All

Dogs >>

Cats

Other Animals

Dogs

Are You Walking Your Dog Or Is It Walking You?
Aversives For Dogs
“Bark! Bark! Bark!”
Canine Rivalry
Children And Dogs: Important Information For Parents
Crate Training Your Dog
Dealing With Dominance In Dogs
Dealing With Normal Puppy Behavior: Chewing
Dealing With Normal Puppy Behavior: Nipping And Rough Play
Dog Toys And How To Use Them
Destructive Chewing
Developmental Stages Of Puppy Behavior
Helping Your Dog Overcome The Fear Of Thunder And Other Startling Noises
House training Your Puppy
How can I avoid being bitten by a dog?
How to Solve the Digging Problem
How To Use A Head Halter
Inside Or Out? - Making Your Dog Part Of The Family
Introducing Your New Dog To Your Resident Dog
Keeping Your Dog Confined To Your Property
Nothing In Life Is Free
Re-Housetraining Your Adult Dog
Separation Anxiety
Submissive and Excitement Urination
The Canine Escape Artist
The Educated Dog
The Fearful Dog
Understanding Aggressive Behavior In Dogs
Why Dogs Bite: A Guideline For Children

Escaping is a serious problem for both you and your dog, as it could have tragic consequences. If your dog is running loose, he is in danger of being hit by a car, being injured in a fight with another dog, or being hurt in a number of other ways. Additionally, you're liable for any damage or injury your dog may cause and you may be required to pay a fine if he's picked up by an animal control agency. In order to resolve an escaping problem, you must determine not only how your dog is getting out, but also why he is escaping.

Social Isolation/Frustration

Your dog may be escaping because he's bored and lonely if:

• He is left alone for long periods of time without opportunities for interaction with you.

• His environment is relatively barren, without playmates or toys.

• He is a puppy or adolescent (under three years old) and doesn't have other outlets for his energy.

• He is a particularly active type of dog (like the herding or sporting breeds) who needs an active job in order to be happy.

• The place he goes to when he escapes provides him with interaction and fun things to do. For example, he goes to play with a neighbor's dog or to the local school yard to play with the children.

We recommend expanding your dog's world and increasing his “people time” in the following ways:

• Walk your dog daily. It's good exercise, both mentally and physically.

• Teach your dog to fetch a ball or Frisbee and practice with him as often as possible.

• Teach your dog a few commands and/or tricks. Practice these commands and/or tricks every day for five to ten minutes.

• Take an obedience class with your dog and practice daily what you've learned.

• Provide interesting toys (Kong-type toys filled with treats or busy-box toys) to keep your dog busy when you're not home.

• Rotate your dog's toys to make them seem new and interesting (see our handout: “Dog Toys and How to Use Them”).

• Keep your dog inside when you're unable to supervise him.

• If you have to be away from home for extended periods of time, take your dog to work with you or to a “doggie day care,” or ask a friend or neighbor to walk your dog.

Sexual Roaming

Dogs become sexually mature at around six months of age. An intact male dog is motivated by a strong, natural drive to seek out female dogs. It can be very difficult to prevent an intact dog from escaping, because his motivation to do so is very high.

• Have your male dog neutered. Studies show that neutering will decrease sexual roaming in about 90% of the cases. If, however, an intact male has established a pattern of escaping, he may continue to do so even after he's neutered, so it's important to have him neutered as soon as possible.

• Have your female dog spayed. If your intact female dog escapes your yard while she's in heat, she'll probably get pregnant. Millions of unwanted pets are euthanized every year. Please don't contribute to the pet overpopulation problem by allowing your female dog to breed indiscriminately.

Fears and Phobias

Your dog may be escaping in response to something he is afraid of if he escapes when he is exposed to loud noises, such as thunderstorms, firecrackers or construction sounds.

• Identify what is frightening your dog and desensitize him to it (see our handout: “Helping Your Dog Overcome the Fear of Thunder and Other Startling Noises”). You may need professional help with the desensitization process. Check with your veterinarian about giving your dog an anti-anxiety medication while you work on behavior modification.

• Leave your dog indoors when he is likely to encounter the fear stimulus. Mute noise by leaving him in a basement or windowless bathroom and leave on a television, radio or loud fan.

• Provide a “safe place” for your dog. Observe where he likes to go when he feels anxious, then allow access to that space, or create a similar space for him to use when the fear stimulus is present.

Separation Anxiety

Your dog may be escaping due to separation anxiety if:

• He escapes as soon as, or shortly after, you leave.

