Working Dog Gear?

[Rack N Roll]

Greetings LW.net!

I just recently came into this art with a Tandy starter's kit and I must say I'm sincerely enjoying it.

That said, I'm thinking of breaking into it by doing collars and leads for working dogs. My intention is to build a collar that is comfortable for the dog, and a lead that's comfortable for the handler, and build it to be bulletproof, since it will have a 100+ pound dog straining at it at any one time.

That said, my idea was to go with a sort of three-layer system for the collar. I wanted to do the top layer as heavy tooling leather, to provide the strength, the middle layer I'd choose Latigo, as I have read that Latigo best resists sweat and dirt, and then i wanted to use a thinner, soft leather, flesh-side out as a padding to encircle the collar. My method of assembly was to sandwhich the edges of the bottom layer between the two other layers and then stitch through the whole thing.

For the lead I was going to use double-layered Latigo, with the third liner covering the loops for the handler to grasp.

That being said, I'm still new to this whole deal and do not know if my ides are valid. Any suggestions or pointers to do with technique or materials used are very much appreciated. Thanks for your time.

[Spence]

Right down my alley.

My dogs, German Shepherds, average 90-120 lbs and are working dogs all. From tracking to protection.

I have a couple of 2" wide "agitation" collars that I use for bite training. I used 6 oz doubled. This is not an everyday collar. The width is more for the dog's throat protection and comfort than for security.

Normal day to day collars are 3/4" or 1" wide, 6 oz doubled. I've also got a couple of 1-1/2" wide collars.

I sometimes think that doubling is overkill. Latigo is good, but keep in mind that latigo is what the tannery designates as latigo. Your hardware choice is just as critical as the leather itself. O-rings and D-rings need to be heavy duty and welded.

For leads, I just use an 8 oz strip (single), 3/4" or 1" Wide. I add a piece of "wear leather" around the loop where the spring clip is attached. I use a square eye clip vs a round eye.

I don't build my collars or leads to impress bystanders. If I want to do that I slap a muzzle on the dog. The collars and leads need to be light, but strong enough to do the job. If you're worried about a dog breaking a collar or lead, the dog needs more training not to be pulling. Tracking dogs will not pull so much as they forge forward. It's the handler's job to keep up. If you're sending a dog out on a bite, once the dog is fired up and starting to lunge, it's time to let the dog go.

Have fun and g'luck.

[Rack N Roll]

[...]

Epic advice. As far as material, I've been digging through the collars forums and they suggested bridle leather (I think?) to use, would that be a better option than Latigo? Or does it really matter? How would you suggest finishing them?

I didn't know it took different collar sizes between training and everyday wear. Goes to show exactly how much handler experience I have going into this. I'm a wannabe, for now.

Edited May 13, 2011 by Rack N Roll