Be sure to check your collars and leashes


  • I had a similar experience a month or so ago, realizing suddenly that I was holding the leash and Fiji was trotting down the sidewalk without being attached. My heart just dropped. I clucked at her like I do if I stop when she's pulling and she turned around and looked at me like I was nuts: "I'm not pulling!" but came back to see what the heck my problem was. Whew!

    Good advice Sharron, to check them regularly. Mine was weakened by curly tailed forces as well. :o


  • Thanks Catt…its scary when they are out in the "world" and your holding a damaged leash...
    Glad it all worked out for you as well..


  • I have had many experiences like that with my "Mickii" the leash and/or collar chewing machine (that she so kindly passed onto her son)…. she can be though a lead of any kind of material in under 20 seconds. For her son, Tego, his flexie was replaced with "chain" that is the only thing that stops him... Mickii can bite through a leather lead in one bite... the little brat, even at 15 1/2!


  • Oh, that type of chewing is scary…
    I am so very lucky my girl came back.
    I just can't imagine how I would react if she had been hit.
    I pray all our b's are leashed and loved.


  • Oh, how terrifying! I'm glad everything turned out alright. It's sometimes hard to remember in that situation to turn and run the other way. My first b snapped his flexy once, and started toward a main street. I remember someone had told me about calling them and turning and running…I held my breath and did just that. I ran into the closest yard and he followed.


  • I just went out and bought all new harnesses and leashes { witch my husband thinks is crazy} But i am moving cross country next week and taken them with me. The old ones where good but i just wanted to be alittle extra cautious where i am going to be driving 2400 miles with them. The lady in the store gave me a look like i had 6 heads because i was standing there in the idle and pulling as hard as i could on the leashes and harnesses to make sure they where strong and tight.


  • We have been using Martingale collars sometime now. Of course I do worry about the collar breaking because Roo's neck is still small and we have not been able to go to the 3/4 inch width yet. I am currently walking Roo with a Nylon type leash, but I use a genuine leather leash for Bonzo. I do wonder if the leather type leash would be harder for the Basenji to chew and break?

    Jason


  • @ComicDom1:

    We have been using Martingale collars sometime now. Of course I do worry about the collar breaking because Roo's neck is still small and we have not been able to go to the 3/4 inch width yet. I am currently walking Roo with a Nylon type leash, but I use a genuine leather leash for Bonzo. I do wonder if the leather type leash would be harder for the Basenji to chew and break?

    Jason

    The answer to your "leather" question is "nope"….;)


  • I think it takes about 2 chews for a b to go through a leather leash.
    It can happen so very fast…


  • we had this type of collar on rocky.

    ( http://www.petsmart.com/graphics/product_images/pPETS-3762698t400.jpg )

    one day i was walking him home and he went to chase Max, my boyfriends aunt's dog that is in the pasture across the street, and the collar came back on the extendaleash things and he TOOK off. hes always interested in Max, so i could grab him, but i guess the part that hooks had worn down and wasnt catching anymore.


  • Glad you were able to catch your b'.
    I had forgotten to check my dogs leashes before she took off.
    So, glad your story ended well.


  • we had a horrible thing with those leashes as well. The hook of the snap was in the ring of the collar and so the snap opened and Vega, the Galgo was off the lead. You really don't know what happened then…..

    About chewing leashes, we had a chewer as well and therefore I changed the leash to a chain-leash which is definetely Basenji-resistant.

    And if your dogs run in harnesses as well as in collars, there are harnesses where they cannot get out of. These are often used for the rescued sighthounds from Spain which often are horrified to death. There are of course other varieties of these types but I give you this link, sorry text is only in German.... http://www.kraxel.com/detail_1495_sad7ab3dceca13ba6e6f50f7f34701715.html?PHPSESSID=ad7ab3dceca13ba6e6f50f7f34701715

    Regards,
    Esther


  • @hdolbow:

    we had this type of collar on rocky.

