Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I Don't want to start any wars on the message boards but I do have a question. I would like to know what type of training collar everyone uses on their dogs? I know that everyone has their own opnion on the subject.
i.e. do you use a pinch collar, a Choke Chain, buckle collar, or harness even maybe the haltis.
Personally I use Pinch collars on 2 of my Dogs my Jack russel mix and my Black Lab. THe Jack russell uses it because he doesn't stop pulling when on a regular choke chain and will choke himself to death. He can walk on a buckle collar but I prefer to have the pinch collar just in case he see's a squrril for example.
I use a Pinch collar on my Lab Because he is a Wuss and when he gets Scared there is no stopping him. he bolts and Drags you along for the ride. we are working on it and he now only botls a few feet and then relaxes so he's getting better.
I used a pinch collar on my Min pin for training but now use a Harness as he has a neck injury and the harness keeps the pressure off his neck.
I'm just cerious as to what everyone's prefrence is. and their reason for choosing it. And Like I said I know everyone has their own prefrence.
Sara and the zoo.

I use a harness with my dog, both when we go for walks and for training in classes. I believe in positive reinforcement training methods, and I do not use pinch or choke collars. I trained my dog to walk beside me by keeping treats in my pocket and by taking a class in heeling. (Early on, I also stopped every time she pulled, which made her realize she wasn't getting places by pulling.) She'll still go for a squirrel or run ahead, but it hasn't caused a lot of trouble so far.

>>I Don't want to start any wars on the message boards but I do have a question. I would like to know what type of training collar everyone uses on their dogs? I know that everyone has their own opnion on the subject.
>>i.e. do you use a pinch collar, a Choke Chain, buckle collar, or harness even maybe the haltis.
>>Personally I use Pinch collars on 2 of my Dogs my Jack russel mix and my Black Lab. THe Jack russell uses it because he doesn't stop pulling when on a regular choke chain and will choke himself to death. He can walk on a buckle collar but I prefer to have the pinch collar just in case he see's a squrril for example.
>>I use a Pinch collar on my Lab Because he is a Wuss and when he gets Scared there is no stopping him. he bolts and Drags you along for the ride. we are working on it and he now only botls a few feet and then relaxes so he's getting better.
>>I used a pinch collar on my Min pin for training but now use a Harness as he has a neck injury and the harness keeps the pressure off his neck.
>>I'm just cerious as to what everyone's prefrence is. and their reason for choosing it. And Like I said I know everyone has their own prefrence.
>>Sara and the zoo.

>>>>>>>>>>>..

I use what works best with that dog at that stage of training. It's typical for one of my dogs to move through 4 different collars over the several months of training, and a few more changes during their working careers. I don't have any one preference. I just want the dog to be under control, safe from getting loose or harming anyone, and safe from being harmed by the collar. Of course I would rule out a spike collar--that's a collar that actually has pointed tips coming in at the dog's neck, and yes, they do make those--and for my dogs I would also rule out any collar that delivers shock or "electronic stimulation." Prong collars are very low on the list of a collar I would use, too, because they cannot stop a dog determined to bite the owner and because they increase defense fight drive. The nylon snap-around slip collar is very versatile and comes in 1/2-inch increments. It can be used as a slip or non-slip, and doesn't have to go over the dog's head due to the snap. If there is one all-around collar most likely to be useable for most dogs, that's probably it.

I also use a head halter when needed, which for my dog with a bad temperament has been all of her long life. Head halters are good for "mouth behaviors," such as barking or snapping when on leash. I don't encourage their use for pulling. For that, I recommend teaching the dog to walk on a loose leash.

For small dogs, I prefer nonrestrictive harnesses that take all pressure off throat and neck. Their larnynx is just too fragile for me to want to walk or train them on a neck collar.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Wow I didn't think I would get a response or 2 already but it was great to hear someone else's opnion on it. thank you all for your input.
Sara

I say use whatever collar works to start training, but make it a goal to wean off the training tool to a flat buckle collar.

My reason- my dogs don't wear training collars 24/7 and I want them to listen to me with or without a training collar on. My dogs are very "collar smart" and KNOW what each type of equipment means. When I put their vest on, we are doing therapy work. When I put a harness on, we are tracking. When I have no collar on them, we are working agility. Yet, all of these activities have a foundation in obedience and they know that overall, collar type doesn't matter because if they listen to me, they get to do fun things with me.
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PHReign
Email me: HReign@pethobbyist.com" target="_blank">PHReign@pethobbyist.com
Dear dog,
I can not buy anything larger than a king sized bed. I am very sorry about this. Do not think that I will continue to sleep on the couch to ensure your comfort. Look at videos of dogs sleeping, they can actually curl up in a ball. It is not necessary to sleep perpendicular to each other stretched out to your fullest extent possible. I also know that sticking tails straigt out and having tongues hanging out the other end to maximize space used is nothing more than doggy sarcasm.

I actually use two different harnesses: one for walks, a different one for classes, and my dog knows the difference too. Dogs are pretty smart.