A Wells Trained Dog

Training Tips | Safety Tips | Special Holiday Tips

For more information on how to keep your animal companions safe and sound  please visit  ASPCA website. The ASPCA ANIMAL POISON CONTROL CENTER is 1-888-426-4435.

Safe  Equipment

About the Martingale Training Collar  used at A Wells Trained Dog:

Unfortunately, the company does not distribute the collars widely in the U.S.   It is a Canadian company. Wag'n Tails, the pet store on Orange Avenue in Coronado,  imports them for A Wells Trained Dog. 

If you cannot get to Coronado, the wonderful people at Wag'n Tails will mail one to you.   Their number is 619-435-3513—ask for Melanie and she will send the collar to you immediately. 

Although the safest of training collars, the Martingale is for training and walking only.  It should never be left on an unattended dog.  You will understand when you see it.  Although, when fitted correctly,  it cannot choke a dog, the lead ring can get caught on anything protruding from a wall, chair etc. and frighten the pup.  

 When the collar is comfortably snug and you can get two fingers between it and your pup's neck, the rings on each end of the cloth part of the collar should be touching.  Be careful not to yank or snap the lead and collar.  You should NEVER snap or yank a dog’s neck.  Everything must be done gently. 

About the Breakaway Collar:

The breakaway collar is a safety collar for your dog.   Every year thousands of dogs lose their lives to collar strangulation.  When two dogs are playing, they often grab at each others' necks.  One dog can easily entangle his jaw with the other dog's collar.  The dog with the collar, in an attempt to free himself, often flips over, twisting the conventional collar around his neck and around the other dog's jaw.  The result is usually the asphyxiation of the strangled dog and the fracture of the other's jaw.   There have been cases where the dog whose jaw is fractured also suffers a tear of a blood vessel and  bleeds to death.

This accident occurred on the beach with our own Kate's wonderful Chocolate Lab, Levi.  As he was chasing and playing with another lab, Levi's jaw became entangled with the other dog's collar.  (Levi was not wearing a collar)  As the other lab struggled to free himself, he twisted the collar more and more until he was gasping for air.   As the two owners were struggling to free their dogs, the dogs were panicked.  The owner of the second dog was badly bitten  by his dying dog.   As a last ditch effort to survive  the dog grabbed Levi by the throat and tore his carotid artery.  Fortunately  the owners were able to disconnect the collar and free the dogs.   Kate knew where to apply pressure to Levi's wound and the location of the closest emergency hospital (and how to get there!!).  Levi was critical for 24 hours.  After extensive surgery and blood transfusions he survived.    The veterinary bill was over $4000.  Had the other dog been wearing a breakaway collar, it would have broken away from the dog's neck when Levi 's jaw entangled with it and the dogs would have gone on playing.   (The second dog and his owner recovered as well, after another expensive visit to the Emergency Hospital.)

Another incident occurred in an owner's home.   On a winter day while the owners were away,  their dog laid near the floor heater for warmth.   When his license tag caught in the grill of the heater he panicked.  He twisted in circles in an attempt to free himself from the hot grill.    His collar tightened around his neck and strangled him.   Fortunately  a family member arrived home in time to take him to the Emergency Hospital and, after a three day stay, and $2350.  veterinary bill,  he recovered. 

The collars cost less than $20.00.  A very good investment.

Still another incident occurred in an owner's back yard.  The very active Labrador Retriever pup was playing around the pool when he jump onto a wrought iron chair.  As he went to jump off, his collar caught on the arm.  As he struggled to get away from the now up-ended chair, he backed into the pool, falling in, with the chair tumbling after him.  The weight of the chair pulled him to the bottom of the pool where he was trapped.  Fortunately several family members were home and one saw him fall into the pool.   With a great deal of effort, they were able to raise the pup out of the pool.  Also fortunately, the family members knew how to perform CPR and were able to resuscitate their nearly drowned pup.   Had they not been home, or had they not seen the fall, or had they not known CPR,  their beloved pup would have been lost.  Had the pup been wearing a safety collar,  or no collar, the pup would not have been pulled into the pool. 

About the Halti Head Halter:

Dogs who are strong forgers, (pullers),  will benefit from the use of a head halter.  The most efficient training head halter is the  Halti.  The real secret to the successful use of a Halti is the use of TWO leads.  One should be attached to the Halti and the other to the dog's Martingale training collar.   That way the tension on the dog will be distributed evenly from muzzle to shoulders rather than concentrated on the muzzle.  Additionally, this prevents your pup from leaping and twisting as so many dogs do when they are first introduced to a head halter.  Again, you must not yank or jerk your dog with either lead.

At first most dogs do not like any head halter.  In fact they spend a great deal of time trying to "rub" it off their faces.   How you introduce the head halter is critical to your success with it.  You must introduce it in a happy, playful way so that the dog sees it as a FUN thing to wear rather than as a punishment.

First, have your pup take a treat from the bottom of a paper cup.  Repeat this enough times until the dog enjoys putting his muzzle into the cup.  Then put the Halti on the floor formed like a cup and repeat the exercise.  Always praise and scratch your pup and be very playful when he takes the treat from the floor, inside the Halti.  Next bring the neck band around his neck as he takes the treat.  DO NOT CLIP THE NECK BAND YET.    Take if off immediately and laugh with your dog.  Repeat this until the dog "asks"  to have the Halti put on his head.  If you approach this correctly,  your dog will love to wear his head harness.  Again, remember, do NOT pull or yank on the Halti lead.  Everything you do with your dog must be fun and playful.    

