Choke collar information

[JayBee]

http://wi.essortment.com/dogtrainingcol_rrcw.htm

Please read..........never leave a choke collar on a dog,unsupervised.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I prefer the method of a dog trainer I used. Leave the regular collar on in the home with the leash. Give a little tug when the dog does something wrong, say "No," and roll an empty alluminum can full of change on the floor. It will get his attention and frighten him just enough.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

I can not imagine why a choke collar would ever be needed unless a dog is totaly out of control or being trained to be a guard dog.

I'm not trying to flame anyone, but I really do not get why anyone would need a choke collar at all, unless the dog has not responded well to ANY other form of training.

Assuming you get your dog as a puppy, most dogs, even the most strong willed dogs (*cough* *ahem* Jack Russell Terriers *cough* *cough*) should be quite trainable with the proper use of positive reinforcement (clicker training etc. ) for good behavior and light , humane forms of negative reinforcement (water bottle, time out etc.) for bad behavior.

If you are talking about teaching a dog to walk properly on a leash or not to jump on people, this can be easily acheived through the clicker training method.

I hope I don't sound like a fanatic, but my thought has always been if you are not willing to spend the time and money required to properly train a stong willed dog , you should not get one.

Also, the same goes for large dogs. If you don't feel that you can handle the size and will of a large breed dog, research the breed (or mix of breeds) you are getting, and make the choice that is right for both you and the dog. You may be better off getting a smaller, easier to handle breed.

Sure, there are no guarantees, any dog can wind up being a little terror, but you can really cut down on those chances by doing lots of research before getting a dog.

I think all too often, choke collars are a cheap alternative to a well executed obedience training plan.

Monty may be small, but he is one tough little cookie. He was trained entirely through the use of clicker training and hand signals and being squirted with a water bottle when he does bad.
I can not imagine ever putting a choke collar on him.

JMO.

 

[Tinkerbelle'sMOM]

Clicker doesn't work for all dogs. I have trained and shown dogs for many years, mostly big retrievers, and some do need the choke collar for correction to heel correctly. We don't use it all the time, but if it is a time when I have to be in complete control of a big 100 lb dog, then I use it. I usually use a harness for control and a gentle leader, but sometimes that isn't enough. I have used clicker on some dogs, but there are others that don't respond to it. Believe me, when a 95 pound solid Chessie is going thru a brat phase, you better have something more solid than a clicker in your hand. Smaller breeds are easier to manage with a clicker (I have trained and shown terriers and spaniels).

So, yes, there is a time for a choke or even a prong collar, even in an obedience class for a very strong willed dog. Better safe than have your small dog eaten by a larger one.

That's just my 2c as someone who has dealt with dogs for over 20 years. And you are right...people don't realize how much you have to put into a dog to have a nice canine citizen...that is why the shelters are full

 

[Talking Hands]

We used a prong collar when training our Lab on the advice of our trainer. Almost never use it now as she is very well trained on and off leash. She will even walk to the side of my power chair and not run or pull. Choke collar is dangerous and according to my trainer should not be used on any animal.

 

[ElizK]

We used choke chains when we were training our chows. Just a quick snap, not enough to hurt, just enough to get their attention. Worked fantastically. They learned very quickly that if they watched me, chain would never tighten, even for a moment.

I wouldn't hesitate to use it again, especially on a larger dog. My puppy is getting old enough for her puppy class soon... not sure if I'll use it on her. The chows were 3 and 5 years old. My pup is only 4 months.

 

[EsmeraldaX]

Thanks for the info. I'm just concerned about people who use choke collars incorrectly.

 

[ChefBilly]

Used correctly, and combined with a reasonable and fair training program, they are both humane and effective.
They're were great for my two German Shepards. But every dog is different.

 

[Kallison]

Originally posted by Talking Hands
We used a prong collar when training our Lab on the advice of our trainer. Almost never use it now as she is very well trained on and off leash. She will even walk to the side of my power chair and not run or pull. Choke collar is dangerous and according to my trainer should not be used on any animal.

We did the same with our lab -- it worked well, now he walks nicely. The girl lab I'm babysitting this weekend practically pulled my arm out of the socket on our 4 mile trek. I think it is 6 inches longer now on my right side!

 

[MeanLaureen]

Esmeralda - I can understand worrying about people abusing choke collars. Anytime they are used past the training room door or session is a misuse. Liken it to a noose around a neck.

On that note, however.. I will say that I do not find a choke chain being used in obedience as cruel. The following long rambling post is just my opinion and I know there are many different schools of thought when it comes to obedience training for dogs, right down to how a choker is positioned.

I used to think the choker was cruel myself until learning from an obedience teacher how they are to be properly used. I have found out that when used correctly, the choke collar should only snap once before the dog understands and even then it is the sound that startles the dog into submission - the loud rattle and scraping noise the chain makes - not something the dog feels. This is because when used properly a choke collar doesn't actually constrict on the neck of the dog unless the dog fights it. It will feel a bit of a tug but the collar won't even have time to completely close before you release. It feels more of a tug pulling on a normal collar and leash

It just all depends on how the collar is put on the dogs neck and how the "snap" is done. If the collar sits high on the neck and the snap is done at the proper angle with a quick release, the dog feels nothing more than a slight tug upwards and just hears the quick sharp noise. If the collar is low on the dogs neck or the trainer snaps without an immediate release, or snaps by pulling back and not straight up, the dog does have a constriction on it's neck. Just like what would happen if the dog was wearing a choker and pulling forward with all it's might - it would act like a noose.

For dogs that do not respond to a choker (most of them it's because of the dogs fur or shape of the head and neck) I would only use the soft muzzle type gentle leaders. Those have been very effective in training - especially with dogs that have a natural instinct to pull ahead like sled dogs (my Samoyed was an obedience school flunky until we got the gentle leader - with that lion's mane of fur there was no collar in the world that would work with her without getting lost in her hair!..lol) These soft "muzzles" actually just close the dogs mouth when it pulls on it's leash and dogs don't like to walk with their mouths closed so it causes them to slow down and not pull. Aren't you glad people don't have a tendancy to walk with their mouths open? ick!

Some dogs also don't respond to passive methods like the clicker or the watergun because of how they were allowed to become at home. By passive I mean that the dog really doesn't understand where the noise/water is coming from.. in it's mind, even though it sees the watergun in your hand, it's not you that is causing it to happen.

This is going to sound weird to non dog people but you have to be sure that you have the "alpha dog" status in your house or the dogs will be hell to train. Dogs that respond well to clickers or things like that already are submissive dogs. You may not realize that your sweet little pooh dog that just loves you to death and licks you all over thinks he is in charge of you until you go and try to demonstate any dominant behavior towards him like making him walk at your pace instead of you having to walk at his. These little dudes can wrap us around their little paws without us knowing it...lol

Personally though, I dount I could ever train using the collars with the prongs inside, but that's just me and each dog is a different case.. just like kids. (and no I don't use pronged collars or chokers on kids! )

 

[HisEllyNelly]

We used the gentle leader with our dog...but she was trained well too. She just never got over the idea of pulling us along so we needed to stop that.It was impossible to walk her without the gentle leader.