Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey brain Stuff, Lauren Bogelbaum. Here. When you adopt a puppy or an older dog, there's a lot to look forward to. Fun days of playing with her and taking walks, feeding her, teaching her tricks and taking walks, cuddling on the couch with her, and yes, taking more walks. Dogs require a lot of walks. The obvious reason is that they have to go out to do their business, meaning urinate and defecate.
The frequency depends on the breed, but if you live in an apartment or a house without a fenced yard where they can roam freely to take care of the call of nature. As the adult in the room, you are responsible for taking them out to a designated area where they can go and you can clean up after them. But there's more to it than that dogs need lots of exercise. They need to burn off energy and socialize
with other dogs. Hello dog park. Walks are an important part of your dog's daily routine, and that means your pubs leash is a crucial canine accessory. But there are a dizzy and number of options, So we talked to an expert about her favorite leash and why she recommends it. Susie Agga is a nationally recognized dog trainer, an expert in dog behavior modification, and the founder of Atlanta Dog Trainer. She has decades of dog training experience and has clear
preferences about leashes for starters. She never recommends a retractable leash. She explained, they're very popular leashes, but everyone hates them. It's irritating for the dogs on the leash, they've got constant tension on them, and it's irritating for humans in the community. Most pet owners don't reel in their dogs, they just let them wrap up whoever's walking by. Retractable
leashes are dangerous to dogs and humans. How many times have you been strolling along in the park, minding your own business when suddenly there's a Doberman pincher staring at you a good twenty to thirty feet or sixty nine meters away from its owner. Also, retractable leads can hurt you the dog walker should you attempt to grab it in case of an emergency, it could give you a rope burn. And these leashes are infinite for snapping due to strain or mechanical failure. And whipping back with high
force toward the walker's body and face. Aga also doesn't recommend the slip lead, which is basically a slip knot allowing you to slip your dog's head through the loop and pull to tighten. Think of those leashes you get at the vet, but they can be very dangerous, she said. I don't like them because it puts a lot of pressure on the dog's trachea. It can cause a lot of damage. Agga's leash recommendation is a basic six foot or approximately two meter braided leather leash with brass fittings.
The clips onto the dog's collar or harness, whichever the dog wears when walking. Aga says six feet is plenty long for every breed of dog to get away to use the bathroom. The only time she doesn't recommend the brass fittings is for small dogs because the brass can be too heavy for those smaller dogs. Try stainless steel or aluminum fittings instead. Agga explained, a leather leashes last a really long time. I've got one leash that's fifteen
years old. Most leashes available in the market are made of reinforced nylon or cloth. Webbing. Some even have carbon fiber woven into them. Others are made of nylon rope. AGAs says those are fine, but to be prepared to keep buying them. She said Nilon leashes, even the ones that are sturdy webbing, are fine, but they don't last as long as leather. Dogs can choose through them and then the owners end up tying them in knots. There's a lot of stuff in the dog world designed to
make you buy more. As a trainer, I want something that's going to last a long time. Aga says. All dogs should wear collars so that they always have tags on the leash clips onto the collar. Some dog breeds, though, benefit from wearing a harness when they go for walks, especially large breeds like huskies or Bernese mountain dogs and much smaller ones such as toy breeds or puppies. Harnesses are good for dogs who pull a lot too, Agga explained.
Harnesses are designed so there's less pulling. Front clip harnesses seem to work best for that, and you don't want to put a lot of pressure on the trachea of a small bree ned, so a lot of toy breeds will use harnesses rather than a color because of how small they are. Today's episode was written by Patty res Musen and produced by Tyler Clain. Brain Stuff is production of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. For more in this and lots of other topics, visit our home planet,
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