• He displays other behaviors that reflect a strong attachment to you, such as following you around, frantic greetings or reacting anxiously to your preparations to leave.

• He remains near your home after he's escaped.

• Factors that can precipitate a separation anxiety problem:

• There has recently been a change in your family's schedule that has resulted in your dog being left alone more often.

• Your family has recently moved to a new house.

• There's been a death or loss of a family member or another family pet.

• Your dog has recently spent time at an animal shelter or boarding kennel.

Separation anxiety can be resolved using counter - conditioning and desensitization techniques (see our handout: “Separation Anxiety”).

Some dogs jump fences, but most actually climb them, using some part of the fence to push off from. A dog may also dig under the fence, chew through the fence, learn to open a gate or use any combination of these methods to get out of the yard. Knowing how your dog gets out will help you to modify your yard. However, until you know why your dog wants to escape, and you can decrease his motivation for doing so, you won't be able to successfully resolve the problem.

For climbing/jumping dogs: Add an extension to your fence that tilts in toward the yard. The extension doesn't necessarily need to make the fence much higher, as long as it tilts inward at about a 45-degree angle.

For digging dogs: Bury chicken wire at the base of your fence (with the sharp edges rolled inward), place large rocks at the base, or lay chain-link fencing on the ground.

• Never punish your dog after he's already out of the yard. Dogs associate punishment with what they're doing at the time they're punished. Punishing your dog after the fact won't eliminate the escaping behavior, but will only make him afraid to come to you.

• Never punish your dog if the escaping is a fear-related problem or is due to separation anxiety. Punishing fear-motivated behaviors will only make your dog more afraid, and thus make the problem worse.

• Punishment is only effective if administered at the moment your dog is escaping and if he doesn't associate the correction with you. If you can squirt him with a hose or make a loud noise as he is going over, under or through the fence, it might be unpleasant enough that he won't want to do it again. However, if he realizes that you made the noise or squirted the water, he'll simply refrain from escaping when you're around. This type of correction is difficult to administer effectively, and won't resolve the problem if used by itself. You must also give your dog less reason to escape and make it more difficult to do.

• Chaining your dog should only be used as a last resort, and then only as a temporary measure until a more permanent solution can be found. Chaining your dog doesn't give him sufficient opportunity for exercise and can be dangerous if done improperly (see our handout: “Keeping Your Dog Confined To your Property”).

Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and Humane Society of the United States .
All rights reserved.

Back to Top

When you feel frustrated with your dog's behavior, remember that someone must teach a dog what is acceptable behavior and what is not . A dog that hasn't been given any instructions, training or boundaries can't possibly know what you expect of him. By teaching your dog how you want him to behave, you'll not only have a saner household, but a healthier and happier dog as well.

• Allows you to handle every part of his body, to check for injury or illness and to give him medication.

• Has good manners, so he can spend most of his time indoors with his people. That means more supervision, less boredom and fewer opportunities for dangerous mischief. The more time you spend with your dog, the more likely you'll be to notice when something is wrong with him, like a limp, a cough, a sensitive area or a loss of appetite. By recognizing such irregularities early, you can seek medical attention immediately and, hopefully, prevent more serious problems.

• Wants to stay near you, listening for instructions (and praise). This means he'll have less opportunity to stray into danger.

• Will walk or run beside you on a leash without pulling, dragging or strangling, so you and your dog can get more exercise and spend more time together.

• Knows that “drop it” and “leave it alone” are phrases that mean business, so he'll have fewer opportunities to swallow dangerous objects. He also can be taught what things and places are out of bounds, like hot stoves, heaters or anxious cats. However, you'll still need to limit his access to dangerous places when you cannot supervise or instruct him.

• Will “sit” immediately, simply because you say so. No matter what danger may be imminent, a dog that is suddenly still is suddenly safe. And a dog that will “stay” in that position is even safer.

• Understands his boundaries, knows what's expected of him and has fewer anxieties. Less stress means a healthier dog.

By training your dog, you can help prevent tragedy and develop a better relationship with him. Keep in mind, however, that even an educated dog needs supervision, instruction and boundaries -- sometimes even physical boundaries. Allowing your dog, no matter how educated he may be, to walk, run or roam outside of a fenced area or off of a leash, is putting him in danger.

Selecting a Class

Check the Yellow Pages under “pet training” or “dog training.” Your local park or recreation department may also offer classes in your neighborhood.

