I was driving home around 7pm yesterday evening and witnessed a concerning event.

As I came around the corner that lead to my home I noticed a woman struggling with her dog at the side of the road. The dog was clearly aroused by something as its agitated body language was darting back and forth as the dog scented something in the dark…a deer? a cat? …maybe the horses that live in the pasture they were walking past were close to the fence line? Whatever was there the dog was pulling the owner and she was looking like a rag doll at the end of the leash.

The dog of course, had a body harness on which we all know gives a dog far more leverage to pull as they are able to get their entire body weight behind them as they move…thats why they were designed after all…for sled dogs to pull hundreds of pounds in the snow for miles with ease.

Anyway…The woman began to get frustrated and yanked hard on the leash. The dogs entire spine contorted as its body was abruptly jerked back, but it recovered without concern and leapt forward with increased intent. Thats when I witnessed the offence.

The woman then lifted her leg and kicked the dog in the stomach. The dog did not flinch at the assault and continued its mission of dragging its owner towards whatever it was scenting in the dark. That was very telling …as the lack of reaction from the dog meant it was not the first time the dog has been kicked. It has in fact learned that kicking and yanking is part of its walk and had become mentally and emotionally immune to the discomfort.

I slowed down as I drove past hoping it would do something…but as I glanced at the pair on the side of road I could see the rage in the woman’s face…frustration with her dog had hit a point that any person interrupting her would be the next victim of that redirected anger. So I drove on by…

As I watched them in my side view mirror as I drove out of sight, I thought to myself… congratulations to the person who told that woman that a body harness for her dog is more appropriate than a proper training collar aka prong collar. That the prong collar is abusive while a body harness is not. Well what I witnessed contradicts that Force Free mantra and that poor dog is now subject to physical abuse and most likely emotional and mental abuse as well as the woman feels daily resentment towards the dog. The dogs exercise needs are likely neglected because the walks are unpleasant and therefore restricted. There is also a good chance that the dog is also reactive and the woman is embarrassed because she has no control which leads to further resentment.

This is not a good life for the dog, or the owner.

All of this physical, mental and emotional abuse could have been prevented if she was told the truth. If she was guided to use the prong collar to teach the dog how to yield to leash pressure, how to use the collar to teach compliance and calmness along a walk, how to enjoy walking with her dog. But no…let’s blame the collar as the abusive tool. Let’s not look at the fallible human at the end of the leash.

Just imagine what that dogs life would be like if its owner was given a different option.

PS: I have since had a chance to speak with the owner and dog as she lives close by and she is ‘considering’ her training options.