Surgeons warn of serious hand injuries from dog leads and collars

Rosie

Rosie

Location
South Wales
Not quite on topic....but, I was shown a fantastic technique by our trailing instructor. Trailing, of course, means Pongo has to be on a long line, and I'm meant to keep it just nicely taut, letting it out or gathering it in as he moves. In our early trails (and still occasionally), of course Pongo just galloped off like an express train, ripping the lead through my hands and with no chance of my holding on. Bye-bye Pongo, disappearing gleefully into the undergrowth on a scent, trailing 30 feet of line.

Point one - OF COURSE - was to wear gloves. But that didn't help with his immense strength and pull.

The trainer showed me how to hold the bulk of the lead, looped, in my left hand, BEHIND MY BACK, with the leading end controlled more loosely in my right hand for more precise control. When Pongo pulls, I can relatively easily hold him by just leaning my weight backwards onto my left hand and the lead - it pretty much eliminates the "rip through the hands" thing. The main challenge is keeping the loops of line untangled in my left hand when it is out of sight behind me....but I'm learning.
 
Emily

Emily

Location
Melbourne, Australia
Rosie said:
The trainer showed me how to hold the bulk of the lead, looped, in my left hand, BEHIND MY BACK, with the leading end controlled more loosely in my right hand for more precise control. When Pongo pulls, I can relatively easily hold him by just leaning my weight backwards onto my left hand and the lead - it pretty much eliminates the "rip through the hands" thing. The main challenge is keeping the loops of line untangled in my left hand when it is out of sight behind me....but I'm learning.
Click to expand...
I have friends that have multiple Huskies. They walk their 'packs' hands free on a waist belt. It enables them to lean back and brace against any pulling.
 
Emily

Emily

Location
Melbourne, Australia
I'm amazed at the terrible experiences with Flexi leads. Don't get me wrong, I understand how they can happen (Ella and I had a miscommunication the first time we used ours and OH ended up with a burn on the back of his leg - oops, sorry OH!).

We use a Flexi lead for Ella at times. But I can't think of a time where we would have come close enough to anyone to cause such an injury. The only thing I can think of in the examples above is that the people must have been using them in inappropriate places.
 
MrChew

MrChew

Emily said:
I'm amazed at the terrible experiences with Flexi leads. Don't get me wrong, I understand how they can happen (Ella and I had a miscommunication the first time we used ours and OH ended up with a burn on the back of his leg - oops, sorry OH!).

We use a Flexi lead for Ella at times. But I can't think of a time where we would have come close enough to anyone to cause such an injury. The only thing I can think of in the examples above is that the people must have been using them in inappropriate places.
Click to expand...
The key is "appropriate places!" I live in an urban setting and see people using them on the pavement and in busy parks with dogs who pull and have no recall. It's a nightmare!

I think they can work for the right dog, right owner, right setting (like you and Ella!) - it's just that lots of people just aren't that responsible or don't think situations through.
 
Candy

Candy

Biscuit Tin Guardian
Location
West Yorkshire, UK
The lovely nurse who treated me in A&E yesterday was telling me about this article. Nice as he was, I was immediately on the defensive ( possibly because I was in pain) and informed him that my injury was in no way my dog's fault and that she is a GoodGirl. He was most apologetic and said he was sure she was and he hadn't meant to imply otherwise. Looking back, I think the poor man was just trying to make conversation! Oops!:$
 
Selina27

Selina27

Location
Herefordshire, UK
snowbunny said:
Everything's dangerous. Things happen.
Click to expand...
Well, yes, you say that and of course it is true.

But I have seen people come into the MIU where I used to work, with such nasty injuries from this very thing. And only the other night at training class another handler wrapped her leads around her hands and said "oh, don't let her (the trainer) see this, she'll tell me off"....... what is it I wonder that people don't get?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top