Would you guys as members be interested in learning about recommended books? There are tons of books written for pet parents that are accessible. I would also consider posting them using affiliate links for full transparency.

Happy Thursday! Let’s kick off the week with some positivity! What’s one thing your dog did this week that made you think:👉 “Wow… we’re actually making progress!” It can be anything — ✨ A calmer walk ✨A faster response to a cue ✨ A moment of focus ✨ Less pulling ✨ More confidence ✨ A breakthrough at home Big wins, small wins… they ALL count. 🙌Drop yours in the comments so we can celebrate with you! 🎊🐶

Most of us were taught: “Just clip the leash to the collar. That’s what it’s for.” But a veterinary study looking at how much pressure collars put on the neck when dogs pull or get jerked on the leash paints a very different picture — and it has big welfare implications for our pets. As a Certified Professional Dog Trainer – Knowledge Assessed (CPDT-KA) and Service Dog Coach, I want to break this down in plain language and give you clear, practical takeaways. 🔬 What Did the Researchers Do? Researchers built a “fake dog neck” (a rigid tube the size of a medium–large dog’s neck) and wrapped it in a pressure sensor. Then they tested several common walking tools, including: - Flat collars - Padded collars - Rolled collar - Lurcher-style collar (wide in the front, narrower behind) - Slip lead - Chain/check collar For each one, they applied three types of leash force to simulate real-life walking: 1. Light pull – dog just leaning into the leash 2. Strong pull – dog really pulling 3. Leash jerk – a quick, sharp tug (like a “correction” or when a dog hits the end of the leash suddenly) They measured: - How much pressure the neck “felt” - Where that pressure landed (front vs sides of the neck) - How much area of the neck the collar actually pressed on No live dogs were used – this was all done on a model, so no one was hurt during testing. 📊 What Did They Find? Short version: When force goes through a collar, the neck gets hit hard. Key findings in simple terms: - All collars produced very high pressure on the neck when the dog pulled or was jerked on the leash. - Some collars, especially rolled collars and narrow designs, created extremely high pressure in a very small area. - Slip leads and chains often had a small contact area, meaning the force was concentrated more intensely. - Pressure was often focused at the front of the neck – right where the throat, thyroid gland, big blood vessels, and important nerves are. - Even the “best” collars in the study (wider, padded, more surface area) still produced pressure levels considered high enough to potentially cause tissue damage when force was applied.