One of the saddest things about having a large, energetic dog in New York City is the lack of large, off leash areas for him to run.  Dog parks are great, but Mr.Brown just isn’t that into socializing with other dogs and chasing after balls in smallish, chain gated, cement cells is pretty depressing.  I know he has tons of energy which contributes to some occasional bad behavior.

One of my favorite parts of Cesar Milan’s show is in the opening credits where he is zooming by, semi-squatting on these bizarre looking rollerblades, attached to a pack of 10 dogs.

Exercise, Disclipline, then Affection.

Yesterday, I was determined to rollerblade with Mr.Brown down the West Side Highway. Like most of my sports equipment, my Rollerblades have been patiently sitting in the corner, but I had all these horrible images of embarrassing/injuring/killing myself so I’ve just ignored them.  Yesterday, feeling inspired, I packed up my stuff and walked a vERY excited Mr.Brown over to the West Side Hwy.

From the moment we took off, Mr.Brown was ecstatic, but surprisingly responsive to me. I began to trust him more and realized that I remember how to rollerblade and our 45 minutes passed by wonderfully. He has been tired ever since, and I feel joy knowing that I can deman discipline and give affection without feeling guilty that I’m short changing Mr. Brown.

Can’t wait for the weather to be better to go more often!

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Running outdoors has become much more enjoyable for me for a number of reasons. Some examples include, more consistent running (aka. practice), measurable improvement (aka. progress), and most importantly, running with Mr.Brown (aka. killing two birds with one stone).

In the famous words of Cesar Milan, “Exercise, Discipline, then Affection”  This pithy little mantra is more challenging than it seems, especially when the first thing Mr.Brown wants in the morning is food and lots and lots of affection. Personally, the first thing I want to do in the morning is settle my belly with a warm bowl of oatmeal or cereal, not exercise; inevitably, affection proceeds exercise and discipline.

But, I do strive on a daily basis to ensure that Mr.Brown gets some form of cardiovascular activity.  Usually, striving on a daily basis amounts to ~4 days of actuality.  Besides throwing the tennis ball at the dog park (Mr. Brown’s utopia), I really enjoy running outdoors with him.  Its taken some practice and a few adjustments for him to be a non-disruptive companion but I think we have our routine organized and things have been going pretty smoothly of late   As daunting and wearisome as the idea of going out for a run may be, its a great feeling of accomplishment for me to know that Mr.Brown is exercised and tired out from a long run.

Here are a few helpful tips for running with your dog:
- Keep the leash short for better control- running is challenging enough without having to chase after an energetic dog
- Expect that practice will make perfect- I found that the first few runs were more about getting Mr.Brown adjusted to the terrain/environment and figuring out his endurance level
- Bring an extra doggy bag with you!- Running and moving is equally stimulating to humans and dogs. Mr.Brown always has to pause and make a doody during the first part of our run
- Prepare appropriate hydration- So far, I have run up to ~7 miles with Mr.Brown without stopping to get him water.  I do thing that after ~5 miles he does need some fluid, but I’ve been pushing him with no side effects.  All dogs are different, so prepare some form of hydration (drinking fountain, water bottle) for your long runs
- Be consistent! Mr.Brown’s endurance has improved tons since our first run.  Whereas he used to burn out after ~3 miles, he can run up to ~5 miles before looking up at me with the ‘what the hell are we doing/when can we stop’ eyes of desperation.

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The Kong Promise:

• The world’s best dog toys!™
• Cleans teeth and gums
• Hollow center can be filled with food and treats
• Keep your dogs busy and out of trouble for long periods of time

Sniffing Snout Review:
What more can be said that hasn’t been said about this excellent dog toy?  Something so simple, I wish I were clever enough to have invented it.  Mr.Brown spent the majority of his toddler to adolescent years (age 6mo-3 years) driving my mother bats* crazy by chewing up all her green garden hoses into little tubular worms across the lawn.  Within 48 hours of replacing a new hose, he would have rendered it completely useless. But, along came the Kong- chewy in texture, peanut buttery in taste (i filled in the hole), and virtually indestructible.

I have but a few gripes about this toy: 1) There are usually pools of drool in its wake from extended periods of Mr.Brown usage. 2) The hole isn’t big enough for the type of biscuits we buy him so I have to break them in 1/2 which leaves tons of crumbs everywhere. 3) Initially the smell of rubber was discomfiting, I’d prefer not to poison my dog with toxins, so maybe they could try washing these toys a few times before they stock them on shelves…

This is a MUST HAVE for any new dog owner!

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The Flexi Comfort Promise:

• The world’s #1 selling retractable leash
• A Consumer’s Digest Best Buy
• Soft grip and ergonomic design
• Durable construction
• Smooth, reliable retraction mechanism
• Tough braking system

Sniffing Snout Review:
I honestly wouldn’t recommend this dog leash for dog training purposes.  Cesar Milan encourages that owners and dogs walk side by side to enforce human leadership over the pet. The Flexi Comfort Retractable Leash (and all retractable leashes for that matter) allows the dog to charge ahead of the owner.  While I can see that this type of behavior is acceptable and safe with certain types of dogs/situations (ie. small toy dogs, geriatric dogs, open space environments), it is not in NYC with my 75lb beast of a dog.

The braking system on this brand is pretty exceptional. I can attest to this because I have had to apply it quickly when Mr.Brown went charging off in some random direction, so Kudos! for that However, if you are expecting to train a dog with this leash, I would look elsewhere.  Even when it is entirely coiled up, there is about 16” left dangling so achieving a quick training correction is delayed.

