Posted: Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:23 pm Post subject: Slip leads and Check Chains
I often see people recommending the use of Slip leads here...yet when Check Chains are mentioned it can be like they are the work of the Devil.
Now as far as I can see both work in the same way....the dog pulls and it tightens but with the correct training (ie Correct and Release) they can both work well.
Although I see slip leads recommended, I haven't seen anyone post how to use one (I may have missed it somewhere though).....I think John posted a photo of how to put it on....but nothing was mentioned about actually training the dog not to pull in one.
So, can a Slip lead do as much damage in the wrong hands as a Check Chain can....or have they got enough "give" in them so they won't cut off the dogs air supply or pinch nerves in the neck?
And can someone explain in laymans terms how to use one to train their dog to walk nicely, as I feel there maybe a lot of people just putting these leads on and guessing the rest?
The trainer that I used basically showed me how to put it on her. I kept the lead in one hand (folded up to keep short) and had a treat in the other hand. We walked along at a moderate pace and if she pulled ahead I had to give a very gentle tug of the lead - not to pull her, but to remind her the lead was there really and say the key word, ie heel, close etc
I encouraged her she was doing right with verbal praise and keeping her attention with the treat. After about 5 'tugs' of the lead she was walking nicely by my side, with the lead in a slack position.
*when i say tug, this really is not a tug of the lead so the dog is dragged - its hard to describe, but it really is gentle*
Last edited by deb-and-phoenix on Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:28 pm; edited 1 time in total
I have often thought this. Both appear to be designed for the same purpose but the material used is different - does this really make them so far apart? I am sure I must be missing something and look forward to understanding more.
and if she pulled ahead I had to give a very gentle tug of the lead - not to pull her, but to remind her the lead was there really and say the key word, ie heel, close etc
So basically the same tecnique as with a Check Chain then but without the clicking of the chain.
If she really pulled though...I mean constantly pulled against it, would it be stretchy enough not to choke her?
and if she pulled ahead I had to give a very gentle tug of the lead - not to pull her, but to remind her the lead was there really and say the key word, ie heel, close etc
So basically the same tecnique as with a Check Chain then but without the clicking of the chain.
If she really pulled though...I mean constantly pulled against it, would it be stretchy enough not to choke her?
Personally I don't think so - it doesnt have that much 'give' in it, it is rope like material.
But, and I can't speak for all dogs, she didn't pull - she seemed to realise very very quickly that it was not the done thing to do.
I do wonder with an ordinary flat collar if they pull can they do damage aswell - my line of thought at the moment (but remember I am new to all of this and am interested in experienced peoples opinons) that with the slip lead they feel it tightening and then back off a bit - with the flat collar they seem to keep pulling as it is like a constant. Does that make sense?
Edited to add - if she pulled bad for me and started coughing/straining obviously I would take the pressure off the lead instantly and not let her learn from it to prevent damage.
Last edited by deb-and-phoenix on Sat Feb 23, 2008 4:39 pm; edited 1 time in total
i understand your confusion, as i feel exactly the same way, We use a slip lead for zak, why? because its easy on and easy off, because luckily for us zak walks at our side naturally (we didnt train him to do this he has just always done it) the only reason i use a lead at all is because its obviously safer when out on the road, and it ensures he stays with me when we meet other people and annimals etc.. most of the time when walking on lead he doesnt even know its there, and it has the added advantage of not leaving a collar ring in his fur around his neck, so thats why i use a slip lead, but to get back to the original question, i cant see the difference between a check chain, and a slip lead other than in the material it is made with.
i understand your confusion, as i feel exactly the same way, We use a slip lead for zak, why? because its easy on and easy off, because luckily for us zak walks at our side naturally (we didnt train him to do this he has just always done it) the only reason i use a lead at all is because its obviously safer when out on the road, and it ensures he stays with me when we meet other people and annimals etc.. most of the time when walking on lead he doesnt even know its there, and it has the added advantage of not leaving a collar ring in his fur around his neck, so thats why i use a slip lead, but to get back to the original question, i cant see the difference between a check chain, and a slip lead other than in the material it is made with.
fledgling and zak
So you do not leave an ordinary collar on aswell? I had her usual collar on simply because her ID tag is attached to it. Can you attach an ID tag to a slip lead?
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