Rose's first night of basic obedience

[brandiwine]

(ever heard of a dog being pinched to death? No..me neither. Sure have heard of many dogs being choked to death or suffering damage to the trachea from choke collars though.)

No WorkinDogz, but then I've never heard of a dog being choked to death from a choke collar. But then it's all in the handler & his/her training methods. Wich falls in your next comment.

Any training tool; including the halti can fall into the "inhumane" catagory if used incorrectly and inappropriately.

It's the responsibility of the owner to educate themselves on proper useage of any collar or training device.

Just remember...the collar is a training tool and not a crutch. No training tool will ever replace GOOD, CONSISTANT TRAINING

This comment I couldn't have said better myself. Very wise words.

[Dei]

Actually Lisi, while I've no doubts about the potential benefits of a prong collar, I do have my strong doubts about the existence of that study...but I won't go into it just here. Maybe if you search the archives.

I'll further say that to my mind there's a right way and a wrong way for using any training aide and that the RIGHT TOOL for the RIGHT DOG used in the RIGHT WAY in the context of a WELL-THOUGHT-OUT training plan is the way to go. I say that having successfully used plain buckle collars, half-checks, full chokes (and my test for a trained dog is one I can control with a piece of sewing thread, literally, so you can imagine how much jerking I do) and haltis -- hey, I worked with what I had to hand -- an ounce of common sense and planning with a pinch of good timing is worth ten pounds of equipment.

As far as I am concerned, if a prong collar is the best thing to further a dog's training, it ought to be used, but no equipment (provided its proper use is understood) should be used or not used on the basis of dogma (political correctness if you please).

[Lisi]

Dei,

I agree. I think dog training is a LOT like horse training (I have over 20yrs experience in that).

Some horses train wonderfully in a hackamore, I've trained a couple in just halters, others you have to go to a more severe bit, to get the same results.

For me, personally I train in either a flat buckle or a prong (I use the choke chain on my Rottie - cause I can't get anything else to fit him, that wont rub his neck!!).

My little pup (mix breed) who I had the luck of having from 9 weeks of age, is totally flat collar trained, and at 9mths works almost better offleash than on leash.

SO understand it makes a difference also if the dog has been 'damaged goods' by someone else before you get it also.

I agree it depends on the dog and knowing your dog well helps to make the correct decision - I don't believe a trainer who has met you for 5mins - can tell you that.

I work with many fosters - some I wouldn't think of using a prong - but others, there is no other I would use initially.

Just like there is a bit for every horse, I believe there is a modified training method for every dog. But I HATE to see dogs pulling on choke collars - it drives me nuts! In fact I hate seeing dogs pull.


Lisi

[ShelbyVonRhodes]

I have the prong collar for my Shelby but its only used for training and when she is walked in the park with all the kids around she just get so excited when she see kids I have to use the prong for her. Otherwise she has just a flat collar. When we walk her her around the neighborhood we use her flat collor and of course she doesn't pull when shes in her own neighborhood.
Only when we take her out to the park does she pul and when we just pull back a little w/ the prong she calms down. When we get her calmed down then we can switch it over to the regular collar. Just at first everything is new and exciting for her and she acts like a puppy!

Thats just my input and what I do. Not all dogs are the same! :D