It’s the first time he’s been out of the house by himself.  The chain that swings against his ribs and tears at his throat is not in attendance and is instead replaced by a feeling of elation.

What’s this?  He wonders as he takes interest in green sprigs growing around the base of a lamppost.  The sprigs smell unique, but familiar – Have I been here before? He asks himself.  He’s now rooting around in all directions to fill his nose with more of the fragrance, back-side in the air, tail wagging; what is it?  What’s the smell?  Where do I know it?

A noise behind him – he turns, looks – a car.  Steer well clear of them, he tells himself.  He’s lost many friends to the rumbling rubber wheels of the metal leviathans that rule the road.  The pavement is for me, he decides.

Further ahead of him, he sees the shape of an approaching man.  He’s wearing green overalls and looks pleased to see him.  Excitement.  Someone new.  If I wag my tail, tilt my head and loll my tongue a bit, this man will be putty in my paws, he thinks.  The man gets closer and leans over to him.  Before he can tilt his head, the man – whose slackened jaw and uneven eyes – grabs him by the neck.  The man lifts him, his body dangles limply, and he struggles to breathe.  He remembers the morning his owner – the young son of a financially poor, but love rich, family got annoyed with him for walking home with such eagerness he was almost pulling the sickly young man over.  The boy had pulled the chain and caused him to vomit his gravy-laden breakfast all over the pavement.  The pavement, where his feet were moments earlier.

He’s trying to cry but not even a high-pitched whine can escape his mouth.  His throat is sealed from the outside by the hands of the grotesque looking man who breathes heavily into his face.  The man’s deep sighs of excitement, with eyes locked on his, are almost mocking in tone – look, I can breathe and you can’t, is what he imagines the man to be thinking.

His tongue feels five times bigger than usual as it protrudes from his mouth over his pointed yellow-white teeth.

The man releases him, drops him to the floor and kicks him against the lamppost.  His throat is free but still he doesn’t breathe; the last image to cross his mind was the choke chain.

It was a normal evening – John and I were even trying to get to bed a little early, because we haven’t been getting enough sleep lately. I went to take Béni down to go to the bathroom before bed. It was about 9:30.

When we got down to the 1st floor, his good friend Yodel, a 6-7 month old Bernese Mountain Dog, was also heading out with his owner. They started playing immediately, so when we got outside, we both let them off their leashes so they could play for a bit before bed. A few minutes later, we noticed they were tangled and yelping.

We kneeled down and tried to get them separated. Yodel’s leg had gone down through Béni’s choke chain, which made the chain so tight around Béni’s neck that he couldn’t breathe. I tried to pull the chain off Yodel’s leg (it was just past his first leg joint), and it hurt him so much that he bit me. At this point, I ran to get Dave, Yodel’s “dad.” When we got back out there, Béni’s eyes were closed, he was unresponsive and was foaming at the mouth. I lost it.

I started screaming John’s name. I ran all the way up the stairs to our 3rd floor apartment, still screaming John’s name while bawling hysterically. John raced outside so fast that I don’t even remember seeing him pass me.

When I got back downstairs, there were a lot of people around the dogs and another girl came up to me and led me away. I told her I didn’t want to stand around, because I was so upset and would just be distracting. She tried to calm me down, but I really couldn’t stop – I was really upset. Béni was going to die if they couldn’t get the chain off fast.

About 2-4 minutes into the ordeal, someone was finally able to cut the chain off Béni’s neck, and there’s no doubt in my mind that thanks to John’s quick thinking, he saved Béni’s life. We then took Béni inside, where I cried for probably another hour and both John and I had a hard time going to sleep. We were so worried about Béni. He had a nose bleed, and we called the vet about it, but they thought it probably wasn’t something serious and he either burst a blood vessel from struggling to breathe or the other dog bit him trying to get free.

Béni was able to eat, drink and do all of his commands, so we are hoping he’s ok. He has been lethargic, even today, so we’re still keeping a close eye on him. Both John and I are having a hard time not being at home with him all day, though. We are both still very shaken up. I can’t believe we almost lost Béni last night.

a picture of Béni taken from my iPhone earlier this week

Slip collars, often called choke chains, are a useful tool to use when training your dog; if they are used properly. They are not intended to choke your dog and you don’t want to use them if your dog is a strong puller. They are used to give correction while training. The collar, when used for correction, puts pressure on the brachial nerve giving the dog a quick zing, kind of like when you hit your funny bone.

When purchasing a slip collar, you will want to choose one that, when on your dogs neck, leaves around 2 inches free. Measure around your dog’s neck then add 2 inches.

There is only one right way to put a slip collar on. To put it on, stand in front of your dog and hold up the collar. You want it to be in the shape of a “P.” The leash is attached to the ring on the collar that does not have the chain through it. If you have it on properly, from the leash, the collar should run over the top of the dog’s neck and then around to the other ring. When you pull on the leash, the collar should tighten, then loosen when you release the tension.

Incorrect Collar

Correct Collar

If you put the collar on wrong, the links will come through the ring from under the dog’s neck and the collar will not loosen when you release tension.

Slip collars should ONLY be worn during training. Never, EVER, tie your dog up outside with a choke collar on.

When training, you will want to give a sharp snap of the collar to give correction, then quickly release it. You don’t want to choke him, but bring him back to focus. Pulling too hard could result in injury or even frighten the dog.

Training should be an enjoyable experience for both of you. If you are concerned with properly training your dog, consider the services of a professional trainer.