| 摘要 |
On leash, dogs enjoy being tethered together as partners, provided they can detect directional changes in their partner(s)' movements. The dog coupler includes a pair of clip assemblies and a semi-rigid hollow tube, each distal end of which is pressure fitted with a clip fastenable to a dog's collar or harness. Fabricated of plastic tubing, about 18 inches long but stiff enough it remains tangle free when held by one end horizontally, the tube, in its resting state, forms a shallow arch. Partially folded by compression or, alternately, straightened out, the tube acts like a weak spring but exhibits substantially stronger spring tension when stretched. Because of this spring-like action, two dogs, individually connected to the coupler, get negative feedback when they move toward or apart from each other. Absent such feedback, they are rewarded for correctly positioning themselves, encouraging them to walk or run well tethered together. |
| 主权项 |
1. In an apparatus for simultaneously tethering, with a single leash, first and second dogs, each of which is wearing a dog collar or harness to which an individual leash holder is attached, a coupler which comprises an elongated tube and a pair of fastening devices, each of the tube's distal ends being permanently fitted with one of the devices, both of which are removably fastenable to the leash holders in such a way that when'the single leash and one of the devices are fastened to the first dog's leash holder, the other device can be fastened to the second dog's leash holder, thereby joining together the dogs' collars or harnesses and providing single leash control of the tethered animals. |
