As a driver I have a bad  habit.  I don’t usually buckle up right away but a few minutes after I start driving and the car’s warning signal gets louder and more annoying. I finally listen and  with an attitude of a teenager I reluctantly buckle up.

I myself am puzzled by this. What  brings on the teenager like attitude within me? Why  do I  take the chances and believe falsely that accidents are less likely to happen in the first kilometer or two of the trip?  There is something in most of us that makes as do things that are thrilling and dangerous, no matter how much it doesn’t make sense.

In the 90’s, I worked in a vet clinic in Whistler, British Columbia, a beautiful mountain resort full of thrill seeking folks, who hurl themselves down the double black diamonds  runs  that are steeper than this letter A.

Before the local bylaws tightened up, Whistlerites were also infamous for letting their dogs roam freely around town especially on powder days. Dogs can walk themselves, especially with 3 feet of fresh powder waiting, right?

Unfortunately many dogs couldn’t and I remember hating the “hit by car” emergency calls.

Neither were cats spared of the thrill seeking attitude of their owners. One of them  refused to put  his cat in a carrier when driving and they hurled down a ravine. During the ride to the clinic his freaked out cat decided to latch onto my clients face. It was a miracle  that neither of them were hurt except the car was a total write off.

My memory also takes me back to Cass a beautiful German Shepherd who was adopted by my friend Pat. The previous owner tied her to the track canopy with rope attached to her collar. It took one sharp turn, Cass flew of the truck and was dragged behind for a while before he noticed. She miraculously survived but  the  owner could not pay the vet bills and gave her up.

The good news is that Cass has a better home now. Unfortunately, the consequences of this nasty accident will be with Cass for  the rest  of her life.

The person who finally inspired me to write this  blog is Anna,  a great friend and a dog lover who would throw  herself of a cliff if her dog was in trouble.  However, Anna too, as most of us, has a dangerous habit. She leaves her dog Sam sit on the front  seat because “ he is so  cute”  and he is too hot in the back of the car.

First, I wanted to tell Anna right there that her  dog’s nose is a few inches from the airbag. Then my voice budged  in: “Peter, it is not your business!”  “Well it is and it isn’t.” I argued, “A dog can’t speak for himself and what if there was an  accident?  The airbag’s release  would break Sam’s neck and…. Anna would never forgive herself.”

After this heated argument of me with me, I settled for posting a line on my facebook. Anna did find it and replied with a kind and  funny comment: “Busted!”

I hope that reading the above lines will either freak you out or inspire you enough to want to read the following lines to make your animal friend safer when traveling. Here is what  you can do…

1. Do not let your pet roam the car  freely when driving. Your animal friend doesn’t  have a driving license and has no concept of what would happen if it wedges under the break pedal or prevents you from steering.
2. A safely fastened pet carrier is a great option for cats and some dogs. It is a excellent way to prevent your car hurling down the ravine because your freaked out cat latched onto your face.
3. Dog owners – buy a car for you pet. I am not kidding! Get a car with a built in safety cargo net. It doesn’t  need to be brand spanking new. Just safe. Your dog will have both  the comfort and safety when contained in the  back of your car. Some people  think that driving BMW is an unnecessary excess. I bought it because it has the best built in cargo netting on the market. I can also fold the rear seats down and move the cargo net right behind the front seats if I want Skai to be closer.
   
   I  remember, one time,  a work crew was repairing the road. My  lane was open and as  I was slowly driving ahead. Suddenly, I saw a huge truck speeding in the opposite directions, going way too fast. In order for the truck driver to not  hit the crew, he  swerved the truck into my lane. In slow motion, I saw the truck hurling towards me, breaks screeching, tires  smoking… I stepped on the breaks with full force  and closed my eyes. The truck stopped 10 meters away. If  Skai was not safely contained behind the cargo net, he would have flown through the vehicle, possibly getting injured or killed. I will never regret spending the extra money for a car from a manufacturer who cares about pet safety.