I do use this leash for my parents’ mild mannered, extremely obedient, and majorly geriatric labrador retriever, Hanna. So, again, with some does this could be an excellent walking device.

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The Grrrip 2 in 1 Dog Leash Promise:

• Patented built-in traffic handle leash is designed for medium to x-large sized dogs

• Extra strong nylon leash is perfect for training your dog to heel and for daily use
• No more wrapping the leash around your hand to gain more close control
• Great value because it’s like having two leashes in one

Sniffing Snout Review:
Whenever Cesar Milan gives advice about walking unruly dogs, he advises to keep the dog leash loose and slack, but not to have too much distance between the owner and the dog.  I bought this leash from Petco (I’m not sponsored by them or Cesar Milan..I promise!) and find Mr.Brown much easier to manage when he is closer to me- corrections are more effective and I can react to his body cues more quickly. The shorter of the 2 loops is extremely useful for walking a dog through the crazy New York streets where the next taxi or unruly dog could come charging by.

I bought the 6′ dog leash but really should have purchased the 4′. I wish they made the “handles” of the loops more padded because a dog pulling on the leash can wreak havoc on your hands!

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Petco promise:

• Prong training collars help you control even the most stubborn dog
• They’re electronically welded for maximum strength
• Nickel and chrome plated for durability, and resistant against rust, tarnish, or breakage
• Swivel ring to prevent the leash from becoming tangled
• Quick release allows for easy application and removal

Sniffing Snout review:
I will admit that by the time I bought a prong dog collar, I was at the end of my proverbial leash with walking my dog. I was ready to get Mr.Brown to walk at any cost and frustrated with his constant pulling and tugging.  By this point, we had been through leather collars, nylon collars, a Gentle Leader, chain collars, a harness, none of which were able to give him the proper correction when he became fixated during walks.  Most dog owners, myself included thought these prong dog collars were inhumane and abusive.  But, after a lifetime of growing up with dogs, some basic anatomy, and studying dog behavior, I have realized that my labrador retriever has pretty thick skin around his neck.

I am happy with the Petco brand that I bought for Mr.Brown because the links are fairly easy to remove and so I was able to quickly customize the size.  Also, the easy relase contraption makes getting the collar on and off pretty simple.  I also saw some gel caps that you can place on the prongs once your dog gets better at walking but can’t find the link for it on the website.

To be honest, when we first started using this dog collar on Mr.Brown, I was probably not using it correctly and my frustration and ineptitude may have inflicted some inadvertent pain.  However, after months of watching the Dog Whisperer and reading body and behavioral clues from Mr.Brown, I can (usually) do a minor correction at the right time to alter an undesired pattern or reaction.

The prong collar *snap* should be used more as an unexpected stimulus to alter a state of mind rather than as punishment.  One *snap* to regain the dog’s attention and the release should result in a loose and slack leash.  Long term pressure would achieve the opposite result since the dog would grow desensitized to the prongs, or worse, physically injure the dog.

Yes, I’m drinking from the Cesar Milan-ade.  Not to sound preachy, and I am still learning how to do this myself, but its always good to approach your dogs problems from a calm and objective state of mind.  Why is he/she constantly pulling? Is it fear? Aggression? Over excitement from lack of exercise? Poor leadership from the owner? Only when you address the root of the problem will walking your dog get easier.

..if only i could consistently practice what I know!!

–edit–
Since I’m writing a review for this dog collar, I did some basic research online and have realized that I’ve been using it all wrong!!

Mistakes I have been making:
- prong collars should not be slipped over the head. links should be detached and fit around the dogs neck.
- collars should not fit loosely on the base of the neck, they should fit snugly where the head and neck connect- right below the ears and up under the jawline

Writing this blog might just be Mr.Brown’s saving grace…

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The Gentle Leader Promise: The principle behind the Gentle Leader Headcollar is one that allows owners to communicate with their pet in a way that dogs instinctively understand…Because of the placement of the nose loop, the dog immediately understands his/her place in the hierarchy. The dog considers the owner his/her leader.

Sniffing Snout Review:
Umm, no, sorry Premier Pet. Among all the dog supplies and dog collars that we own, I would say that this was one of the more expensive dog products and most disappointing. Perhaps Mr.Brown has been so humanized and far removed from his canine roots that his “instinct” is gone but he definitely didn’t understand his place in the hierarchy.

I have purchased this dog collar on 2 separate occasions- once in CA when Mr.Brown was ~4years old, and again after moving and losing my first one, recently, Mr.Brown age ~7years old.  On both occasions, I was very fastidious about the initial fittings. From a human perspective, I could sympathize with Mr.Brown. This looked like an extremely uncomfortable product to have strapped to your face, but I would have continued to use it because I was so desperate to get him to behave on our walks.

The initial (prolonged) discomfort of using this particular dog product did cause Mr.Brown to slow down, only because of his discomfort. However, during the course of the walk, he became either desensitized or too consumed by to the outside environment to be bothered and would continue to pull.

As a huge advocate of Cesar Milan’s psychological approach to dog behavior modification, I would say that this dog collar failed us because we weren’t addressing Mr.Brown’s main excitement and issues with being outdoors.  We retired the Gentle Leader and have been working on correcting Mr.Brown’s instinctive tendencies, and I can say that so far it has been more effective.

As a disclaimer, I see PLENTY of happy, calm, and behaved dogs enjoying strolls through NYC streets.  I do believe for a dog with an existing calm disposition, this dog collar does work. However, before you spend ~$40, try and figure out what the root of your dogs unruliness is… otherwise you can leave me a comment and I would be happy to lend you out my gentle leader

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