Keep in mind,  "IF IT'S NOT FUN, IT'S NOT DONE".

Safety Tips: 

PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING. It could save your dog's life:

FOOD temptations:

•  Chocolate can cause diarrhea, vomiting and fatal heart arrhythmias.   Remember how clever dogs are and hide that candy!

•   Coffee, Caffeine, Alcohol, Avocado, Macadamia Nuts, Grapes, Raisins, Yeast Dough, Raw Meat, Raw Eggs, Xylitol, Onions, Garlic, Chives, Milk, and Salt are all toxic to dogs and may be fatal.

•  Chicken and turkey bones can splinter their digestive systems. Hundreds of dogs die annually when owners unwittingly give them the carcass.   Save it for soup!

•  Ham bones and skin, turkey and chicken skin and fat  often cause gastritis, diarrhea, life threatening obstructions or pancreatitis.   A sick dog can be grumpy and grumpy pups often bite! Keep Kong toys and Canine Genius Leos  stuffed with treats, sticky kibble, raw string beans, carrots and apple chunks available.

•  Alcohol is toxic for DOGS AND CATS, even in small amounts.  Many  of them like the taste of beer, wine, and other alcohol.  These can all be deadly to them.  Your friends might think it's fun to watch them drink alcohol, but you won't think it's fun to watch them have convulsions and die.

•  Small rawhide sticks and rawhide toys that unravel can cause obstructions in dogs' throats and blockages in their intestines and can be fatal.

Other dangers:

*   Candles attract dogs, especially puppies, (and of course those inquisitive cats!)  and can be a hazard both from ingestion and fire. A dog's tail and long hair can catch fire and result in a disaster.

*  Matches and lighter fluid—always keep them out of a dog's reach. Certain types of matches, for example, contain chlorates, which could potentially damage blood cells and result in difficulty breathing.

*  Antifreeze contains ethylene glycol which causes irreversible kidney damage, and even death, when ingested even in small amounts.  Unfortunately antifreeze is sweet to taste and found in puddles in parking areas and gutters.  Both cats and dogs walk through it and we lick it off our paws.  Clean up all spills immediately.  Purchase only products that are marked "pet safe" and do not contain ethylene glycol.

*  Commercial food strings may contain paint or toxins in the preservatives which are poisonous to dogs.

•  Some of a dog's toys can be dangerous. Be sure that the toys you leave with them do not contain “ squeakers ” unless the squeaker is part of the rubber mold, not plastic or metal. Dogs can ingest them into their stomachs and intestines and/or aspirate them into their lungs causing grave consequences. The plastic squeakers do not show up on x-ray or sonogram.  

•  Diet Change.  Do not vary a dog's diet, EVEN FOR ONE MEAL.  As much as dogs love goodies, keep them on their normal diets.  Any change, even for one meal, can give them severe indigestion and diarrhea.  Again,  Chocolate, Coffee, Caffeine, Alcohol, Avocado, Macadamia Nuts, Grapes, Raisins, Yeast Dough, Raw Meat, Raw Eggs, Bones, Xylitol, Onions, Garlic, Chives, Milk, and Salt are all toxic to dogs and can be fatal.

• Stay alert. Keep these items out of a dog's reach.  Sit or lie down on the floor of each room and look up and around the room asking yourself what would interest you if you were a bored, confused or excited dog, cat, bunny or bird. Remember that it's not just US dogs who get into trouble. Watch your “kids” closely. Don't let them surprise you with something you never dreamed they'd get into.  Holiday seasons can be  very stressful times for pets. Try to keep as normal a daily schedule as possible. Remind every family member and guest to check that doors and gates are closed carefully. Frightened and confused pets often wander away from home. A stay at the Animal Shelter is often not pleasant and there's no place like home for uS pets especially during the cold weather.  Microchip your dog.  Millions of pets have been returned to their owners through the chip program.

•  Cold  weather can be deadly to dogs, especially puppies.  Their coats are not ample for these cold nights.  Please let them sleep in the house.  Limit the time they are outdoors and be sure to dry them off when they come into the house.  When they are outside, provide ample water for them to drink and shelter from the rain and cold.  A warm sweater or jacket will keep them healthy and happy; introduce it to them gradually and make it fun to wear.  When the temperature drops below 30 degrees, dogs can experience frostbite!

*  If you take your dog to the snow, PUT BOOTIES ON HIS FEET.  If you  can't walk In the snow barefoot, your dog can't either!

*  HOT weather can be deadly to dogs, especially long-coated dogs and puppies.  Dogs do not perspire the way humans do; they cool by panting but when they've panted away all of their fluids, they become dehydrated and can die. By the way . . . it is illegal in California to leave a dog in your car, no matter the time of day or time of year. Thank you, legislature, for thinking about dogs when considering that bill!  The police, and even an ordinary citizen, can take a dog from your hot car if they are in trouble.  Even with the windows wide open and your car in the shade, the temperature in a car can get over 100 degrees very quickly. Remember the police officer who left his police dog in his car? The dog suffered a dreadful death from heat prostration and  dehydration.  VERY SAD. Please do not let that happen to your dog!

*  If you take your dog to the beach, put booties on his feet as well, or carry him across the sand.  The sand can be very hot in the summer and can burn a dog's foot pads.  If you cannot walk across the sand barefoot, a dog can't either!