Love on a leash — but the right kind

Last week I wrote about the importance of having the correct non-slip collar on your pet and periodically monitoring it to make sure it’s the right fit. I reminded everyone how especially crucial it is to check the comfort of the collars on puppies and kittens as they grow. Keeping your eye on the fit of the collar will help prevent the collar from becoming embedded in the puppy or kitten’s neck.

The other important reminder was to have legible identification tags on the collar along with a microchip in the event your pet becomes separated from you. As a safety step, I also recommend writing your phone number on the collar with a waterproof Sharpie.

Once you have the proper fitting collar, then I want to make sure you have an appropriate leash or carrier if you’re taking your pet outside his home. If your furry family member is a cat I would suggest only using a sturdy carrier instead of a leash when taking him anywhere outside of his home.

I have seen kitties on leashes attached to harnesses and have concluded kitties have an innate ability to figure out how to wiggle away from a harness and leash. I’ve also witnessed people riding in the car with their kitties unsecured and loose in the car that didn’t go well either. That’s a potential distracted driving hazard that’s best avoided by putting the kitty in a carrier while in the car.

If your fur baby is a puppy or dog, a leash is a must to use when you take your baby outside of his home environment. Even if you think your dog would not bolt away from you, use a leash.

There have been incidents where pet parents took the dog out unleashed because the dog was well trained, well behaved and under verbal command. Those parents were devastated when the dog was distracted by a squirrel across the street and ignored verbal commands. So please use a leash.

There are different types of leashes you can choose from depending on your pet and the area where you’ll be walking or running. There are traditional standard leashes of various fabrics, lengths and widths and there are retractable leashes.

Standard leashes are simply straight leashes with a handle at one end and hook at the other. It’s important to purchase a leash made of sturdy strong construction and the hook that links to the collar should be heavy duty. If you have a Chihuahua you may be fine with a shorter nylon leash, but if you have a German shepherd you may need a thick leather leash.

Retractable leashes are designed to give the dog more freedom by extending the length of the leash and then retracting back into a housing that holds the leash. But retractable leashes present safety issues you should understand before choosing to use one.

Retractable leashes have been known to cause hand injury with fingers getting caught in them. Because the leash changes lengths you don’t always have good control of the dog on the retractable leash. Even though they come with a brake designed to lock on a specific length, the lock can be stripped if the dog bolts. For sure you wouldn’t want to use a retractable while walking a dog near a busy street.

Where retractable leashes may be fun to use is when walking in your own yard, or for walks in parks totally away from the dangers of traffic. Retractable leashes allow the dog to run and play while still on a leash.

Whichever leash you select the important thing is that you choose one and take your pet for regular walks he can look forward to.

This story was originally published July 21, 2017 at 2:13 PM with the headline "Love on a leash — but the right kind."