Speaking of collars and sizing, I have a question: what size ruffwear pack do you use on your shibas? I read on a previous post that a lot of people had to exchange them because of sizing issues. Sasuke is 25.5 lbs with a 21inch girth. The vet said he is a good weight for his size and he hasn't hit his growth spurt yet. I would like to get him the approach and webmaster. He is 7.5 months old.
Sounds like Sasuke is the same size as Joey which would be an XS. Lucy wears the XXS at its largest settings and it fits her relatively well, but the XS swims on her. She's 15 pounds.
so eventhough the sizing guide says an xs fits a girth of 17-24'', will it can fit 26ish comfortably? I just don't want to buy him another if he gets close to Toby's monsterous shiba size. He just outgrew petco's small dog nylon harness.
I also want to get Ninja one but not sure on the sizes as well. Any Akita owners have experience with ruffwear? She will be able to carry Sasuke, Sushi, and Yokie in the the saddle packs lol
I got Beebe and Ike the XS Ruffwear packs and harnesses (before Beebe was done growing-I didn't expect her to get so big). Beebe is 23-24 lbs, Ike is 24-25lbs. I would rather have the pack be slightly smaller than too large. It seems the Ruffwear packs are generously sized and the XS pack and harness look a little large on Beebe but fit just right on Ike becuase he has more substantial bone and girth. I might wait until Sasuke is closer to 10 months or so to get him a pack, dogs under a year aren't advised to carry extra weight and he will still be growing so...
What do you mean by reaction? Both Lucy and Joey have white fur under their neck that turns grayish from metal collars. Other than that, there is no noticeable reaction.
I use a nylon, quick release, snap buckle collar embroidered with name and phone number. That collar is worn very loosely and used strictly for identification purposes. The loose fit eliminates any issues with the fur on the neck. It also eliminates the need to attach tags that can get caught on things like the crate.
For walking I use an Easy-Walk, Gentle Leader harness. I've tried others, and by far the best for these reasons ...
1. Easy on and off - fits very wide around the head/neck when you slip it on. You could practically toss it over their head. 2. Koji accepts it very well -- because of above. 3. Definitely helps eliminate pulling behavior.
P.S. Tried a Martingale type collar. A disaster. He kept pulling and choking himself. No matter how many times he choked, he kept doing it to himself. Right in the garbage after that.
we tried chain linked martingale collars before and the only reaction was graying fur like Dave mentioned.
Tsuki is relentless in a martingale collar on a walk... she will pull and pull and pull and gag and hack and pull. We only use it to let her in the back yard, not for walking anymore!
The best use for a martingale I found is as an anti-slip collar, but they really aren't the nicest for an easy walk. You just can't beat a no pull harness.
We used a chain martingale for Ninja. She did not slip out of it once. My dad used it for "training" because "thats how they did it in the Philippines." I was just glad I convinced him not to use a choker.
I just bought Sasuke a medium ruffwear knot-a-just. It says it reduces the fur effect and are great on fluffy dogs. Sasuke can still escape unless it is super tight.
I was going to order the pack for Ninja but her skin condition returned. We took her to the vet twice already, and the second time they upped the meds, but her symptoms returned last week. We will try another vet. Basically we took her to a dog spa over the summer and she started losing hair, rashing, and gnawing at her skin, which makes her fur smell horrible.. Probably was an allergic reaction to the chemicals. >:(
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Thanks!
I also want to get Ninja one but not sure on the sizes as well. Any Akita owners have experience with ruffwear? She will be able to carry Sasuke, Sushi, and Yokie in the the saddle packs lol
Say, do any of your Shiba's have a reaction to the metal on their collars?
Kirby wears the kind with the quick release buckle.
For walking I use an Easy-Walk, Gentle Leader harness. I've tried others, and by far the best for these reasons ...
1. Easy on and off - fits very wide around the head/neck when you slip it on. You could practically toss it over their head.
2. Koji accepts it very well -- because of above.
3. Definitely helps eliminate pulling behavior.
P.S. Tried a Martingale type collar. A disaster. He kept pulling and choking himself. No matter how many times he choked, he kept doing it to himself. Right in the garbage after that.
Tsuki is relentless in a martingale collar on a walk... she will pull and pull and pull and gag and hack and pull. We only use it to let her in the back yard, not for walking anymore!
I just bought Sasuke a medium ruffwear knot-a-just. It says it reduces the fur effect and are great on fluffy dogs. Sasuke can still escape unless it is super tight.
I was going to order the pack for Ninja but her skin condition returned. We took her to the vet twice already, and the second time they upped the meds, but her symptoms returned last week. We will try another vet. Basically we took her to a dog spa over the summer and she started losing hair, rashing, and gnawing at her skin, which makes her fur smell horrible.. Probably was an allergic reaction to the chemicals. >:(