When and How You Need to Restrain Your Dog

Dogs are the most popular pet around the globe. It is because dogs offer unconditional love and affection and reduce the loneliness of their owners. Even though dogs are so much loveable and often the owners treat them as their family members, it is necessary sometimes to restrain dogs.

Often it can be as simple as grasping the forelimbs and hindlimbs of the dog with your arms and keeping them closest to your body. Other times, you may have to put a leash around your dog’s collar. Only in very few situations do you have to apply more restraint.

When is dog restraint necessary?

It is necessary sometimes to control your dog to:

When taking the dog to the vet or grooming session

It is stressful to take pets to the veterinarian anytime, especially when they are sick, has injuries, or for a health check-up. So, it is essential to restrain dogs from visiting the vet clinic. Otherwise, they may try to run away and hurt themselves or injure others.

The same rule applies to the grooming session also. Grooming dogs occasionally can keep their coat healthy and let them stay away from infections and fleas. So, visiting groomers is imperative. But most dogs seem not to like it much. Therefore, it is essential to restrain it before going to the groomer.

Administer medical assistance

Whenever there is an emergency, like your pet is badly injured or sick, you cannot leave it like that. You have to call for medical help immediately. You may have to carry your pet to the vet. In situations like that, you may need to restrain it first. Otherwise, it may bite you out of fear.

Remove any threats on humans and other pets

Pets’ playtime is a great way to improve their heart health and strength. It can be even more fun to take them out to some park. But your pet can be too excited in the park and can jump on others.

Even if it’s a dog park, your pet can get excited or aggressive seeing other dogs, and injuries can happen. So, putting it on a leash and giving it time to settle down is essential.

Travel

Dog restraint while traveling has many advantages. If restrained properly while you are traveling:

• Dogs cannot move around the car, and the driver is less likely to get distracted.
• Dogs cannot jump or take its neck out of the window of the moving vehicle.
• Dogs can stay protected from airbags.
• Dogs are less likely to get injured or cause any risk to other people in the car in case of an accident.

Car travel is a usual thing for most people. Hence, car travel must be safe for the dog owner and the dog. Unrestrained pets can cause distraction, and it can be risky too.

The best way to restrain your car while traveling in cars is to get it strapped. While traveling by car, the back seat is the safest place to keep your dog safe.

You must select the right ways to restrain your pet in the car. A pet guard, barrier, crate, carrier, booster seats, and seat belt harness can be a few ways to restrain pets in cars. It is significant to select the right type of restraint that suits your furry friend the best.

The larger dog breeds may struggle to relax when placed on restraint. Hence, if you own a large breed, you can consider installing a backseat barrier and make sure it is attached securely. How can you restrain your dog?

How can you restrain your dog?

Sometimes light restraint is what you need to control your dog.

Talk with your dog

If your dog is well trained and follows commands, you may try verbal restrain at first. If your dog suddenly starts running or is going towards a busy road without supervision, you may call it and ask it to come back.

Collars

Using collars to restrain dogs in parks or on streets can be possible. However, collars can hurt dogs when they try to get out of them by twisting. Ensure the collar that you are using is not causing any harm to your pet.

Harness

Harnesses can be a better choice for restrain. A harness fits around the dog’s chest and does not put any pressure on the dog’s neck like a collar. Even if your dog pulls hard when it is put on a leash, it is less likely to get injured.

It provides a more secure and safer hold on your dog. Therefore, using a harness can give you better control if you are taking your dog on the streets, in parks, to the vet, or taking it for a long drive.

When does full restraint of a dog become necessary?

You cannot expect your beloved pet to behave normally all the time. When your pet is injured, in pain, or afraid of something, it can bite you. In such situations, you have to use full restraint.

Using muzzle

A muzzle can be a useful preventive tool, not just for biting but even when trying to keep your furry pet from having non-food items. Many dogs have a bad habit of chewing, and sometimes they can even eat dangerous items like insects, dead animals, or garbage.

The owner can use a muzzle to keep the dog safe and protect the people around it. A muzzle can also be crucial in a vet visit or a grooming session. A dog owner must train his pet to wear a muzzle when it is a puppy. A well-fitted muzzle never causes pain or discomfort to your dog.

Dogs can be restrained by placing one of your arms under their neck. You must place the other arm around the dog’s body and draw it close. During this, a dog can struggle, so you have to be firm. You can ask a vet to demonstrate this restrain technique so that you can have better control over your dog.

Dog Crate

You may use a crate or container if you are not confident about restraining your dog with your hand. It will be easier to put your pet in a crate, especially when traveling long distances. Select a crate where your dog can lie down and turn around comfortably.

In some situations, your dog may start behaving strangely. During such times, you need to use restraints, and in some other situations, you need to use restraints as a precautionary measure. Appropriate restrain is all about technique and empathizing with your pet.

Restraining dogs in minimum amounts is crucial because long-term confinements or excessive restraining can hurt your dog’s physical and psychological well-being.

Maybe, there is a reason behind it to do such restraining. But if you are required to use the technique often, you must search for different ways to address the problem. Talk to the vets and take help from the professionals to solve it.

Read Also: How to Crate Train Your Dog?

Conclusion:

When the safety of you and your dog is the primary concern, your best bet will be to find the appropriate restraint for your pet. Whether you have an aggressive or well-behaved dog, you should know putting them under some form of restraint will help you to control them and ensure safety.