Our dog school says absolutely no choke collars. She recommended this funky walking collar instead. It has little prongs on the inside -- if the dog starts to go to fast, she ends up poking herself. It was amazing -- the minute we put the collar on, we had a changed dog! I think they call it a pinch collar.
ggeeza wrote: We had one for our Golden, but got tired of the whispered "that dog must be vicious... look, it has a muzzle" every time we went out in public. (yeah - she's a killer Golden. )
Gentle Leader had just come out with their harness, so we got one of those and have been using it ever since.
I had the same problem. To make it worse some people think Roxie looks like one of those "evil" breeds. She has had some throat troubles and the vet recommends against a chain but the GL worked great.
I tried a head-collar type collar last summer for my Std Poodle & Rhodesian Ridgeback. It worked well (and was a godsend when they'd both see a squirrel at the same time). However - they HATED them. We gave it all summer and still they were trying to get them off - I'd have to be fast to get the 2nd halti on before the 1st one was off :-( Made walking them not so much fun. Usually just reserted to flat collar which was okay until a squirrel... This year I decided to try prong collars - they are so ugly but I thought with 3 dogs now (we have a new miniature poodle puppy) it would make things a little easier. They work like a charm. The dogs don't pull, and they don't run away when I get the collars out - in fact unlike the halti they run over to get them on. So I guess they voted with their heads so to speak. FWIW We are VERY careful not to give more than a tiny correction - always preceeded with a verbal one. The dogs are great and I'm not going crazy :-) And as a side benefit, when I do take them out in their flat collars they are much better too :-) (Oh - and I've done the walk the other way - it works pretty well for one walk with one dog, but two or three dogs...
Happy camping,
Laura
p.s. a brag - we are getting some really nice complements about our dogs this year and how good they are - we had them last year too :-) I guess the hard work is paying off
Laura and Carm traveling with 3 dogs & 1 parrot
2004 Titanium 29e34 5th wheel
www.skjennagard.ca/ivy.html
Choke collars just don't work for all dogs, because some smaller breeds have very fragile necks, and they can be seriously harmed very easily when that collar tightens when the dog pulls. The prong collars that I've seen, are on a choke collar, so it's doing both, and what stops the prongs from going too deep into the flesh?
I like the training that rockhillmanor described, but using a harness that won't hurt my dogs neck when I startle him by turning unexpectedly.
But, when I'm walking the dogs, it's for them, and if they want to stop and sniff the flowers, etc., that's what the walk is for. If I want a walk, I'll leave them home.
Joyce in NY wrote: Our dog school says absolutely no choke collars. She recommended this funky walking collar instead. It has little prongs on the inside -- if the dog starts to go to fast, she ends up poking herself. It was amazing -- the minute we put the collar on, we had a changed dog! I think they call it a pinch collar.
All dog training classes are NOT created equal.
Many 'so-called', 'self'-professed, trainers come up with quick fixes, because they do NOT know HOW to train dogs.
Any dog trainer that says you MUST use a prong collar is not a qualified trainer....don't walk away from this training class, run!
Waaay too many people opening dog classes just to make a few bucks off of unsuspecting pet owners.
Prong collars are just that, inflicting pain is not training.
These backyard trainers use them because it makes the owner think the classes are working.
To do you pet a favor find an AKC club in your area and find a member that shows in obedience.....THEY will be able to point you to a qualified instructor for obedience in your area.
Choke collars USED CORRECTLY - correction/immediate release - is the humane way to train.
Regarding use on small breeds: The muscles around a dogs middle neck are incredibly strong, it's natures way of protecting the jugular vein.
You can not harm a small dog with a choke collar used 'correctly'.
Think about it, an untrained little dog will pull and pull and pull you down the street for blocks, straining at the end of the leash......he doesn't die does he?
* This post was
edited 06/16/08 11:33am by rockhillmanor *
31 ft Four Winds
Chevy Tracker 4x4 Blue Ox We must be willing to get rid of the life we've planned,
so as to have the life that is waiting for us.
I use a Halti head harness which I believe is similar to Gentle Leader in principle. They can be wiggled out if your dog determines to. It is important to engage a safety link between the slip ring & the collar so that your dog remains on leash when he slips out.
We use a Sporn harness for our bloodhound. It works wonders. It pulls under the armpits (legpits?) where it can't do damage but is very uncomfortable. No worries about choking, no worries about neck damage. And it controls a 140 lb dog.
MommaJo wrote: The prong collars that I've seen, are on a choke collar, so it's doing both, and what stops the prongs from going too deep into the flesh?
...
But, when I'm walking the dogs, it's for them, and if they want to stop and sniff the flowers, etc., that's what the walk is for. If I want a walk, I'll leave them home.
The prong collar is much like a martingale used for greyhounds - if it is set up correctly it can only dig in so far - just enough to get their attention. Also, its their decision if they want to pull - this gives them an instant correction with perfect timing - they learned very quickly. Much more quickly than the yank yank that I see so many others reverting to (me included in the past). So one could almost say that it was easier on them than the other options?
Of course training is the best option. We live on a farm so don't get much practice on the leash. When we do go for a walk they are great even on a buckle collar as they know the area and aren't distracted by anything. Camping is another matter. And in that case its often me alone with the 3 dogs. Puppy wears a harness - he's too little to drag me around anyway!
When walking we are usually "in formation" - dogs beside me at a loose heel - its a little chaotic for now as puppy sometimes wants to play and not walk but its getting better every camping trip (he's 17 weeks today so that helps!). When we get to the potty area they area allowed to sniff for a bit, but no stopping to sniff - its just too hard with 3 dogs on leash, its easier if they all keep the same pace! I guess I'm just mean ;-)
All that being said I made the decision to take the easy way out. But everyone, including the dogs, seem happy. I would hate though to see this type of collar abused...
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