What's yer favorite gear? - collars, leads, brush/comb, calmative, flotation device for boating safe

[leashedForLife]

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hi, all -
I just saw a thread that reminded me of my now-distant all-time favorite collar maker, Mrs Bones, & reminded me of just how GOOD my favorite gear can be - so i thought i'd ask for everyone's contributions.
What gear do U really love, & why? - What makes it special... durability, comfort for U, comfort for the dog, multi-purpose, exceptionally handsome, great design, easy to fit?

I'll start it off with my next post, & a photo of one of my favorite Mrs Bones collars.   
Looking forward to some new ideas,
 - terry

Terry Pride, member Truly Dog-Friendly
'dogs R dogs, wolves R wolves, & primates R us.'  -- (™ 2007)

 

[leashedForLife]

This one's a bit out of my price-range, but the quality of all her collars is the same - lifetime warranty, solid sandcast hardware in cast brass from the same maker who supplies COACH handbags & luggage, sturdy box-stitching at all ends, durable nylon webbing core, beautiful satin linings & decorative ribbon exterior.



This is a 2-inch wide collar, so even a giant dog who pulled habitually could be handled without worry that s/he would injure their trachea or spine - durable, easy to adjust, gorgeous, & comfy for the dog. // They can be tossed in the clothes washer with the laundry - i bag mine in a pillowcase or lingerie bag, to protect the drum from the hardware, but they come out looking brand-new.    LOVE her collars - & for that matter, leashes, too.

Price varies depending on the cost of the ribbons, which can be extremely expensive - this is all machine-woven pattern, with the color in the weave, not stamped or dyed after making.

Solid colors can be personalized - the velvet ones look especially good, with the dog's name or other word / phrase, machine-embroidered on the collar.

 

[gypsysmum2]

Beautiful!

 

[leashedForLife]

this is my all-time favorite leash -


Veg-tanned harness leather, braided -  no stitches to break, nor rivets to wear / rust,  no holes to weaken the leash; all one piece, with a durable brass clip that doesn't rust.
They are from J&J Supplies, & they will sell their leashes at wholesale prices if U buy a dozen or more - great savings for classes!
The 1-inch width can easily handle a giant breed on a neck collar or body-harness, & doesn't weigh a ton -  the 1/2-inch width can handle the same dog on a headcollar, as the dog's torso is not a factor when s/he wears a headcollar, & any excess weight on the nose will make the dog fuss or lead to them disliking the headcollar.

[Standard leashes & any sort of heavy-duty hardware such as bull snaps are overkill when used with a headcollar, & they only bother the dog, as that weight hangs on the dog's foreface, & reminds them of the halter. Without that nagging feeling, most dogs forget they're wearing a halter.]

these leashes are kind to hands, soften beautifully with use, & last forever - i've had some for over 20-years, & they're still as sound as ever.  Their patina after a decade or so is gorgeous,  & even the salt water at the beach didn't bother them; i wiped them with a damp cloth,  hung them by the clip, & they were no worse for wear.

 

[leashedForLife]

And my fave headcollar -



It's not my favorite color; purple is 2nd-best, they used to have a beautiful multicolored stripe called 'Pacific', turquoise, aqua, & jade green --  gorgeous colors, & the combo looked good on any dog. // They discontinued it, so purple it is, darn...

 

[leashedForLife]

* This * stuff is fantastic -

Happytails 'Ruff to Smooth' Detangling Spray for Dogs Reviews

it detangles, it CALMS the dog [& the groomer or handler, LOL...], removes static in dry winter air so the poor creature isn't zapped by static charges as we comb or brush, No Rinse Needed / a leave-in product, & non-toxic / eco-friendly. :cheers: What's not to like?...

.

 

[leashedForLife]

My 3 go-to OTC calmatives - 1 pheromone, 1 conditioned scent, 1 oral homeopathic:

pheromone:

 

scent: Organic, from a farmers' co-op in Bulgaria



homeopathic:

 

[leashedForLife]

fave calmative tools -

Tactile:  Anxiety Wrap

Redirecting gaze:
the Gentle Leader headcollar, above - perfect for dogs who lunge, are aggro or reactive, are predatory, PULL like freight trains, etc, to make handling safer during re-training...  or to permanently compensate for a petite handler's disadvantage, a disabled handler's balance issues, a weak grip, & similar.



