Slip leads

Let’s discuss slip leads!

Personally I have always been a lover of slip leads, BUT only when used correctly. I see it all the time when dogs have slip leads on that are not fitted correctly, either sit loose on the bottom of the dogs’ neck or pulled tight in the middle of their neck, and it makes me cringe knowing the potential consequences. Watching a dog drag their owner in a slip lead scares the life out of me. Just like people, dog’s necks are very sensitive with a lot of muscles and tissues that can easily be damaged if they were to lunge into a slip lead that is on their neck in the wrong place.

Injuries that can occur from an incorrectly fitted slip lead:

• Respiratory issues: the lead can restrict a dog’s airway, leading to choking, tracheal collapse, damage to the larynx, or a lack of oxygen that could result in pulmonary edema. 

• Neck and spine damage: the tightening can cause bruising, whiplash, or a fractured vertebra, especially from a quick yank on the lead.

• Thyroid problems: an incorrect slip lead placement can put pressure on the thyroid gland, this inflammation can make the dog’s immune system attack and destroy the gland.

• Eye damage: pressure on the neck can increase the pressure inside the eyeballs

Now this post isn’t to scare people who use slip leads or put people off using them, it’s to educate the correct use of them. Condition them properly, help your dog understand what pressure means. Just throwing it round your dog’s neck one day and hoping they’ll work it out on a walk will only set your dog up to fail. Whenever I condition any tool with a client, I always tell them to not instantly jump to using the tool every day - its a slow process that needs to be completed properly for the tool to be effective. The dog must be able to turn pressure on and off consistently and quickly with distractions and temptations before you begin to use it on daily walks. Clients that are only in the conditioning stage are told to complete their training sessions multiple times a day, but then return to using whatever they had been using on their dog prior to the training, whether that’s a flat collar or a harness or a different tool altogether. This prevents any undoing of your hard work!

A loose slip lead on a dog that is 101% bombproof is not the end of the world, and it is often seen in the gun dog world with dogs that have foot perfect heel work. And if I have 100% focus on Monty then I know I would be okay to have him in a heel with the slip lead not in the correct place, because I know for a fact he wouldn’t pull. However, there is always a danger that when used incorrectly they could cause your dog an injury, and it is never ever worth the risk.

To start your slip lead conditioning journey, drop me a DM or email imogen@bemoremonty.com

Slip lead in the 📸: https://www.instagram.com/kellysleads/ - MONTY15 gets you 15% off your order!

Clients can also directly buy these slip leads from me during 1:1s!