Here are some tips to help you select an obedience class that's right for you:

• Good obedience instructors are knowledgeable about many different types of training methods and use techniques that neither the dogs nor their owners find consistently unpleasant.

• Good training methods focus primarily on reinforcing good behavior and use punishment sparingly, appropriately and humanely. Excessive use of choke chains or pinch collars or using collars to lift dogs off of the ground (“stringing them up”) are not appropriate or humane training methods.

• Good obedience instructors communicate well with people and with dogs. Remember that they're instructing you about how to train your dog.

• Specific problems you may have with your dog may not be addressed in a basic obedience course. If you're seeking help with house soiling, barking, aggression or separation anxiety, ask if the course covers these issues -- don't assume it will.

• Ask the instructor what training methods are used and how they (the instructor and staff) were trained. Also ask to observe a class before you commit to one. If you're refused an observation, or if your observation results in anything that makes you uncomfortable, look elsewhere.

• Avoid anyone who: guarantees their work; whose primary methods focus on punishment; or who want to take your dog and train him for you (effective training must include you and the environment in which you and your dog interact).

Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and Humane Society of the United States .
All rights reserved.

Back to Top

Dogs may display a variety of behaviors when they're afraid. A fearful dog will display certain body postures, including lowering his head, flattening his ears back against his head, and tucking his tail between his legs. He may also pant, salivate, tremble and/or pace. A frightened dog may try to escape, may show submissive behaviors (avoidance of eye contact, submissive urinating, rolling over to expose his belly), or he may freeze and remain immobile. Some dogs will bark and/or growl at the object that is causing their fear. In extreme cases of fearfulness a dog may be destructive (out of general anxiety or in an attempt to escape), or he may lose control of his bladder or bowels and, therefore, house soil.

Determining why your dog is fearful isn't always essential to treating the fearful behavior, although the reason for his fear will dictate the relative success of the treatment. A dog that is genetically predisposed to general fearfulness, or a dog that was improperly socialized during a critical stage in his development, will probably not respond as well to treatment as a dog that has developed a specific fear in response to a specific experience. It's essential, however, to first rule out any medical causes for your dog's fearful behavior. Your first step should be to take your dog to your veterinarian for a thorough medical evaluation.

Most fears won't go away by themselves, and if left untreated, may get worse. Some fears, when treated, will decrease in intensity or frequency but may not disappear entirely. Once medical reasons have been ruled out, the first step in dealing with your dog's fearful behavior is to identify what triggers his fear. If he is afraid of startling noises see our handout: “Helping Your Dog Overcome The Fear Of Thunder And Other Startling Noises.” If he is afraid of being left alone, see our handout: “Separation Anxiety.” Most fears can be treated using desensitization and counter conditioning techniques, which require a lot of time and patience. You may need help from a professional animal behavior specialist to help you with these techniques (see our handout: “When The Behavior Helpline Can't Help”). For behavioral assistance phone 632-6655 ext. 38.

• Begin by exposing your dog to a very low level or small amount of whatever it is that's causing his fear. For example, if he is afraid of bicycles, start with a bicycle placed at a distance of 100 feet from your dog.

• Reward him for calm, non-fearful behavior in the presence of the bicycle. Gradually move the bicycle closer to him. As long as your dog remains relaxed, reward him with treats and praise. If at any point he becomes anxious, move the bicycle further away and proceed at a slower pace.

• When your dog can remain relaxed in the presence of a stationary bicycle, move the bicycle 100 feet away again, but have someone ride it slowly by him. Again, gradually increase the proximity of the slowly moving bicycle, rewarding your dog for remaining calm and relaxed. Repeat this procedure as many times as necessary, gradually increasing the speed of the moving bicycle.

• This process may take several days, weeks or even months. You must proceed at a slow enough pace that your dog never becomes fearful during the desensitization process.

Counter conditioning works best when used along with desensitization and involves pairing the fear stimulus with an activity or behavior incompatible with the fear behavior.

• Using the desensitization technique example described previously, while your dog is exposed to the bicycle, ask him to perform some obedience exercises, such as “sit” and “down.” Reward him for obeying and continue to have him obey commands as the bicycle is moved closer to him.

• If your dog doesn't know any commands, teach him a few using treats and praise. Don't ever use punishment, collar corrections or scolding to teach him the commands, as the point of counter conditioning is for him to associate pleasant things with the thing that frightens him.

