I posted a status about this, but figured it’d be much easier to make a thread because statuses have a limited amount of words and this requires further explanation. Wasn’t quite sure which section it would be appropriate to post this in, but since my medical issues include some that are more psychiatric, thought this was probably the best place to put this.
I have a 3-year-old, very large, purebred, female Dogo Argentino who I’ve been working with a trainer to become a service dog in training. Technically she would be a medical service dog, but she helps with some mental disabilities as well.
She currently has a harness but I’ve found it difficult to navigate crowded public spaces just using a harness and a leash (she needs to be really close to me and keep me at a safe distance from people in crowds. I also get exhausted from being on my feet for long periods of time and can lean on her for support. She’s very muscular). I did some research and found out that heavy-duty collars with a handle, that you can apply velcro service dog patches to, are a thing.
I looked for these on Amazon and was a little disappointed with the quality of most of them. A lot of them were random off-brands that appeared to have been manufactured in large batches in China. I think I would either need to obtain one from a trusted dog specialty shop or have one custom made. I looked for hours at options on Etsy, and they were beautiful and looked to be great quality, but I couldn’t afford them I would need one that’s under $50 USD but would realistically need to be about $30-$40. I need to budget appropriately to my financial situation.
Most of the available options had these weird quick-release buckles, which I don’t trust for a 100lb Pit-type dog who is made of muscle. She’s not particularly a puller but she could easily break a quick-release buckle by accident. She’s currently wearing a martingale. I could not find a martingale option with a handle anywhere
So the specifications would need to be:
- Thick handle, and a D-ring to attach a leash or a traffic lead
- Durable buckle that won’t snap, preferably metal
- At least 2” thick and up to 25” neck girth (XL to XXL, depending on the brand)
- Velcro area to apply service dog identification patches.
I hope this isn’t asking too much and I hope someone can point me in the direction of a shop that might have something… I’ve been researching this all night and all I can find are Amazon and Etsy.
If there’s anyone else here with a service dog, I would really appreciate your help!!
Any little bit of advice or suggestions would be so very appreciated!!
Thank you to anyone who read this.
- Luca
I have a 3-year-old, very large, purebred, female Dogo Argentino who I’ve been working with a trainer to become a service dog in training. Technically she would be a medical service dog, but she helps with some mental disabilities as well.
She currently has a harness but I’ve found it difficult to navigate crowded public spaces just using a harness and a leash (she needs to be really close to me and keep me at a safe distance from people in crowds. I also get exhausted from being on my feet for long periods of time and can lean on her for support. She’s very muscular). I did some research and found out that heavy-duty collars with a handle, that you can apply velcro service dog patches to, are a thing.
I looked for these on Amazon and was a little disappointed with the quality of most of them. A lot of them were random off-brands that appeared to have been manufactured in large batches in China. I think I would either need to obtain one from a trusted dog specialty shop or have one custom made. I looked for hours at options on Etsy, and they were beautiful and looked to be great quality, but I couldn’t afford them I would need one that’s under $50 USD but would realistically need to be about $30-$40. I need to budget appropriately to my financial situation.
Most of the available options had these weird quick-release buckles, which I don’t trust for a 100lb Pit-type dog who is made of muscle. She’s not particularly a puller but she could easily break a quick-release buckle by accident. She’s currently wearing a martingale. I could not find a martingale option with a handle anywhere
So the specifications would need to be:
- Thick handle, and a D-ring to attach a leash or a traffic lead
- Durable buckle that won’t snap, preferably metal
- At least 2” thick and up to 25” neck girth (XL to XXL, depending on the brand)
- Velcro area to apply service dog identification patches.
I hope this isn’t asking too much and I hope someone can point me in the direction of a shop that might have something… I’ve been researching this all night and all I can find are Amazon and Etsy.
If there’s anyone else here with a service dog, I would really appreciate your help!!
Any little bit of advice or suggestions would be so very appreciated!!
Thank you to anyone who read this.
- Luca