Your owners should be able to slip 2 fingers underneath your collar for it to fit correctly.

Extendable leads ar good too. They can practice heelwork with you and let you have some lead and practice recall without you being able to run away. Alll because its extendable doesnt mean your owners have to give you the lead all the time.

Have fun

 

Thanks Gillieworm,

I suspect an adjustable collar will be best as that rate I'm growing I won't be wearing the same one for long!

Only another 2 weeks before I can go walkies!!!!!

 

As you are still growing I would suggest you have the fabric snap shut collars which are easily adjustable (like Rogz collars). I tried a leather one with our first dog when he was a pup and it was a nightmare trying to get a hole that fit him properly.

You'll love going for walkies, has your mummy and daddy been trying you on a lead at home? Our fist pup walked on a lead fine, but our second pup who has only been going out for a week now has been a nightmare with sticking her paws in and refusing to walk on a lead.

 

If your dog has got the idea of 'heel' pretty well already or generally has no issues walking by your side then an extendible lead will be useful. I like it because when we get into fields or large open areas where really she could be off the lead but other dogs, roads, horses, campsites are near by the extendibility will allow her more freedom than other leads while still maintaining control. I have counted now and there have been 9 times where she been on the extendible lead and bolted towards a road, horse, dog, person, football game, cliff face and i have gone "thank god you were still on your lead"

HOWEVER, i would not adivse having this as your first and only lead. It was mine as it seemed the obvious choice and Daisy did NOT take kindly to the shorter lead near traffic or in towns, not atall. She knows it extends and wants it to be. If your dog likes to pull also, i feel that this extendible lead stuff reaffirms that the dog is allowed to set the pace and distance from you. Something that will not be learned from a static lead.

I have always been told that 2 fingers should fit snuggly underneath the collor but this is often to loose for a dog that REALLY wants to go somewhere and your lead is not letting it, Daisy has slipped her collor several times before and its scary. I advise you use the collor for holding her ID tag and for just something to grab while training, petting, restraining ect and using a "choke collor" (horrible word) to attach a lead to her/him. THis is only because such collors are very fast to get on and off and is very hard for a dog to slip such a collor unless they are calm and right next to you...a dog in such a state of mind is unlikely to be wanting to get off the collor in the first place.

P.S - If you do go with the extendble lead option, chances are itll be a string. Pay attention every week to the state of the string especially nearer the dog end as they can and will chew through it as part of a long term escape plan. Also, the string is often tied to the clip at the end and enough pulling will cause this knot to loosen and release eventually (learnt that the hard way) Try and soak the lead and catch (not the whole lead) in water before going out. Everytime your dog pulls on it, it will make the knot tighter and tigher ! Still check it regulaly though.

Also, DEFINATELY get one with a locking mechanism on it. So that you may set the length and then lock it. Daisy is VERY scared of Lorries that drive past us and it is essential that she is on the shortest possible lead while walking next to a road. My locking mechanism is broken and it will KILL your thumb after 2-3 hours or walking knowing that if your thumb lifts, your dog could be ran over...simple as !

Hope i helped

 

You have to be careful when using extendable leads. I know so many people who trained their dogs to walk on a lead using them, and of course, they cannot walk nicely or to heel now, only ever knowing the freedom of a Flexi lead. Make sure you have trained your dog on a normal length lead (or a locked flexi) and then once he knows how to walk nicely, you can let him have the freedom of the lead.

We have three, one spare for any dogs that come to visit, and one for each of my dogs, but they always walk to heel naturally, and they just don't use the length at all.

Oh, and don't spend lots on a fancy collar, just get the cheapish puppy ones, because remember, he'll grow out of so many collars until he's fully grown! When he's stopped growing, then you can buy him a posh 'big boy' collar.

 

Thanks all - Well, we went to the Pet shop and I now were an adjustable 'pink' collar and have a standard lead. Apparently they are thinking about a flexi one but not just yet.

However, although I'm not meant to go out just yet (not fully jabbed up!), my Dad has read a few replies on here and took me round the block. Only five minutes and kept me away from other dogs and their mess but I had such fun. I even seemed to walk quite well to a heal.

I did enjoy it. Anyway, I'm off to dig holes in the garden and bite a new piece of concrete I'be just dug up. wish me luck!

 

Anyway, I'm off to dig holes in the garden and bite a new piece of concrete I'be just dug up. wish me luck!

LOL sounds like you could be one of mine