Some of the things that frighten dogs can be difficult to reproduce and/or control. For example, if your dog is afraid of thunderstorms, he may be responding to other things that occur during the storm, such as smells, barometric pressure changes and/or changes in the light. During the desensitization process it's impossible for you to reproduce all of these factors. If your dog is afraid of men, you may work at desensitizing him, but if an adult man lives in your household and your dog is constantly exposed to him, this can disrupt the gradual process of desensitization.

Because desensitization and counter conditioning can be difficult to do, and because behavior problems may increase if these techniques are done incorrectly, you may want to get professional, in-home help from an animal behavior specialist (see our handout: “When The Behavior Helpline Can't Help”). It's important to keep in mind that a fearful dog that feels trapped or is pushed too far may become aggressive. Some dogs will respond aggressively to whatever it is that frightens them (see our handout: “Understanding Aggression In Dogs”). If your dog displays any aggressive behavior, such as growling, snarling, snapping or baring his teeth, stop all behavior modification procedures and seek professional help from an animal behavior specialist as soon as possible.

Medication may be available that can help your dog feel less anxious for short time periods. Your veterinarian is the only person who is licensed and qualified to prescribe medication for your dog. Don't attempt to give your dog any over-the-counter or prescription medication without consulting with your veterinarian. Animals don't respond to drugs the same way people do, and a medication that may be safe for humans could be fatal to your dog. Drug therapy alone won't reduce fears and phobias permanently. In extreme cases, behavior modification and medication used together may be the best approach.

• Don't punish your dog for being afraid. Punishment will only make him more fearful.

• Don't try to force your dog to experience the object or situation that is causing him to be afraid. For example, if he is afraid of bicycles and you force him to stand in place while bicycles whiz by, he'll probably become more fearful, rather than less fearful of bicycles.

• Never punish your dog after the fact for destruction or house soiling caused by anxiety or fear. Animals don't understand punishment after the fact, even if it's only seconds later. This kind of destruction or house soiling is the result of panic, not misbehavior. Punishment will do more harm than good.

Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and Humane Society of the United States .
All rights reserved.

Back to Top

Dog aggression is any behavior meant to intimidate or harm a person or another animal. Growling, baring teeth, snarling, snapping and biting are all aggressive behaviors. Although aggressive behaviors are normal for dogs, they're generally unacceptable to humans. From a dog's perspective, there's always a reason for aggressive behavior. Because humans and dogs have different communication systems, misunderstandings can occur between the two species. A person may intend to be friendly, but a dog may perceive that person's behavior as threatening or intimidating. Dogs aren't schizophrenic, psychotic, crazy, or necessarily "vicious," when displaying aggressive behavior.

Because aggression is so complex, and because the potential consequences are so serious, we recommend that you get professional in-home help from an animal behavior specialist if your dog is displaying aggressive behavior. Our Behavior Helpline can't assist you with aggressive behavior problems (see our handout: “When The Behavior Helpline Can't Help”).For behavior helpline assistance, phone 632-6655 ext. 38.

Dominance Aggression: Dominance aggression is motivated by a challenge to a dog's social status or to his control of a social interaction. Dogs are social animals and view their human families as their social group or “pack.” Based on the outcomes of social challenges among group members, a dominance hierarchy or "pecking order" is established (see our handout: “Dealing With Dominance In Dogs”).

If your dog perceives his own ranking in the hierarchy to be higher than yours, it's likely that he'll challenge you in certain situations. Because people don't always understand canine communication, you may inadvertently challenge your dog's social position. A dominantly aggressive dog may growl if he is disturbed when resting or sleeping, or if he is asked to give up a favorite spot, such as the couch or the bed. Physical restraint, even when done in a friendly manner, like hugging, may also cause your dog to respond aggressively. Reaching for your dog's collar, or reaching out over his head to pet him, could also be interpreted by him as a challenge for dominance. Dominantly aggressive dogs are often described as "Jekyll and Hydes" because they can be very friendly when not challenged. Dominance aggression may be directed at people or at other animals. The most common reason for dogs in the same family to fight with each other is instability in the dominance hierarchy (see our handout: "Canine Rivalry").

Fear-Motivated Aggression: Fear-motivated aggression is a defensive reaction and occurs when a dog believes he is in danger of being harmed. Remember that it's your dog's perception of the situation, not your actual intent, which determines your dog's response. For example, you may raise your arm to throw a ball, but your dog, perceiving this to be a threat, may bite you because he believes he is protecting himself from being hit. A dog may also be fearfully aggressive when approached by other dogs.

