Slip lead on a puppy.....!

[Amos]

Just bought my IWS pup a slip lead, but a friend who has working dogs says I shouldn't use it, until he is 1 plus...!

Told me it can damage his neck etc....

I only want to get him used to it slowly, around the garden etc....

[Gazelle1000]

ive always used them on mine from day 1

[shropshirelad]

As long as you use it the right way around it shouldn't be a problem..

[Cass]

Hogwash. It's fine. People who live in town like myself have no choice but to use a lead from day one. Your friend is smoking something

[Kaiser]

Many many sources would disagree with you all, but then that's dog training

http://www.benefitdogs.co.uk/documents/ ... ePager.pdf

http://www.thelabradorsite.com/forums/i ... pic=1352.0

Personally I would say his dog is too young, and he is too inexperienced to use it correctly on such a young pup. 4-5 months may be more acceptably but even then it needs using correctly.

Oh and I am the friend who said he shouldn't be using it at this age ! What age is the pup 9 or 10 weeks now ?

[Kaiser]

As long as you use it the right way around it shouldn't be a problem..

Oh and I agree with this but its his first ever gundog and his first ever slip lead odds are it won't be used correctly so please put up a guide

[Hepe]

I use a puppy collar the first weeks, mostly so i have a collar to grab onto rather than the neck, puppies tend to get into trouble very often.. But soon enough i swap over to a slip lead, i live very rural though so not really much walking on lead aside early summer when the nature is full of babies.

Helene

[LucyLab]

One of my clients recently got in big trouble with her vet for turning up with her 18week old ESS on slip-lead when she took her in for a checkup. Apparently she was guaranteed to have a damaged windpipe....errmmm....city vet. I can appreciate this sort of advice being given to someone totally new to dog training, with nobody there to help them to use the lead properly, but does seem a tad dramatic?!

[Kaiser]

I don't think its a comment related as a "city" attitude really, maybe just concern for a young pup. The man who bred my GSP also advised against slip leads, well respected falconer think he used to have a lot to do with the Scottish hawking club and couldn't have been less city.

[vicky payne]

If you have land outside your back door there can be advantages to teaching heel off lead and only introducing the lead later. If you live in the rest of the world pups have to get used to collars and leads pretty early. Personally I prefer a thick,soft flat collar and a thin lead until mine are walking quite well on the lead. The worry with a slip lead on a young pup is that if it is scared and bolts it can damage it's neck; either the bones or the windpipe.