Quote:

Yo, kruggur;
   Watch that rock swallowing.  It's called pica and can get chronic.  Kali did that for a while when we first got her.  She cost us a fortune at the vets and almost killed herself.  I had to keep a basket muzzle on her face every time we went outdoors for six months to break her of it.  Prior to Kali's pica I'd never used anything like that.. no muzzles, electric shock collars, choker collars, etc...  I had to admit that my dog training skills weren't enough to save her. 
    It's a shame that you had to give up on that practice time, but you can't endanger your pooch's health.

I've double laced both my hiking boots so when I'm in the woods I have a sling and a snare holding my shoes on! I used to carry a sling everywhere, but now I just keep a couple in my truck and use one as a hat band for my favorite straw hat. So even though I usually don't have a sling on me all the time, I have several near me in case I find a good spot to practice.

why would you care if anyone thinks it is weird?

Olde Schoole wrote on Mar 23^rd, 2010 at 6:15am:


I always say that the your best shot is the one that you don't take.  Living it is sometimes difficult.  I also agree with Eoraptor about the sling as a defense weapon.  I hope that I don't have to defend my Huskies or myself with my sling.  We'd be in deep trouble.  Plus, as we discussed on another thread, you really don't know if there's going to be trouble with an approaching dog until it's too late for a sling to do any good.  To defend myself and my pooches I carry a bamboo walking stick.

no matter how you think of the sling, whether its for sport, or war, or hunting, it makes no difference. when you have a sling in your pocket you are armed. we all know what a sling is capable of. to think any other way is a mistake. if you ever need to use a sling to defend yourself or someone else, then its very possible than you were not paying attention to the world around you. distance is always best, and fast feet are good too....lol

  I never go anywhere without a sling... and I can't walk past a good slinging rock without picking it up either.

Armed?

Though there are a few circumstances where a sling would be a useful defensive weapon, these times are few and far between.  As Eoraptor points out and as discussed on other threads, one of the best personal defense weapons is a good walking stick.  I've been slinging for about a year and a half and in that time I've never used a sling to defend myself or my Huskies.  I have, however, during this period used my walking stick to drive off aggressive stray dogs three or four times, whack attacking dogs on their rears at least three times, and tune up one human prowler, big time.  
  The problem with using a sling against dogs is that you can't know an approaching dog's intent until he's much too close for a sling to be of any use whatsoever.  An aggressive stray won't even recognize your loaded sling as any sort of weapon, even if you're twirling it over your head.  When you lift that cane over your head, however, he's very likely to run for the hills.  
   I prefer a good, stout length of bamboo but any good cane will do.  Again, I'm not saying that a sling could never be a defensive weapon, but personally I find a walking stick much more useful.