{"id":9935,"date":"2022-10-06T14:02:14","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T14:02:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/blog\/uncategorized\/puppy-slip-leads\/"},"modified":"2023-03-30T10:52:57","modified_gmt":"2023-03-30T10:52:57","slug":"puppy-slip-leads","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/zigzag.dog\/en-us\/blog\/new-puppy\/puppy-essentials\/puppy-slip-leads\/","title":{"rendered":"Puppy Slip Leads: Why They Are Cruel"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We hate to say it but slip leads for dogs seem to have come back into fashion, you may have seen them featuring heavily on social media. They have a very specific use, so why have more dog owners started using them and are slip leads cruel?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here at Zigzag we don\u2019t like or do anything that will cause puppies harm, so we have quite a lot to say on the subject of slip leads for puppies! Keep on reading and we\u2019ll dive into why slip leads for puppies are cruel. We\u2019ll also look at whether slip leads are good for puppy training, why you shouldn\u2019t use a slip lead for puppies, and what kind of dog walking equipment we recommend you use instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slip leads have one use, typically getting a trained gundog out of the car and to the shoot, and then putting them on a lead when they come back. Dog collars can be dangerous when working dogs go out to pick up game or birds, so a slip lead is used as it\u2019s really easy to get on and off. Maybe people have been watching too much Downton Abbey or The Crown with all the scenes of shoots and it’s given people ideas. But these days, many gundog trainers use slip leads with a limited-slip, meaning there\u2019s a stopper, so the slip lead doesn\u2019t go tight around the dog\u2019s neck and cause pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

There is maybe one other use where they\u2019re commonly used. Vet surgeries, to move a dog out of their kennel area. Even then, it\u2019s 50\/50 these days as to whether they use a slip lead. You see, Vets understand the damage that can be done by incorrect use, and that slip leads can hurt dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019d like to learn how to teach your puppy to be the best-behaved dog around town, download the Zigzag puppy training app<\/a>! All of our methods use positive reinforcement to get the best from your dog, so you\u2019ll be able to teach your puppy lead walking without the need for a slip lead that can cause pain.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Week by week we\u2019ll take you through a training journey that\u2019s based around your puppy’s developmental milestones so you can teach them to be confident and well-mannered. You don\u2019t have to go it alone either, we have a team of fully qualified dog trainers <\/a>ready to talk to you about any new owner wobbles you might be having, 7 days a week! <\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Ryan Antooa<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Are slip leads cruel for puppies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Slip leads are often touted as an easy way to train your puppy, but they work by applying a punisher (pain) when your puppy pulls ahead. You\u2019ll have seen this be called a \u2018correction\u2019 a lot of the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A dog\u2019s neck area is very sensitive. The slip lead should never be around the middle of the neck, as pressure here can cause physical harm. It can cause soft tissue damage in the dog\u2019s neck, including tracheal and laryngeal damage, and may even cause the trachea to collapse or vertebrae to displace\u2026..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think about how dogs learn, it\u2019s not fair to use these kinds of methods, and using a slip lead on a puppy is cruel. It\u2019s much kinder and more effective to teach a puppy what we want them to do with rewards<\/a> instead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Are slip leads good for puppy training?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Pretty much any training tool can be used in an aversive way, but slip leads, in particular, should not be used as a puppy training tool. If you\u2019re wondering, are slip leads good for puppies? then let us fill you in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When a dog trainer advises using a slip lead on a puppy, they typically do so because the slip lead will be used similarly to how choke chains were once used. They cause pain when they tighten on your puppy\u2019s neck and can cause medical problems and injuries. No one wants that for their puppy, do they?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The idea is that the puppy stops pulling to get relief from the \u2018correction\u2019 i.e pain. This technique employs positive punishment (adding something aversive to stop your dog from doing something you don\u2019t like), and negative reinforcement (your dog stops doing something to escape something aversive). Punishment-based methods, as well as escape and avoidance training, are no longer appropriate for any dogs, puppies included.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When practising lead walking<\/a>, we want our puppies to be happy to walk next to us, as they\u2019ll get rewarded for being there with treats or other rewards<\/a>. If we keep hurting them when they get it wrong, it can damage a puppy, physically and mentally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppy training should be positive reinforcement based<\/a>, we believe there is no (good) reason to use a slip lead for puppy training.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo by Justin Veenema<\/a> on Unsplash<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Why should I not use a slip lead? <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If we haven\u2019t talked you out of using a slip lead on a puppy already, let\u2019s go more in-depth as to the reasons why slips are cruel<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slip leads cause pain when used incorrectly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Slip leads sit on a highly sensitive area – a dog’s neck. In this area dogs have a lot of nerve endings which can be pinched, so when they pull into the slip lead it will hurt their throat, cause nerve damage, rope burns, and a lot of pain. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Puppies have underdeveloped necks that are even more sensitive to slip leads, so they\u2019ll hurt them if they pull into the slip lead.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slip leads can cause injury<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Did you know you can seriously injure your puppy by using a slip lead?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Injuries associated with slip leads are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n