17/10/2024
Not just thinking about harness vs collar/halti - also how ecollars, prongs, slips, choke chains affect dogs physiology. When we want to adjust a dogs behaviour we should always find the cause of the behaviour first, ie the feeling or motivation which results in the behaviour, instead of just modifying how they react to their environment.
✨Structures around your Dogs Neck ✨
Collar V Harness. Always a controversial subject, here’s the reason why I will always prefer a harness for your dog to protect those important structures around your dogs neck. Contrary to believe harnesses do NOT encourage your dog to pull, (always hearing this), lead pulling is often a training issue.
🤔 Did you know that if your dog pulls on a collar/ head collar/halti, you may be harming and causing damage to structures around your dog’s neck?
Please read …
~Muscles:- collar damage can cause contusions, strains, pain, injury to the muscles of the neck
~ Spinal cord & nerves:- collar damage may result in narrowing of the spinal canal,osteoarthritis and herniated discs, can also impinge the nerves causing pain and impaired neurological functions
- Nerves:-The vagus nerve is one of the most important structures of your dog’s nervous system. It originates at the neck level and it controls multiple life-essential organs such as the heart, lungs, stomach and the intestinal tract. Restricting the blood to this nerve may lead to dysfunction in these systems in your dog.
~Arteries & Veins:- collar damage may cause pressure on these blood vessels causing higher blood pressure in the brain and raised intra-ocular pressure, long-term effects may be impaired blood circulation in the brain.
Pulling on the neck increases pressure on the jugular vein. This can cause a build-up of pressure around the brain or can affect the flow of cerebral-spinal fluid, either of which can lead to epilepsy in pre-disposed dogs.
~Larynx & Oesophagus:- collar damage may cause difficulties in swallowing & choking and shortness of breath in your dog.
~Trachea:- collar damage may cause the cartilage rings to flatten or break, resulting in a narrower diameter and thus respiratory problems
-Hyoid apparatus:- a group of bones and cartilages that suspend the tongue and larynx. Trauma to these structures can cause damage and even fractures. (Thankfully very rare).
-Thyroid Gland. In a July 2015 Peter Dobias, DVM, notes the high rate of thyroid disease among large breeds of dogs who often pull strongly when on-leash
The thyroid gland is located in your dog's neck, where it produces thyroid hormones including thyroxine (T4), along with several other important thyroid hormones. When dogs pull, the thyroid gland can become inflamed and attacked/destroyed by the dog’s own immune system. This damage can cause a deficit of thyroid hormone and is termed “hypothyroidism”
-Structures around the eye. Scientists have found that pressure inside the eye was significantly increased when pressure was applied to a dog’s neck from its collar. Increased eye pressure can create additional problems for dogs already suffering from corneas, glaucoma, or eye injuries.
🙏 If you’re pulling the dog along by the collar or your dogs in front pulling you, please, please consider your dogs neck and the damage this can cause to your dog. Please consider a correctly fitted harness.
References:-
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4925585/
https://www.k9bridle.com/dogs-that-pull-on-the-lead/
https://www.ntu.ac.uk/about-us/news/news-articles/2020/05/collars-risk-causing-neck-injuries-in-dogs,-study-shows
https://peterdobias.com/blogs/blog/dog-collar-injuries-can-cause-thyroid-disease #:~:text=One%20cause%20of%20hypothyroidism%20that%20is%20often%20missed&text=Trauma%20to%20the%20thyroid%20gland,to%20injuries%20by%20dog%20collars.
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