Pet tips

Boy, am I glad I don’t have to wear a tie. Who decided years ago that wearing something tight around your neck meant you were dressed up? For guys, it’s pretty simple. An open collar is casual and a tie is dressy. Dogs, on the other paw, have no such etiquette and have a wide range of available neckware. Dog collar styles, which range from hemp to heavy metal, vary as much as the breeds. Our behavior staff, adoption counselors and humane officers are often asked which dog collar style is best. I’ll start by telling you which style definitely isn’t our favorite. I know many of you have seen the metal prong-type collars. Some dog owners choose this collar for a dog who pulls. They believe it gives them control, that the pulling dog will stop pulling when the pressure of the collar’s metal prongs dig into his neck. Sounds pretty barbaric, doesn’t it. We’re not fans — they’re even lower on our list than choke chains, which, by the way, are also considered a bit "old school.” Still, we’ve all seen the dog walkers whose preferred method of training is to jerk the chain over and over. As an organization, PHS/SPCA recommends flat collars, Gentle Leaders (the ones that look like muzzles, but aren’t) and halties. The Gentle Leader is effective because it applies pressure to a dog’s nose when he pulls. Some dogs need only work with it for a few weeks, and can then move to a simple flat collar. We also emphasize positive reinforcement. We want owners to teach dogs that something good will happen when their dogs don’t pull, not that something painful will happen if they do. If you have a prong collar, here’s an idea: next Halloween when you’re scrambling for a costume, how about a biker chick (or dude)?