Choke collars

I hate them, I feel terrible at the thought of even using one but across the board, trainers seem to think they are useful. Did you use them? What do you think?

Re: Choke collars

i just can't and will not

And since Min Pins have thoat issues already...i would never dream of it

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I hate them too, they do not work on all dogs, some are just so head strong, they rather gasp for air than slow down

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I use one on Misty, but she is a large dog. If I don't use it, she will walk with the leash pulled taut. When I do use it, she heels perfectly. I think they are okay for a larger dog, but I don't know if I would use one on a little dog - I would probably use a halter.

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you have little dogs right? I don't think they need a choke collar for training....just use a harness.

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I will NOT use that either.
I use a harness when walking Tiger and he is NOT a small dog. He is med. sized. He wears a regular color, but will NOT put the leashe on that.

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If used properly, they are very effective for training. A lot of people put them on wrong and the collar does not do what it is suppose to do. The whole point is that the collar releases when the dog stops pulling and the dog learns not to pull. This along with proper leash training, have a very good effect on dogs. I have used them when volunteering at the pound and they are very useful when walking the dogs.

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we used one on our Rotti and it was fine....she got the hang of VERY quickly. Now we can'ttake it off...she's very attached to her "necklace"

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Try a Halti instead. I find it much more effective and I don't feel bad. It takes a little getting used. Annie would pull so hard on a regular collar that she would dry heave. I put on the halti and after 1 walk around the block she was used to it. I won't walk her without one.

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I noticed that the Dog Whisperer (Cesar Milan) uses them. I don't particularly like them. We use a harness on Bama that tightens around his ribs when he pulls. So as soon as it tightens, he learns to stop pulling. He's pulled on it pretty hard but there's no risk in him getting hurt. With the choke collars, dogs can really hurt themselves (at least that's what I think).
We don't even use Bama's harness much anymore because he's seemed to grow out of the pulling phase.

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Thank you all. We went to our first training class on Sun and we used choke collars because he gave them out and it was his training method. The trainer was annoyed at me b/c I barely touched it but it just seems inhumane to me! I know that Denver pulls and he has to be trained not to but choke collars seem mean to me, esp for my little dogs!

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Brodie is so big and so strong that even with the halter I can't always control him.

We just started using the choke collar this weekend and it was like walking a whole different dog!

He heeled and when he tried to run after a squirrel I was able to stop him instead of getting dragged down the street.

So I'm a fan, when they are used properly!

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i DESPISE them

Re: Choke collars

Message edited 4/3/2006 9:46:23 PM.

Re: Choke collars

The only way a choke collar actually chokes a dog is if you don't release it and let the dog pull at it constantly. What it actually does is combine the sliding chain sound with a tug(if used properly) to get the dog to back off. If the dog is heeling properly or even walking a little ahead the chain is slack and not pulling at all. When the dog goes to surge you are supposed to snap the leash to make the chain rattle and pull and then release it.
That is the proper way to use a choke and it is totally humane. I have never heard of a dog being choked to death while being trained properly. They have been used for years by trainers and are the most effective way of training a dog.

Okay, rant over