Slip/chain correction

skinnydipper

skinnydipper

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Copied from a post by Celia Cohen on Facebook.

"If you have a dog you may find this interesting. I was asked to write about the facts/ biomechanics of high neck slip/chain correction. I hope it educates a few people.

The use of high neck slip lead correction (upwards motion).
High neck position- the rope sits adjacent to the base of the skull with the underside in line with the hyoid apparatus (suspensory mechanism for the tongue and larynx). Next in line is the atlas (first cervical vertebrae) at the top end this forms a joint with the base of the skull and the bottom with the second vertebrae which has the dens (peg) which sits nestled in the arch of the atlas along with the spinal cord.

The mechanics; These two upper joints of the dogs neck are high motion joints. The first allowing the up /down nodding movement and the second the rotation. These joints are unique in the spine in there anatomy, articulation and shape. When pressure is exerted on the underside of the neck at this point the hyoid is compressed and the dogs vertebrae are put into flexion, skull down position.
High velocity force with a slip rope or chain is an effective way of snapping the dens(peg) of C2, aka hanging.

However sympathetically performed it should not be intentionally used due to safety and discomfort to the recipient.

Regards,

Celia Cohen, MCSP, MSc vet Phys
Chartered Veterinary Physiotherapist ACPAT(A)"
 
I may regret posting this, but I've used slip lines throughout my older dog's life, he is currently walked in a broad flat collar and I regularly have to choke him off bottles and cans (which he drops his ball to pick up), even if he could still hear my release command, which he cant, because he's deaf, the thrill of chewing something forbidden outweighs any correction I could administer or any alternative I offer him. I also think it's a better option than him cutting his mouth to ribbons on a can or choking on a plastic one. He's also picked up a broken glass bottle before now.

He's 13, his head is still attached, he is in full voice and is sound for his age.

Celia or anyone else is welcome to come and try and work with him 🤣

Research is great, but as well as being deaf, my dog can't read.
 
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Mine wear slip leads from pups. I’ve seen many dogs on them, some badly used, and never seen an injury. Perhaps I’ve been lucky. Pre Gundogs mine were always in choke chains.
The lovely fluffy world where all dogs run free and do whatever makes them happy is perhaps why the irresponsible owner thread is so very long.
 
I was shown a video not so very long ago of a Belgian or German shepherd walking on a treadmill with various different harnesses on and the difference in gait from no harness even to the least offensive one was very obvious. One of our dogs has a harness for his man-trailing class, but the rest we like as close to naked as possible (none of them pull on their leads) and use both slip leads and various flat collars for walkies.

Would have been interesting to see the results if the dogs had been trained to walk without pulling.
 
I notice that report says "high neck slip lead correction upward motion". On a larger dog it would be quite difficult to use an upward motion, although on a small dog I can imagine an adult could do some damage if they pulled upwards strongly. I have always used check chains on my GSDs, usually large link ones, and I can't see I will ever change, even though my current dog is a female she is still over 30 kg and strong, she wears a harness for man trailing and if she wanted to pull me over she certainly could.
 
Did the article cite any instances of this happening? Sounds unlikely, it’s quite difficult to break a neck (unless it’s a rabbit).
 
I have always used a soft rope slip lead for my labs, I always when I’m walking make a sort of authoritative uh uh noise if they start to pull which stops them pulling.
The only lab I’ve had which pulled was a 2 year old male which we rehomed from a nice family but he wasn’t trained. He was a puller so I put him in a halti for a while which worked, then we put him back in a normal lead once he’d learnt not to pull.
To me it’s fairly obvious that’s it’s not good for a dog to have a constant strong pressure round its neck.
 
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