The Not-a-Knot (The Carnival)
They say "necessity is the mother of invention," and The Not-a-Knot has proved to be the creative effort to helping solve two big problems faced by many dog parents and professionals.
1. How many of you tie knots or have tied knots in your leashes and why?
- Extra security?
- A visual marker for your hands?
- A training tool for your clients?
2. Do you have a frustrated leash chewer? Do they jump around or try and tug on the leash?
Add on our 3 feet CHEW-PROOF base and find safety and security in walking your dog again without weighing them down with an extra leash and/or a safety strap.
We believe that the lighter the tool, the better the communication we can have with our dogs.
Our Story: When we rescued Carnival, our enduring Supermutt, he stealthily chewed through his tether on day two while laying on his bed, which he also later destroyed. On day three, he chewed through three leashes, one while on a short walk with my husband. Thank Dog Carnival was able to recall quickly and my husband was able to MacGyver the leash with a knot.
I made my husband go out with an extra leash and safety strap every day until I could create a management solution (The Not-a-Knot), and as we work through Carnival's frustrations, fears, and triggers.
Because Carnival's frustrations can include the zoomies, we need to be able to safely and securely hold onto the leash while we walk up to him (aka "walking up the leash") and gain control by reaching into our treat pouch, grabbing a handful of "trail mix" (high-quality kibble and other bite-sized treats), holding it front of his nose, then asking him to "sit". I like to do this because it's often the behavior he chooses to give when he's asking us for something and it requires his body to physically slow down. If the zoomies happen and there are triggers near, or it's an unsafe location, we lure him away with a handful of treats and create distance from whatever the stressor may be, then ask. When we acquire safe and calm behavior, we begin walking again slowly, gradually working up a pace unless Carnival chooses to safely sniff. We always let him sniff! Hint-hint. Wink-wink.
