I am fortunate to live in a community which has a lot of dogs. People are always out and about walking their best furry friends. And, being the guy that I am, I’m always watching the dogs, their gaits, their personalities, and their general joie de vivre. I also watch their interactions with their escorts. Or, should I say, their escorts’ interactions with them? Once in a while, I’ll see some well-meaning person, I’m sure, walking their dog with a collar and really YANKING on it!!! I’m mean, dogs will be dogs. Right? They follow scents, they stop and focus on one that really catches their interest, they speed up when they see another dog, and so forth. In other words, they’re doing what’s normal for them. And who can blame them? However, often their escort has their own agenda. And here’s where things get problematic. Here comes the pulling, the tugging, the yanking, and all of which can come with a scolding, “C’mon!” Or “Let’s go!” It’s bad enough to scold a dog for living their life as nature intended, but to pull on a collar around their neck is not good at all. Can you imagine being led around by the neck and having someone pulling, tugging, and even yanking on it with a rope! This would not only create some hard feelings but would very likely wreak havoc on your cervical vertebrae and associated vital structures. In short, it’d be a real pain in the neck. And possibly a chronic one. But there’s a solution. Not a perfect solution, mind you, but still a solution. You guessed it. A harness! Having someone pull on your back isn’t the best either. But pulling against the weight of the strong upper body with all of its mass and strength is a far sight better than pulling against a spindly neck. I mean, in the wild, animals go for the neck. And in war, breaking someone’s neck is a quick way of doing them in. So, in conclusion, get your friend a harness for walking or running. Be gentle and understanding with them regarding their agenda. And at most, give them a gentle, encouraging nudge to get them back home! Stay well. Love your animals. And see ya next time. © 2023 Eugene Aversa, DVM
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