Terms used on this website are defined below
In dog behavior terminology an “aversive” is something unpleasant that is used to suppress or diminish an unwanted behavior. An aversive can be an unpleasant sound, a physical correction, the pain caused by a shock collar or prong collar correction, or a harsh scolding. It's considered an aversive if it's something your dog will work to avoid in the first place, or will work to stop in the moment.
Includes tools such as choke collars, prong collars, and e-collars/ shock collars/ “educators”, etc. and can include other methods such as leash popping, noise making devices, and techniques like spraying with water, yelling, and striking the dog. These training methods can result in fear, anxiety, stress, aggression, lack of trust, suppression of behavior and can result in a poor relationship with the owner.
In the context of hardware, "breaking strength" refers to the maximum amount of force or load that the hardware can withstand before breaking or failing. It represents the point at which the clip may deform, break, or become unable to support the weight or tension it is subjected to.
In the context of side release buckles used in making dog collars and waist belts, "break strength" refers to the maximum force or load that the buckle can withstand before breaking or failing. It indicates the point at which the buckle will separate, preventing it from effectively securing the collar around the dog's neck or securing a waist belt.
Working Load Limit is typically 1/3 the Breaking Strength of any component. These are the guidelines that I use to recommend hardware for your dogs expected maximum weight.
Sand or dirt accumulation inside the mechanism of a snap bolt or side release buckle can compromise the hardware's ability to securely connect and is NOT considered a failure of the product that is eligible for warranty repair or replacement.
Does your dog merely stand there and tolerate having you put his harness on, or does she willingly insert her head into the harness in excitement? Cooperative Care and Handling methods can be used to gain your dogs trust and willingly take part in things like getting geared up, having their nails trimmed or fur brushed, and much more.
Read more about Cooperative Care:
Fear free seeks to educate guardians on the emotional wellbeing, enrichment, and the reduction of fear, anxiety, and stress in pets and improve the experience of every human and pet involved. I volunteer at a Fear Free Shelter and have seen how well this approach enhances these animals' lives. I encourage pet owners and pet professionals to learn how they can use the Fear Free methods in their own daily lives.
Fear Free: https://www.fearfreehappyhomes.com/
Fear Free Certified Professionals: https://fearfreepets.com/resources/directory/
Belief that there is never a reason to use punishment. Rather, Force Free Trainers work with dogs and their guardians to develop a relationship that allows the dogs to make their own choices whenever possible and appropriate.
When working with fearful and shy dogs, feral dogs, and even reactive dogs at times they can find the collar, harness, leash or other equipment aversive because it is unintentionally emotionally or physically unpleasant for them. This may be as simple as being unused to a collar or harness. In other cases the equipment is preventing them from doing something they want to do, such as run away from something that frightens them. We support using well-fitting equipment that will keep your dog safe and secure while avoiding equipment that is designed to produce pain or discomfort.
Martingale collars are one of the types of equipment that can be used properly or used in an aversive manner. A martingale collar should be adjusted so that the collar tightens enough to prevent the dog from pulling out of the collar - without being so tight that the collar chokes the dog.
The majority of the leashes are available in hardware such as a Gooseneck clip or an Auto-Locking Carabiner - designs that are selected because they have a reduced likelihood of accidentally coming unclipped if your dog rolls in the grass. These also have a higher breaking load than the standard snap bolt that is used on the majority of leashes on the market.
A select group of products are available in nylon tube webbing that has been reinforced with metal cable, resulting in a product resistant to your dogs ability to chew through. No product is 100% “Chew Proof”, but we’ve gotten as close as we can! The outer webbing of these items can still be damaged by chewing, but not to the point of failure. Chewed webbing is not replaceable under the Product Guarantee, but may be repairable under our $5 Chew Repair.
The term "No-Pull" can be confusing when applied to a dog harness. In some cases the "no-pull" may simply be a harness designed with a connection point on both the front and the back of the harness. A "Y" shaped harness with two connection points may be a good option if you are seeking to work with your dog on loose leash walking.
At other times a "no-pull" harness is designed to physically restrict the shoulder movement of the dog. These may be designed such that there is a horizontal strap across the chest area of the dog. Typically these are not recommended because they can at minimum be aversive to your dog, and in some cases having continued restriction of a dogs movement can lead to joint issues in the long term.
A "No-Pull" leash is typically a leash with clips on both ends and a floating leash handle, which allows you to connect into both the front and the back connection point of the harness. No-pull harnesses and leashes can be used properly or used in an aversive way, so please discuss proper use of these products with your R+ dog trainer.
Are non-punitive, non-scary, and safe. They provide what is rewarding to the dog, things like treats, play, and sniffing. This method determines what is rewarding to the dog, and encourages a dog to do what you want them to do vs punishing them for what you don’t want them to do.
Tensile strength refers to the maximum amount of tensile or pulling force that a material can withstand before breaking or deforming. In the context of the materials used in making dog leashes, tensile strength refers to the maximum force or load that the webbing can endure without tearing or failing.
Chewing by the dog or abrasion from mis-use of the product can result in premature failure of paracord, BioThane®️ or webbing products and is NOT covered under warranty.