P rotective, Territorial And Possessive Aggression: Protective, territorial and possessive aggression are all very similar, and involve the defense of valuable resources. Territorial aggression is usually associated with defense of property. However, your dog's sense of territory may extend well past the boundaries of “his” yard. For example, if you walk your dog regularly around the neighborhood and allow him to urine-mark, to him, his territory may be the entire block! Protective aggression usually refers to aggression directed toward people or animals that a dog perceives as threats to his family, or pack. Dogs become possessively aggressive when defending their food, toys or other valued objects, such as Kleenex stolen from the trash!

Redirected Aggression: This type of aggression is relatively common, but is a behavior that pet owners may not always understand. If a dog is aroused into an aggressive response by a person or animal that he is prevented from attacking, he may redirect this aggression onto someone else. A common example occurs when two family dogs become excited, bark and growl in response to another dog passing through the front yard. The two dogs, confined behind a fence, may turn and attack each other because they can't attack the intruder. Predation is usually considered to be a unique kind of aggressive behavior, because it's motivated by the intent to obtain food, and not primarily by the intent to harm or intimidate.

Dogs differ in their likelihood to show aggressive behavior in any particular situation. Some dogs tend to respond aggressively with very little stimulation. Others may be subjected to all kinds of threatening stimuli and events, and never attempt to bite. The difference in this threshold at which a dog displays aggressive behavior is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. If this threshold is low, a dog will be more likely to bite. Raising the threshold makes a dog less likely to respond aggressively. This threshold can be raised using behavior modification techniques. How easily the threshold can be changed is influenced by the dog's gender, age, breed, general temperament, and by whether the appropriate behavior modification techniques are chosen and correctly implemented. Working with aggressive dogs can be potentially dangerous, and should be done only by, or under the guidance of, an experienced animal behavior professional who understands animal learning theory and behavior.

• First check with your veterinarian to rule out medical causes for the aggressive behavior.

• Seek professional help. An aggression problem will not go away by itself. Working with aggression problems requires in-home help from an animal behavior specialist.

• Take precautions. Your first priority is to keep everyone safe. Supervise, confine and/or restrict your dog's activities until you can obtain professional help. You're liable for your dog's behavior. If you must take your dog out in public, consider a cage-type muzzle as a temporary precaution, and keep in mind that some dogs can get a muzzle off.

• Avoid exposing your dog to situations where he is more likely to show aggression. You may need to keep him confined to a safe room and limit his people-contact.

• If your dog is possessive of food, treats or a certain place, don't allow him access to those items. In an emergency, bribe him with something better than what he has. For example, if he steals your shoe, trade him the shoe for a piece of chicken.

• Spay or neuter your dog. Intact dogs are more likely to display dominance, territorial and protective aggressive behavior.

• Punishment won't help and, in fact, will make the problem worse. If the aggression is motivated by fear, punishment will make your dog more fearful, and therefore more aggressive. Attempting to punish or dominate a dominantly aggressive dog is likely to cause him to escalate his behavior in order to retain his dominant position. This is likely to result in a bite or a severe attack. Punishing territorial, possessive or protective aggression is likely to elicit additional defensive aggression.

• Don't encourage aggressive behavior. Playing tug-of-war or wrestling games encourages your dog to attempt to "best” you or "win” over you, which can result in the beginning of a dominance aggression problem. When dogs are encouraged to "go get 'em" or to bark and dash about in response to outside noises or at the approach of a person, territorial and protective aggressive behavior may be the result.

Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and Humane Society of the United States .
All rights reserved.

Back to Top

Excitement

The noises and movements you make when you play are very exciting to dogs. When dogs play with other dogs, they often play roughly with their sharp teeth and claws. Sometimes dogs forget that they can't play the same way with you, and because they don't have hands, they use their mouths to grab things. A dog can hurt you by accident, just by being too excited.

What you should do: Play gently and calmly and if a dog gets too excited, freeze and walk away. Take some time out to give you both a chance to calm down.

When a dog is in pain, he doesn't understand where the pain comes from. If you touch him, he may think you are causing the pain and will bite you to stop the pain.

What you should do: If a dog is acting like he is sick or hurt, leave him alone -- even if he belongs to your family. Tell an adult, and together you can get medical help for the dog.

Anger

A dog will protect anything that's important to him: his toys; his bed; his food and water bowls; his people; his yard; his house; or his car. If you come near something that a dog feels is off-limits to you, he may bite to make you leave his "property" alone!

What you should(or should not) do: Don't go into a yard where there's a dog you don't know. Don't reach through a car window or a fence to pet a dog. Don't pet a dog that's tied up. Don't touch a dog's "property."

