with out incident and who know how to behave around Bodie to avoid an incident. An incident COULD happen, hell it could happen with any dog any time, and because with Bodie if it does happen he's ten times more dangerous than the average dog, I keep the e-break on him. Just in case.

I know it's hard for people who do not understand the application of the prong collar and how it can be used to understand, but it does not need a leash attached to it to be a functioning tool. In Bodie's case it's used like a flat collar in an emergency situation, except with more "bite" to it in order to offer more control and a sharper one at that. Because it's a safety measure.

And while I know every one loves to villianize the guy who raises a brow and rolls his eyes at the over protective... I've been at this a while now. I studied for a long time at the foot of a master trainer. And I have never in all my experience leaving training collars on during moments of play had a dog get hurt. So before we start proclaiming the evils of doing what I am doing, please understand that over reactions are of no use. Yes maybe in a weird circumstance of bad luck and bad timing something could potentially in an off beat sort of way go wrong... but gotta say it's unlikely to happen to my dogs. My two big dogs don't play. And while I know people who don't have serious dogs (as in by temperament they are serious and lacking a sense of whimsy) to understand: Bodie and Sully. Do. Not. Play. Out there in that big field they know the score: ball. And that's all either of them care about.

[recreatexme]

Okay then.

[crysania4]

I just want to add this: He might not play with other dogs but that may not stop other dogs from trying to play with him, including jumping on him and grabbing onto his collar. My dog doesn't always want to play with other dogs but plenty of times she's had them pounce on her. This really isn't a matter of "professionalism" or not. I get that you think no one is in danger but the fact is that it does present a danger, even a remote one. I'm not a professional trainer but I still would ask someone to remove a prong just to protect other dogs.

It's obviously up to you and your stance is pretty clear, but I wanted to give you something else to think about.