4. If you can’t help it and love seeing Fido stick his head out the  window to watch the world whiz  by, get a dog seatbelt harness that can buckle in.
5. If you  want to give  your dog an even greater  degree of freedom,  you can use a nylon cargo strap or climbing rope and loop it  around the rear seat. Make sure that it is securely fastened.  Use a climbing karabiner to clip your dog to. This will allow him to move freely from  side to side.
6. If you are the one who loves to have your  best  friend on your  lap when driving or on the passenger seat, stop and think. Is it worth taking the risk that your best friend could be killed  instantly by  the airbag or by being catapulted out of the vehicle?
7. If you have a truck and  like to keep your dog in the cargo area, do this only  in the warm months. You dog should wear a proper seat belt harness  attached  to both sides of the canopy. The rope  must be short enough to prevent  your dog from  falling out.
8. Never leave your dog running freely in the canopy, attach the collar to the rope or tie him to only one side. Remember Cass. It only takes one sharp turn and  Fido will fall out,  to be dragged and likely killed or seriously injured..

I know, I know, we all love to seek  thrills once every while. We all break the rules.  How about finding other ways to get the “fix;” a ride on rollercoaster,  watching a scary movie  or sky diving.

Just  promise one think that you keep your animal friend out of it and safe…

With gratitude,

Dr. Peter  Dobias.

PS:  Save animal lives share this blog with others.

Before you start reading the following lines, I invite you to do a little test. Open your hands keeping your thumbs together. Place the thumbs at the base of the throat and the fingers surrounding the neck. Now, take a deep breath, squeeze and pull back with all your force keeping your thumbs connected.

If you have not fainted by now and are still reading these lines, I am sure the sensation was not comfortable. Perhaps you never thought of it but this is how many dogs feel when they are on the leash.

If you are still keen to continue with this experiment, put a choke chain around your neck and attach it to a leash. Ask a friend to grab the end of the leash and pull and jerk on it periodically. Welcome to the dog world! No, I will not make you go on with this experiment and ask you to test another torture device, the prong collar.I just want you to become more aware of what is happening out there. .

One day, Skai and me were on one of our favorite walks in the beautiful Capilano River Park in North Vancouver. The wild river carved a breathtaking canyon with moss-covered cliffs, white water rapids and old growth rainforest trees. .

As soon as I arrived at the parking lot and let Skai out of the car, I noticed a man with a young German shepherd on the leash. The poor little pup was struggling to say hi and the master had a different idea. He was determined to prevent his dog from coming closer to us by yanking and jerking harshly on the leash that was attached to a choke chain. With every yank, I caught myself closing my eyes, cringing and feeling sorry for the poor dog that was coughing and gagging with every jerk. .

Suddenly the voice in my head whispered: “Peter, you must say something, this poor dog can’t speak for himself, he is getting hurt,” the voice went on, “maybe the man is not even aware of what he is doing. .

“Excuse me,” I started with hesitation, “ You may not be aware of this but the choke chain you are using is causing your dog discomfort.“ I started. “Have you ever thought how it feels to have a collar on? Your dog’s neck may be put out of alignment and the trauma could lead to numerous other problems. .

Then I thought, “ Is he going to get angry? I hope not. Is he going to get it? I hope so,” .
“Thank you for telling me, I will keep it in mind,” the man replied.
With a sigh of relief I continued on my walk and I hoped that the man would indeed keep our brief interaction in mind. At least I tried. It was definitely worth the risk of being yelled at. .

Wondering where the collar originated from? .

Perhaps it is a remnant of slavery where people were chained, wearing collars and being roped. Maybe, it is the way the cave people restrained their wild dogs from running away. I hope that one day, such medieval torturing devices as choke chains and prong collars will be outlawed and seen only on display in museums. .

Why am I so against collars? .

Because one jerk can cause a problem for a lifetime.
If you have ever had a sore neck or back you may understand. Most people feel the effect throughout the whole body and chronic pain can easily make you feel like you are 10 – 20 year older. .

Why is that? The neck and cervical spine are one of the most important “energy channels” in the body. If the flow of energy between the head and the neck is interrupted or restricted, a whole array of problems may arise from lameness to skin problems, allergies and even cancer. .

Hypothyroidism (low thyroid gland hormone) may be related to collar related injuries.

For the longest time, I have been puzzled about why dogs that are known to pull on the leash, such as Labradors, Retrievers and German Shepherds, have such a high rates of thyroid gland issues. One day, it dawned on me that the collar actually pushes on the throat exactly in the area of the thyroid gland. This gland gets severely traumatized whenever a dog pulls on the leash. .

The thyroid gland gets inflamed and consequently “destroyed” by the body’s own immune system that tries to remove the inflamed thyroid cells. The destruction of the thyroid gland cells leads to the deficit of thyroid hormone – hypothyroidism.
The thyroid gland governs the metabolism of every cell and its absence can have very severe consequences. The symptoms may be low energy, weight gain, skin problems, hair loss tendency to ear infections and organ failure to name a few. .

