Choke chains-rspca

Hi all! i went to an induction yesterday for volunteering at the rspca near to me. They told us that they usually use choke chains and slip leads to walk the dogs. I'm not really comfortable with using either-i don't want to hurt the dogs. What do you think? Do you think they are okay in some situations? I prefer to use a harness to stop my dog pulling but I don't think thats going to be an option when I walk the dogs at the rescue centre.

even on really small dogs?

i know that often, the smaller the dog the more harm those kind of chains would do ...

I think they probably want me to use a slip lead on the little dogs-I know when I adopted a little elderly dog from the RSPCA a few years ago-they handed me a slip lead.I'm guessing they use choke chains on the big dogs-they have loads of staffies and rottweilers there. I know that some of these dogs have aggression issues and will probably be so excited to get out of the kennel that they will pull a lot. It just doesn't sit right with me.

They use check chains & slips as there is less chance of a Dog backing out of one.

They are quick & easy to put on & take off too.

I wouldn`t use a slip lead on a dog that pulls - these can tighten enough to cut off air. Check chains I have used in the past, but again, they can do a lot of damage, and it does nothing to de-stress or train a dog, yanking them round by the neck.

I know some places will now use 2 leads - one slip and one attached to the collar - this way if the dog panics it cannot back out of the slip - but you can walk it on the normal collar if it is pulling at all.

We used to have the 2 leads for safety when working in the grooming parlour to allow dogs that were in all day a chance to go and have a pee.

I've never seen any evidence that they do harm.

I agree its a safety thing.

Adam

John Fisher used to use x-rays of dogs who'd had check chains used on them when he did talks or courses - to demonstrate the amount of unsee damage than can be done.

That`s a good idea.

re injuries:

Robin Walker, a Veterinary and Dog Behaviourist, had an article on this subject printed in The Veterinary Record in March 1999 showing evidence of injury to dogs. He listed:

* Injured ocular vessels
* Tracheal and oesophageal damage
* Severely sprained necks
* Cases of fainting
* Transient foreleg paralysis
* Recurrent laryngeal nerve paralysis
* Hind leg ataxia

Radiographs showed misalignment of the cervical vertebrae and in some cases Horner's Syndrome was diagnosed. Some of the conditions described above were at the time known as "Woodhouse Neck"

I am quite shocked that they use choke chains. I would never ever use one on a dog as I do believe they cause damage and stress and agree with you that a harness would be better. If a dog is aggressive then they should be wearing a muzzle anyway.