Fear or Surprise

Quick movements and sudden or loud noises are scary for dogs, and they may bite to protect themselves. If a dog thinks you're a stranger who might hurt him, he may not know how to get away, so he'll protect himself by biting.

What you should do: When you're around a dog you don't know, be quiet and move slowly. Always ask the dog's owner for permission before you pet him. If the owner isn't there for you to ask, LEAVE THE DOG ALONE.

Warning Signs

Watch and listen for the warnings a dog will give you to let you know when he is upset. If his ears are laid back against his head, or his legs are very stiff, he is probably warning you that he feels threatened and will protect himself if he must. If the hair on his back is standing up, that's another warning. If a dog is growling or barking with his teeth showing, it means he is ready to bite. A dog's warning signs mean that you're doing something he doesn't like, so stop doing it!

What you should do:

• Freeze.

• Count to five, slowly and silently.

• Move away very slowly, sideways or backwards.

• If the dog jumps on you, act like a rock by curling up into a ball and covering your face and head with your arms.

What you should NOT do:

• Don't stare at the dog -- that means "I dare you to bite me!"

• Don't run, jump or wave your arms around.

• Don't scream.

• Don't throw anything at the dog or hit him.

If A Dog Bites You

If you're bitten by a dog, or any animal, you should:

• Have an adult take you to a doctor.

• Wash the wound with soap and warm water.

• Write down the type, size and color of the animal. Was it wearing a collar? Did it have any identification tags? Where were you when you were bitten? Where did the animal go?

• Report all of this information to the animal control agency in your city or county.

Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and Humane Society of the United States .
All rights reserved.

Back to Top

A head halter is a special kind of collar with a strap that goes around your dog's nose and another strap that goes around his neck, just behind his ears. The leash fastens to the halter under his chin to a ring that's also attached to the nose strap. When your dog begins to pull, the design of the head halter causes the dog's nose to be turned back toward you which makes it physically difficult for him to continue pulling. The head halter is completely humane, as it doesn't cause any pain, and works much better to prevent a dog from pulling than a choke chain or prong collar. Brand names for head halters include “Gentle Leader,” “Promise Collar” and “Halti.”

How should it fit?
The head halter must be properly fitted to be effective and comfortable for your dog. The neck strap should be as high up on your dog's neck as you can get it, just behind his ears. The strap should be just tight enough for you to fit one finger between it and your dog's neck. The nosepiece should be adjusted so that when your dog's mouth is closed, it can slide down as far as the beginning of the skin on his nose, but not so loose that it can slide off the end of his nose. The nosepiece will sit naturally, just below your dog's eyes. Make sure that the metal ring to which the leash attaches is underneath his chin.

How will your dog react?
Most dogs will resist a head halter, at first. The amount of resistance varies for each dog. When you first put the head halter on, your dog may try to get it off by pawing at his nose or rubbing his nose on the ground, on you or on anything your dog can get close to. The best strategy is to keep his head up and keep him moving by using positive verbal reinforcement and treats. Most dogs eventually accept head halters. When your dog associates the halter with going for a walk, he'll begin to react positively to it, and soon, both you and your dog will enjoy taking walks together!

Things to remember:

• Make sure the head halter is fitted properly.
• It should be snug around your dog's neck and high behind his ears, but loose enough around his nose so that the nose strap can slide easily down to the fleshy part of his nose.
• A head halter is not a muzzle.
• A dog wearing a head halter can still eat, drink, pant, bark and bite, if he chooses.
• Never use a hard jerk with the head halter.
• Don't use the head halter with a retractable lead.
• If your dog runs quickly to the end of the lead, it may give itself a hard jerk.
• Your dog should wear his head halter only during on-leash walks with you and/or when you're directly supervising him.
• If your dog wears the head halter around the house, he'll have plenty of time to work at getting it off, and will eventually succeed.
• Read the information sheet that comes with your head halter.

If you and your pooch are ready to stroll around the park or neighborhood peacefully (without Fido pulling, tugging or lunging at other dogs), come and visit the Sierra Pet Post (located in the Cheyenne Animal Shelter) to purchase a Gentle Leader. Shelter staff is trained on how to fit and operate head halters and would be glad to assist you in picking out the correct size, fitting, and training. The cost is $18.00 plus tax.

Copyright Denver Dumb Friends League and Humane Society of the United States .
All rights reserved.

Back to Top

The Humane Society of the United States and the United States Postal Service offer these tips on preventing dog bites.

Back to Top