leash walking causes bloodshot eyes
So Murray is convinced he is the most popular boy in all the land, so much that when we take him for walks, if anyone else comes around he pulls so much on his leash he ends up with bloodshot eyes if we are out for awhile. Its like his collar is choking him out or something. He does not seem to care and keeps pulling, convinced everyone just needs to see him and pet him. The white parts of his eyes will be red for an hour or so after and it doesn't bother him as much me.. Any ideas of a different leash/collar solution or how to break him of the pulling habit? Thanks :)
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Jenny, Tucker, & Zoey on
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A no-pull harness or head halter would help. Also, some dogs will quit pulling if you stop moving every time they pull and only resume your walk when there is slack on the lead. That never worked with my Tucker.
Not sure how old he is, but if he is nearing adulthood, a pinch collar will fix that habit in a hurry. If you decide to go the pinch collar route, make sure you have a professional fit it and show you how to use it.
Another thought for the bloodshot eyes might be allergies!
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Permalink Reply by Kelly J on
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I have kinda been thinking he could have allergies. His eyes have been having some green goop lately too, but we figured it was from his trying to build a fort in a sandbox and repeatedly shoving his face in the sand. He hasn't figured out its not like snow yet...
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Permalink Reply by Julia on
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Easy Walk Harness. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=14142. We use these on most of our shelter dogs who pull. I put one on my 50 lb. spaniel who pulled so hard I couldn't walk him, and *poof*, like magic he stopped pulling. Didn't even try.
The leash attaches at the front, so when the dog pulls he ends up pulling himself right in front of you, which is not very rewarding. Pulling on a collar, at the neck, brings on a reaction to pull back. A harness that attaches at the back has the same reaction, but you have even less control. The Easy Walk also touches on pressure points that somehow calm the dog, which must be what happened with my spaniel, since he didn't even have a chance to pull himself in front of me.
I do find that when I take out a new dog it's harder to communicate thru the leash. With your own dog, however, you both learn soon enough. It's very important to fit it properly, so try to find a store (or shelter, like mine) that will help you get the right size and adjust it on your pup.
Once you can at least walk him, you can start working on leash and collar training to walk nicely. And you may also want to work on Murray's self-esteem issues. Is he REALLY the most popular boy in all the land?
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Yes, Murray is a corgi and therefor by default is the most popular boy in all the land. :) Thanks for the info on that harness, I am going to give that a try.
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Well the harness came today and seems to work. Although i think his legs are too short for it. And it apparently hightens his sense of smell, he wanted to sniff everything....
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Permalink Reply by Kayla Michele Smith on
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Hi Kelly. Just some information that I recieved when I noticed Ace's eyes would get bloodshot. His eyes would always get bloodshot when we would go in to Petsmart, or some where with other dogs, etc. He would pull hard on the leash as well. I asked one of the trainers there if his bloodshot eyes were normal, and she said they get bloodshot when the dogs become stimulated or are excited because of people, dogs, etc. I also have a harness and they work amazing! :)
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Permalink Reply by Dawn Drzaic on
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Get a harness and save Murray from future neck problems. Take an obedience class for the behavior.
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Permalink Reply by Terry Irene Blain on
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I suggest a Gentle Leader. My corgi would pull when when we took him out. I got a Gentle Leader, which goes over his nose and around his head. the clip for the lead hangs down under his muzzle. He can eat, drink and kiss with this on. I got him used to it slowly. Put it on, take it off, give him a treat. Now, he doesn't like it very much, but doesn't fight it. When we go out where there's a lot of people and stuff going on, if he starts to pull I put the Gentle Leader on. After a while I can take it off and he'll know not to pull or it'll go back on. Give it a try.
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Permalink Reply by Tomi and Story on
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I use a Halti (also a head collar) on Story. She doesn't like it either, but she is so pleasant to walk when she is wearing it! I do notice that she pants more heavily with it than with the non-pull harness (which is not as effective on her). Do you notice heavier panting with your Corgi with the head collar? I don't see why it would cause it since it fits so loosely, unless she is more stressed when wearing it.
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Permalink Reply by Hhoky on
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How is the harness working out? Anymore bloodshot eyes? While allergies are very possible, you would almost certainly notice sneezing or at least increased discharge from the eyes. As for the Petsmart idea of stimulation, I cant speak to that as I have never had a dog get bloodshot over a simple case of to much stimulation. If the harness did help then I am very glad! Sometimes collar leashes are just not good for a dog who pulls. It puts too much strain on the major arteries and veins that are so close to the surface of the neck. Bloodshot eyes is the normal result of this pressure, even inter-mitten pressure. If you think of it logically, a bad coughing fit can cause red eyes, not only because of the interrupted air flow, but because the neck is full of muscles, muscles that push against the arteries/veins in the neck. Puking causes this reaction as well. If you place your hand on your throat and push (not squeeze!!) you can feel the effect, the same thing happens to your pup when they get excited and pull. Only with dogs, beautiful creatures that they are, they can very effectively switch off the pain or annoyance centers because something is much more interesting, this is why some dogs will gasp and choke even while trying to still pull to reach the next fantastic scent. :P Silly dogs.
Anyway, I do hope the better harness is working wonders for you and yours, walking with your dog is far too much a joy to allow their silliness to put a stop to. Happy Trails!
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I need to get him to sit still to really get it to fit better on him, but it did seem to make him pull less when we tried it. The next few times I walked him on collar and leash he was improved too. the real test is to take him back to the lake park with all the kids and see how he does in the harness. He really is a low rider though and his legs are so short they kinda rub funny on it.
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Permalink Reply by Jen, Brody & Buddy on
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Brody does this too. We got the Freedom no pull harness and it helps tremendously!! You can hook up the leash like a regular harness or use two hooks (one in front of his chest and one on his back, or you can hook one his collar and one on his back) and you can steer them like reins on a horse. It's pretty cool.
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