The Huggable Dog
Leash sleeves & collar/harness patches
I wanted to share another blog post dedicated to talking about these new leash sleeves and collar patches I bought from The Huggable Dog (<--unpaid link) on Etsy, partly because we've now gone out several times with them, and partly because the maker of these fine tools has graciously offered up a 10% off code to my readers (that's YOU). After exchanging several messages with Maria, the creator of The Huggable Dog, about how awesome her work is, she sent the following code for 10% off your first purchase: HUGGABLEFRIENDSCLUB
One of the unanticipated benefits of using these sleeves is that I am much more at ease when we're out and about in busy spaces, which Japhy (and Hazel) can no doubt sense. Often we contribute to our dogs' stress by being reactive to situations ourselves. For example, I notice that I physically tense up when another dog approaches Japhy because I never know just how reactive he will be. The tension we hold in our bodies travels straight down the leash to our dogs. So the more things I can do to help myself be at ease, the better it will be for Japhy and Hazel. I'm sure many of you have experienced people at the local park who think that every dog should meet their dog and before you know it they're right up behind you with the biggest smile on their face and good intentions but poor execution. These warning indicators on Japhy's leash and collar should help other 'friendly' dog owners understand that he doesn't want to meet their dog, and hopefully that will allow us to avoid those situations in the future.
The sleeve I bought for Japhy is made of bright colors that resemble a CAUTION sign so people understand its general meaning from a distance without actually being able to read the words. On his collar patch, DOGS is in red and PEOPLE is in green, indicating that he is not good with dogs but is fine with people. Red means STOP. Green means GO. It's pretty easy to make sense of that.
The sleeve I bought for Hazel is white with blue and red text that reads, "Learning. Please ignore me." Currently I have the sleeves on their leash splitter, each on the appropriate split, but I can use them individually on the main leash when I take one dog out and not the other. They are very easy to put on and take off my rope leash (which is 1/2" diameter rope, and about 1" diameter on the ends that are looped around the hardware), so these sleeves are very flexible. Check out the photos below. There are more detailed shots near the end of the post, as well as a video of our hike this afternoon.
Early this afternoon we went to a local park that is part of a Greenway system in the town where I'm staying. It's nice because there are paved paths wide enough for bicycles and people walking dogs, and then there are dirt paths that lead down to a creek. Japhy loves playing in water, so it's great for us. He can't be off-leash here, but I let out as much leash as I can to let him get his splashes in. Hazel is still unsure about the whole water thing, but since she's tethered to Japhy she got a little taste of it today anyway. ;-)
I had the babies pose in front of Longs Peak (if you look closely you can see it in the distance, just above Japhy's left ear).
Japhy also loves to climb on top of things. He could probably be a great parkour artist yet. Whatever Japhy does, Hazel does too. I had to help boost her up onto that rock, though.
After we spent some time at the park in town, we went for a ride and discovered a new open space recreation area. It might just be our new favorite place within ten minutes of where I'm staying. It features nice views and a trail with a gradual incline that shifts back and forth between wide, smooth pea gravel surface and single track with rocky, uneven surface. Some good variety but not strenuous. We passed at least three other dogs on this trail, including one beautiful Pitbull, and Japhy only reacted minimally to one of them (not the Pitbull). We're still stepping off the trail so there's at least three feet distance between Japhy and other dogs. We actually do that for people, too, though, so it's not something that the pups strictly associate with dogs. They pretty much know that if anyone is approaching, we need to step "off" the trail and let them pass. They are usually in a "break" until someone approaches, then I tell them to "come" and step "off" and "sit/stay." Once the trail is clear again, I tell them "on trail" and then "break" again. "Break" essentially means they are free to walk in front of me (not in a heel) and explore and do their thing.
I can see such an improvement in Japhy's reactivity since starting him on the CBD oil, and I absolutely believe that being out here in Colorado has helped him, too. There are more places to go, more dogs out and about with responsible humans so that we can properly desensitize and work on this specific issue, and he loves being on the trail. It's different than walking down a sidewalk or street in a neighborhood. There are more smells, interesting wildlife to watch, and it's physically more engaging for him. All of that makes a difference. Incidentally, it makes a huge difference for me, too.
I made some up close photos of the leash sleeves and velcro patch so that you could see them in detail. These are really well made, and I'm so happy with them.
Below is a detail photo of the velcro collar/harness patch, also made by Maria. The collar I bought for Japhy is made by Ray Allen Manufacturing (<--unpaid link), a company based in Colorado Springs. It has 1.75" wide nylon webbing with velcro, and the patch is 2.25" wide, so it overlaps the width of the collar just slightly but not to the extent that it's in the way. The patch is 5.9" long and the collar has roughly 8" of velcro available for a patch. On the other side of the collar is a sewn-in handle, which is the primary reason I bought this collar--it's great for off-leash training when we're in a safe area to do that. I will likely buy more velcro patches to put on this collar for the different situations we find ourselves in.
If you're interested in purchasing leash sleeves or velcro patches from Maria, below is the link and code for 10% off. She's in England but don't let that stop you from ordering. Shipping is via Royal Mail to USPS, and I received my sleeves and patch in just over a week. Not bad for international shipping, and especially given the various carriers' current delays due to the pandemic.
Etsy Link: The Huggable Dog
10% off Code: HUGGABLEFRIENDSCLUB