Reducing visual stimuli / visual field:

 

a Calming Cap; like the mesh of a horse's fly-mask, but intended to make anything beyond the immediate surroundings "fuzzy" visually. A huge help to dogs who go insane at the sight of a dog an acre away, across a massive parking-lot...   Really, this literally makes B-Mod possible, for some extremely visual dogs!

 

[leashedForLife]

 Furminators are great - rounded tips on the metal teeth, unlike those nasty cut-wire slicker brushes & the awful burns they cause.
They give my tired hands a break, when i'm hand-stripping a dog who's either blowing coat by the pound, or has wads of dead-coat shed > into < their new coat, & deeply entangled.

 

[leashedForLife]

not our favorite aspect of pet ownership, but... Stinks happen. 

I used this to eliminate the smothering stink of spilled gas / oil fuel for a lawnmower than had been spilled many-times on the UNSEALED floor of an 8 x 12 garden-shed that i bought - it did a wonderful job, i applied it twice with 5-days between for it to dry thoroughly, waited a week after the 2nd treatment to *seal* the floor so it wouldn't be ruined again [altho i wasn't storing any lawn-mowers in it, but various outdoor gear for hiking, etc, that was out of season / inapropos for Tidewater-VA, plus dog training paraphenalia, an agility jump set, etc, that wouldn't fit in the apt].

Later that year, when the new downstairs' tenant LET HER TOMCAT ROAM & the young barsteward  sprayed my doorway  :angry:  ... Odor-B-Gone didn't touch it. Waaah! - nor did Planet Urine, Urine B-Gone, or anything else i used.  // But i still like Odor-B-Gone best - non-toxic, biodegradable, etc. Good stuff, IME.

 

[leashedForLife]

.

bumping -
Anyone have their own nonaversive favorite training-tools, or general gear for life with dogs?...

- terry

.

 

[JudyN]

Not equipment as such, but I find a cut-down 'lead' with no loop, as modelled by Jasper below, invaluable.

He's collar-shy, and trying to hold onto the collar of a large dog who has taken a dislike to another isn't good for either you or the dog. It's easy to grab if we're walking past another dog I don't want to approach for whatever reason, and saves having to put the lead on.

I'm not sure how safe/useful it would be on a shorter dog though, even if scaled down - you wouldn't want them tripping on it when running.

 

[leashedForLife]

Not equipment as such, but I find a cut-down 'lead' with no loop, as modeled by Jasper below, invaluable.

He's collar-shy, and trying to hold onto the collar of a large dog who has taken a dislike to another isn't good for either you or the dog. It's easy to grab if we're walking past another dog I don't want to approach for whatever reason, and saves having to put the lead on.

I'm not sure how safe/useful it would be on a shorter dog though, even if scaled down - you wouldn't want them tripping on it when running.

.

Trainers call 'em hang-tabs, & U can buy them ready-made in various lengths -
I find them good for proofing when U're working up to a solidly reliable off-leash recall, when U've already done the dragging long-line step, from 20-ft to 15-ft to 10-ft to leash-length to 3-ft to 2-ft...

Hang-tabs are often used on puppies while they're still with their litters, as they will teach one another to give to pressure on the collar in play. One pup tugs on another's tab, & the tuggee will discover that moving with the pull is the way to reduce the pull on one's neck [while also getting closer to the tugger, & making them drop the tab].

Dogs who can be snarky with certain dogs but are fine with the majority can also wear a hang-tab when they're off-lead at the dog-park - it gives U the ability to catch them up when U see a Nemesis arrive, BEFORE the said Nemesis enters the park, & extract yer dog swiftly.

They're handy in many situations. Here's a retail link -
Pull Tabs

Note that J&J refer to them as PULL tabs, & moreover suggest they are "perfect for delivering corrections, by jerking on the tab". That is NOT how I use them, nor any of the trainers that i know - & as an FYI, if there's anything that will make a trusting dog dodge yer approaching hand, it's past experience of U reaching for that bl**dy tab & jerking on it! :---\
Excellent way to screw-up. Not advised.

- terry

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[JudyN]

Ooh, I love the leather ones in that link. I can't find any for sale within the UK, I'll have to see if I can hunt them down.

I call mine Jasper's 'naughty lead' or his 'grab handle' - as well as for walking past other dogs I don't want him to say hello to, e.g. ones on lead, they're useful for circumventing nice fresh tasty cow poo. It doesn't work for me if he's really going to kick off as he could easily whip it straight out of my hand if he lunged, but even then, it makes getting his lead on before he decides he really has to sort out that other dog easier.

I quite agree, I'd never use it for 'correction'.