Ear and eye issues.

May also be related to pulling on the leash. Why? My experience is that pulling decreases the energy and lymphatic flow, which leads to ear and eye conditions. My clients are often perplexed when all the ear and eye problems disappear after switching their dog from a collar to the right harness. I will tell you about the alternatives in a chapter ahead. .

Paw licking and foreleg lameness.

This too can be related to your dog’s collar. Leash pulling often causes an abnormal sensation ( pins and needles sensation)in the feet and dogs simply try to lick their feet not knowing what better to do. I have seen many so called “allergic dogs” or chronically lame dogs healing completely after they were put on special harness. .

Some dogs may get such severe whiplash like injuries from being “jerked around” that they may suffer severe neck misalignment. A neck injury can pretty much affect any part of the body and if the energy flow deficit is severe this can even predispose the individual to cancer. .

Most people do not know that leashes and collars can be the cause of so many problems. How would they? If you belong to the lucky people who live with dogs that do not pull, congratulations! If your dogs is one of those types that takes you for a walk flailing behind, make sure you are reading the following lines. .

The collar alternative. .

Over the years, I have searched for the best way of making dogs safe without the risk that a collar brings. A harness is the answer because it distributes the possible tugs and jerks throughout the whole body, some harnesses keep the neck and throat free. However, it may not be as easy as it looks to choose the right harness. .

5 points to ensure the selection of the right harness and correct use.
1. Ideally choose a harness that is attached to the leash in the front portion where the neck connects to the torso – the chest opening. Most harnesses on the market have the leash attached on the back. I have seen many of these harnesses restrict the front portion of the neck, which presses on major veins, arteries and the thyroid gland, which is what we try to avoid. .

2. Make sure that your dog’s harness is the right fit and follow the maker’s instructions carefully. .

3. Use the harness only when leash walking and take it off when your dog is off leash. .

4. Ensure that the harness is not pressing or rubbing anywhere and that it is washed or cared for regularly. .

5. If your dog is adequately trained, give him as much off leash time as possible. .

I have tested many and the best I have seen are those where the leash attaches at the chest below the lower neck. My favorites are “Sensation” and “Sense-ible” harnesses and for smaller dogs, a back attachment harness “Puppia” is a very good choice. .

If your dog is a “puller” and you think that he may be suffering back or neck injury I suggest you have him examined. Initially, you may want to get his thyroid level measured and the neck and back checked for any signs of injuries. Keep in mind that many veterinarians are not trained in checking spinal alignment and working with the right practitioner is essential. .

If you are looking for a treatment solution, I caution you about using painkillers or anti-inflammatory medication of the pharmaceutical kind. Despite being widely used, they suppress pain but do not really heal the injury. Their side effect, which is just a clever name for “their effects” are gastro-intestinal ulcers, indigestion and kidney damage, to name a few. .

If you are looking for gentle and effective treatment methods. I recommend using homeopathy, physiotherapy, intramuscular needle stimulation, chiropractics, acupuncture and massage. Perhaps, you are lucky and you may have an experienced and reputable practitioner nearby and if not, I am happy to discuss your dog’s condition and treatment with you. Just follow this link to the appointment reservation page.

Most of all, I would like to thank you for reading this article all the way through. .

I hope that you too will join our “gentle leash efforts” and will not hesitate to pass this information onto others. Instead of using collars to control your dog, use it for attaching a tag with your phone number and address in case Fido gets lost. And of course, each dogs collar is also an expression of “his personal style.” .

My dog Skai has 5 collars. 2 from Hawaii – blue with flowers, one contemporary with stripes of ocean blue, chocolate brown and white colors, another one with red flashing lights for safety in the dark winter months and the last one spring green with dots. Luckily he spends most of the time off leash and doesn’t pull. .

I have spent quite a few hours writing these lines on a sunny May day to call MAYDAY on behalf of the dogs and other animals of this world so they are treated with kindness and respect.

I hope that whenever you see a dog pulling and choking on the collar you will not be afraid to speak up for him and make his human more aware of how many things can go wrong. The worse thing that can happen is that you will be told off. Don’t be afraid to start now. You can make a huge difference in the lives of our best friends. .

Peter Dobias, DVM.
www.peterdobias.com.