    ( http://www.petsmart.com/graphics/product_images/pPETS-3762698t400.jpg )

    one day i was walking him home and he went to chase Max, my boyfriends aunt's dog that is in the pasture across the street, and the collar came back on the extendaleash things and he TOOK off. hes always interested in Max, so i could grab him, but i guess the part that hooks had worn down and wasnt catching anymore.

    We used to have a clip-buckle type of collar on Jazz as well,until she also gave a good pull one day and off she went! Fortunately,we were at my mom's who lives in the middle of nowhere on 30 acres, and Jazzy came right back.
    I bought her a new collar with a real buckle the next day.

    Now I use a martingale style collar for walks, and leather leashes. The leather leashes were never a problem – I used to be able to toss Jazzy's in her crate with her when we traveled. Then we got Keoki.... his leash has chew marks in it, of course, and I have to keep them put up away from him at all times, LOL.
    At home they both wear rolled leather collars with their tags on. I won't let them go collarless even indoors because there's always the danger that some num-nut will open the door.


  • @soulmate:

    we had a horrible thing with those leashes as well. The hook of the snap was in the ring of the collar and so the snap opened and Vega, the Galgo was off the lead. You really don't know what happened then…..

    About chewing leashes, we had a chewer as well and therefore I changed the leash to a chain-leash which is definetely Basenji-resistant.

    And if your dogs run in harnesses as well as in collars, there are harnesses where they cannot get out of. These are often used for the rescued sighthounds from Spain which often are horrified to death. There are of course other varieties of these types but I give you this link, sorry text is only in German.... http://www.kraxel.com/detail_1495_sad7ab3dceca13ba6e6f50f7f34701715.html?PHPSESSID=ad7ab3dceca13ba6e6f50f7f34701715

    Regards,
    Esther

    This is the Ruffwear Webmaster harness, a great harness, especially for those that slip harness and for those that bike with their dogs or such. It is almost impossible for a dog to slip this harness (when fitted correctly)


  • When we moved out to Boston a year ago, we inadvertently left Jack tie-out lead in Pittsburgh (oops) so all we had was a retractable leash and his buckle collar. When we got to a friends house that night, DH, the friend, and I needed to get a few things out of the truck that we would be leaving at the friends house.

    "Just use the leash to tie him out" DH says

    "I really don't think that is a good idea" I said, with visions of retractable tragedies dancing in my head.

    "It is only going to be 15 minutes, he'll be fine" He and the friend convince me. They take the leash, wrap it around the stair rail, and we head over to the truck.

    5 minutes later, Jack comes bounding across the driveway, severed leash trailing. I was lucky that he wanted me, so he came right to me. I picked him up and glared at DH.

    "I told you it wasn't a good idea."

    Hey, at least it got me out of moving all of DH's heavy equipment. 🙂


  • I can't tell you the horror stories I hear about dogs and tie outs.
    Anywhere from the dog getting off and getting hit, to the dog getting a limb tied up in the cord and losing the blood flow in the leg.
    Bad news IMO.
    I would never recommend them.
    Glad your boy came to you.


  • @sharronhurlbut:

    I can't tell you the horror stories I hear about dogs and tie outs.
    Anywhere from the dog getting off and getting hit, to the dog getting a limb tied up in the cord and losing the blood flow in the leg.
    Bad news IMO.
    I would never recommend them.
    Glad your boy came to you.

    And I know of 2 separate people that had dogs jump off something while on a tie out and hang themselves…so I hear you and also would never recommend using one.


  • I cannot even count the number or leads I have had to replace, although as Seren Jane has gotten older it is with less frequency I have had to do so. The times I have really have to be aware is when I stop and talk with someone on our walks. She becomes impatient and with one bite broken lead and off down the road.


  • Generally, Jack is on his tie out on a nice flat yard, far away from any trees, and I am either outside with him, or watching through the window as I wash dishes. This was just a one time occasion with a retractable leash.

    We also tried tying him out with a clothesline, while we sat nearby having a couple of cold ones, and he almost chewed through that as well! 🙂

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