1 00:00:01,920 --> 00:00:06,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to brain Stuff production of I Heart Radio. Hey 2 00:00:06,559 --> 00:00:10,119 Speaker 1: brain Stuff, Lauren Bogelbaum. Here. When you adopt a puppy 3 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,400 Speaker 1: or an older dog, there's a lot to look forward to. 4 00:00:12,720 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: Fun days of playing with her and taking walks, feeding her, 5 00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,720 Speaker 1: teaching her tricks and taking walks, cuddling on the couch 6 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:23,239 Speaker 1: with her, and yes, taking more walks. Dogs require a 7 00:00:23,280 --> 00:00:25,799 Speaker 1: lot of walks. The obvious reason is that they have 8 00:00:25,920 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: to go out to do their business, meaning urinate and defecate. 9 00:00:29,480 --> 00:00:31,560 Speaker 1: The frequency depends on the breed, but if you live 10 00:00:31,600 --> 00:00:33,559 Speaker 1: in an apartment or a house without a fenced yard 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:35,559 Speaker 1: where they can roam freely to take care of the 12 00:00:35,560 --> 00:00:37,879 Speaker 1: call of nature. As the adult in the room, you 13 00:00:37,880 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: are responsible for taking them out to a designated area 14 00:00:40,400 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: where they can go and you can clean up after them. 15 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 1: But there's more to it than that dogs need lots 16 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: of exercise. They need to burn off energy and socialize 17 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: with other dogs. Hello dog park. Walks are an important 18 00:00:53,159 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: part of your dog's daily routine, and that means your 19 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:59,360 Speaker 1: pubs leash is a crucial canine accessory. But there are 20 00:00:59,400 --> 00:01:02,200 Speaker 1: a dizzy and number of options, So we talked to 21 00:01:02,240 --> 00:01:05,160 Speaker 1: an expert about her favorite leash and why she recommends it. 22 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:09,679 Speaker 1: Susie Agga is a nationally recognized dog trainer, an expert 23 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:12,920 Speaker 1: in dog behavior modification, and the founder of Atlanta Dog Trainer. 24 00:01:13,400 --> 00:01:16,400 Speaker 1: She has decades of dog training experience and has clear 25 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: preferences about leashes for starters. She never recommends a retractable leash. 26 00:01:21,920 --> 00:01:25,560 Speaker 1: She explained, they're very popular leashes, but everyone hates them. 27 00:01:25,720 --> 00:01:28,120 Speaker 1: It's irritating for the dogs on the leash, they've got 28 00:01:28,120 --> 00:01:31,319 Speaker 1: constant tension on them, and it's irritating for humans in 29 00:01:31,319 --> 00:01:34,440 Speaker 1: the community. Most pet owners don't reel in their dogs, 30 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:38,640 Speaker 1: they just let them wrap up whoever's walking by. Retractable 31 00:01:38,680 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: leashes are dangerous to dogs and humans. How many times 32 00:01:41,800 --> 00:01:43,720 Speaker 1: have you been strolling along in the park, minding your 33 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: own business when suddenly there's a Doberman pincher staring at 34 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:48,640 Speaker 1: you a good twenty to thirty feet or sixty nine 35 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:52,840 Speaker 1: meters away from its owner. Also, retractable leads can hurt 36 00:01:52,920 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 1: you the dog walker should you attempt to grab it 37 00:01:55,680 --> 00:01:57,400 Speaker 1: in case of an emergency, it could give you a 38 00:01:57,480 --> 00:02:01,040 Speaker 1: rope burn. And these leashes are infinite for snapping due 39 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,120 Speaker 1: to strain or mechanical failure. And whipping back with high 40 00:02:04,120 --> 00:02:08,600 Speaker 1: force toward the walker's body and face. Aga also doesn't 41 00:02:08,600 --> 00:02:11,480 Speaker 1: recommend the slip lead, which is basically a slip knot 42 00:02:11,560 --> 00:02:13,800 Speaker 1: allowing you to slip your dog's head through the loop 43 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: and pull to tighten. Think of those leashes you get 44 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:20,400 Speaker 1: at the vet, but they can be very dangerous, she said. 45 00:02:20,760 --> 00:02:22,280 Speaker 1: I don't like them because it puts a lot of 46 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,680 Speaker 1: pressure on the dog's trachea. It can cause a lot 47 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,200 Speaker 1: of damage. Agga's leash recommendation is a basic six foot 48 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: or approximately two meter braided leather leash with brass fittings. 49 00:02:33,480 --> 00:02:36,200 Speaker 1: The clips onto the dog's collar or harness, whichever the 50 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,720 Speaker 1: dog wears when walking. Aga says six feet is plenty 51 00:02:39,760 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: long for every breed of dog to get away to 52 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,960 Speaker 1: use the bathroom. The only time she doesn't recommend the 53 00:02:44,960 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: brass fittings is for small dogs because the brass can 54 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,120 Speaker 1: be too heavy for those smaller dogs. Try stainless steel 55 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:56,240 Speaker 1: or aluminum fittings instead. Agga explained, a leather leashes last 56 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,960 Speaker 1: a really long time. I've got one leash that's fifteen 57 00:02:59,040 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: years old. Most leashes available in the market are made 58 00:03:02,440 --> 00:03:05,680 Speaker 1: of reinforced nylon or cloth. Webbing. Some even have carbon 59 00:03:05,720 --> 00:03:08,680 Speaker 1: fiber woven into them. Others are made of nylon rope. 60 00:03:09,320 --> 00:03:12,080 Speaker 1: AGAs says those are fine, but to be prepared to 61 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:16,000 Speaker 1: keep buying them. She said Nilon leashes, even the ones 62 00:03:16,040 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 1: that are sturdy webbing, are fine, but they don't last 63 00:03:18,720 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: as long as leather. Dogs can choose through them and 64 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:24,280 Speaker 1: then the owners end up tying them in knots. There's 65 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: a lot of stuff in the dog world designed to 66 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:28,680 Speaker 1: make you buy more. As a trainer, I want something 67 00:03:28,680 --> 00:03:31,880 Speaker 1: that's going to last a long time. Aga says. All 68 00:03:31,919 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: dogs should wear collars so that they always have tags 69 00:03:34,400 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: on the leash clips onto the collar. Some dog breeds, though, 70 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:40,840 Speaker 1: benefit from wearing a harness when they go for walks, 71 00:03:41,200 --> 00:03:44,760 Speaker 1: especially large breeds like huskies or Bernese mountain dogs and 72 00:03:45,080 --> 00:03:48,520 Speaker 1: much smaller ones such as toy breeds or puppies. Harnesses 73 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:51,880 Speaker 1: are good for dogs who pull a lot too, Agga explained. 74 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:55,640 Speaker 1: Harnesses are designed so there's less pulling. Front clip harnesses 75 00:03:55,640 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: seem to work best for that, and you don't want 76 00:03:57,880 --> 00:03:59,400 Speaker 1: to put a lot of pressure on the trachea of 77 00:03:59,440 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: a small bree ned, so a lot of toy breeds 78 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: will use harnesses rather than a color because of how 79 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:11,560 Speaker 1: small they are. Today's episode was written by Patty res 80 00:04:11,600 --> 00:04:14,480 Speaker 1: Musen and produced by Tyler Clain. Brain Stuff is production 81 00:04:14,480 --> 00:04:16,480 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radios How Stuff Works. For more in 82 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: this and lots of other topics, visit our home planet, 83 00:04:18,600 --> 00:04:21,280 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com and for more podcasts. For 84 00:04:21,320 --> 00:04:24,240 Speaker 1: my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 85 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:26,040 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.