Hello Everyone, Hope all your furry children are well. I have a dog run (200 feet from my house to the woods) and I have always put my Boxer, "Moxie" out on it in her harness thinking she would be safer and more comfortable. Is her harness safer or would she be safer in a collar? If a collar would be better, which brand and why? I was doing a search for a leather harness because her nylon one makes her itchie, it doesn't rub the hair off or irritate her skin, I leave it on (because she loves to ring her bell and come and go often) she will rub up against the bricks on the fireplace to scratch where the harness is, I saw a comment on a couple of pet sites saying it wasn't safe to put a dog out in a harness but did not say why. Thank you! Kathryn
I assume by dog run you mean an elevated cable? IF this is the case, I would highly suggest you use only a harness... I have heard and seen too many dogs getting caught up and strangling to death when tied out in collars. that said, it is unwise to leave any dog tied up anywhere for any length of time. A few minutes here and there while you are around to keep watch, but never never never never leave a dog tied out in any fashion while you are away or unable to supervise them.
This is the horror that many dog owners come home to... they tied out their dog, so the poor dear wouldn't have to be stuck in a crate or in a kennel. When they get home from work, the yard is strangely silent. Upon checking for their dog, they find it, most often dead, sometimes barely clinging to life, strangled by their collars when their cable run got tangled up. Even in a harness, bizarre accidents can and do happen involving limbs getting stuck in the harness, twisiting and tightening as the dog frantically tried to free itself often ending up in a stranglulation or a badly damaged, even amputated limb.
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Susan
**Boxers... not just dogs, they're an adventure!
I absolutely agree with Susan...110%. If you have to leave her untattended, being in the house, crated, is a much better, safer & wise choice. Other wise, if you are able to watch her while being tied out, I agree, a harness is much better.
I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you think she would be safer & more comfortable being tied out. Maybe that's just me. She would be happier, safer, in the house. JMO.
I do not leave her out on her run unattended, I put her out when she asks to go out to go to the "bathroom". When she wants to go out she rings a bell by the door. If leave to go off for awhile she is left in the house and does not need to be crated. Some how my question seems to be misinterperted, my question was is it safer to use a harness on the "elevated cable" i.e. dog run or is it safer to use a collar. {"I'm sorry, but I don't understand why you think she would be safer & more comfortable being tied out. Maybe that's just me. She would be happier, safer, in the house. JMO." } No where in my post did I say I left her tied out - I am very aware that it's would not be safe to go off and leave her on her run. It seems to me like I'm being lectured to instead of being helped by your comments, please reread my post, I am only asking which is safer to put my dog out in a harness or collar. Kathryn
I believe the reaction you got was because asking which is safer is implying that your dog will not be supervised. If you are there for the most part, you will be able to intercede should your dog get caught up.
These devices become dangerous when the dogs are left for extended periods of time, because they get caught up and no one is there to fix the problem.
I am no expert but if you are there, possibly only leaving your dog for a few minutes, either solution should be fine.
I am sorry if I misunderstood your post, our intention ( certainly yours) is whats best for this wonderful breed. Yes, I did misinterpret your post. sorry again. I do beleive a harness is best for what you need it for. Kudos to you for asking...:)
I am sorry if you thought I was coming down on you personally. Please remember that many people read this board, and don't necessarily post, so I wanted to make sure that everyone understands just how dangerous it is to leave a dog tied out unattended. I in no way meant to imply that you yourself were doing so. Sorry for any misuderstanding.
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Susan
**Boxers... not just dogs, they're an adventure!
Okay, I am confused. The topic given was TIE OUT QUESTION. But the OP says the dog is not truly on a tie out but is really in a dog run? Or are they tied in the dog run?
Please help me understand what exactly the situation the dog is being left in which prompted the question.
As to actual tie outs: I am against them. Unless the human is 100 % in the yard with the dog, I find no value in a tie out. While someone mentioned a dog can get strangled, you forgot to also add they can get killed. A dog staked out on a tie out is a meal just waiting to be taken by wildlife :(
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*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~* Christina Ghimenti PawPrint Boxers
By dog run, the OP means an elevated cable with a slide cable attached to it, then attached to a harness or collar. So the dog can run back and forth the length of the elevated cable.
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Susan
**Boxers... not just dogs, they're an adventure!
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