Collars for training

[markc]

Starting to get serious about training Oliver, more than just Sit and making him wait for his food.  I think he will need a prong collar, since he is so bull-headed and stubborn.  Has anyone used one with success, or without success?  I don't think a "choke collar" will be enough, and when Oliver pulls, he could put so much strain on his trachea. 

Any input is appreciated of course.
Thanks!
mark-n-oliver

[brumzoo]

I would never put a choke collar on any dog. I think they are horrible. I use pinch collars and have had much success with them. If you can go to training classes with your dog, that would be best. They will also show you how to correctly use a pinch collar. 

[ksdstny]

completely agree with trish. i use a prong collar on my dogs only when we go walking. its made a huge difference. harlow used to want to chase after cars, bikes, skateboards and i was at my witts end, the prong collar solved the problem with a WHOLE lot of "leave its" and treats n praise. they wear reg collars all other times.

a tip i learned from the trainer i hired for a bit with steeler.....in the house when in training i have a very short lead (about 2 ft). he wears that when my little granddaughter is over, when guests are coming etc. this way i can get him in a hurry if he's getting a little rambunctious. this way i dont yell or grab him by the collar which is a nono. for whatever reason he behaves better with it on also.

good luck.

[DaBabaDoo]

Do not use a Prong Collar!  I beg you, it's not safe for a Brachycephalic breed.  If used properly, prong collars sometimes get the desired effect, but if the dog pulls continuously, you can seriously damage the trachea.  If the problem is pulling on the leash I suggest the Sporn, it is a harness specifically designed for training difficult dogs, and it works GREAT.  The way it is designed it tightens around the dogs whole shoulder area if he pulls, to that essentially he has no power over you.  If he tries to pull he will be gently guided to a stop position and you do not have to put any real force in pulling him back.  They are a little expensive but it is totally worth it.  The trainer who turned me onto it said she began using them when she had a particularly crazy German Shepherd who had pulled her once so hard that he dislocated her shoulder.  She tried the sporn and never had a problem again.

Here's the website:
http://www.sporn.com/cgi-bin/commerce.exe?search=action&category=0001&keywords=all

[BeachBullyPC]

Do not use a Prong Collar!  I beg you, it's not safe for a Brachycephalic breed.  If used properly, prong collars sometimes get the desired effect, but if the dog pulls continuously, you can seriously damage the trachea.  

I couldn't agree more.  In our puppy contract, we actually had to sign stating that we will never use a prong on this breed. Our Bulldog vet said the same thing, under no circumstance use a prong on a Bulldog, you're asking for severe damage to the trachea, they are just not built for it.  People think they know what they're doing, but it takes one wrong move and you can seriously damage your dog for life.  You already mentioned he pulls so bad he puts pressure on his trachea...you're asking for a huge vet bill if you go with a prong.

We have had excellent success with the easy walk harness.  MB came to us completely untrained and within a week of using the harness, he hasn't pulled once.  Unlike the harnesses that clip on the dog's back, putting pressure on their rib cage/chest, the easy walks clips in the front and every time your dog tries to run or pull, they will get turned around to face you.  Works like a charm without putting spikes into your dog's neck.

http://www.premier.com/View.aspx?page=dogs/products/behavior/easywalk/productdescription

Training your dog shouldn't have to be a barbaric process, they respond much better to positive reinforcement.

[ksdstny]

In NO way shape or form would i ever do anything to hurt my dogs. if you were to see us walking it would bring a smile to anyones face, they are attentive, watch me, wait for their treats and sit and wait when i ask. i worked very closely with a trainer before using the collar. before purchasing i had this collar around my arm .... it applies gentle pressure...now i agree if you have an out of control puller the pressure will be more but you SHOULD not be walking with an out of control puller. you should be stopping....waiting for the dog to stop then continuing, they pull you stop, over and over and over again. when i first started with harlow sometimes i didnt go more then 30 feet, we walked in circles for 30 minutes. it should also not be used without proper education .....we did not use it until the trainer came "in house" and worked with me and over time we've had to use it less and less.

they are a training tool...not a punishment, and need to be used that way.

[mtc]

My Meatball has a 1" nylon web collar.

He came with one of those prong torture loops, but the transport guy said he'd taken it off him because he couldn't settle down in the crate.... I threw it out!

He'll stop pulling when he learns to stop pulling, he'll do that when you train him.

I did spontaneous direction changes when out walking, made him guess what was going on... then he would watch me to see what we're doing. (OK, he still pulls when we start out - but only till he has a nice poop! )

[brumzoo]

Agreed!

In NO way shape or form would i ever do anything to hurt my dogs. if you were to see us walking it would bring a smile to anyones face, they are attentive, watch me, wait for their treats and sit and wait when i ask. i worked very closely with a trainer before using the collar. before purchasing i had this collar around my arm .... it applies gentle pressure...now i agree if you have an out of control puller the pressure will be more but you SHOULD not be walking with an out of control puller. you should be stopping....waiting for the dog to stop then continuing, they pull you stop, over and over and over again. when i first started with harlow sometimes i didnt go more then 30 feet, we walked in circles for 30 minutes. it should also not be used without proper education .....we did not use it until the trainer came "in house" and worked with me and over time we've had to use it less and less.

they are a training tool...not a punishment, and need to be used that way.

[LynnKing]

Any tool you use to train your dog, is only temporary. You still have to train the dog to do what you want it to do. Personally, I don't like pinch collars, I prefer the no-pull harnesses, lots of training and lots of praise/reward.

[ksdstny]

lynn, i havent tried the no pull harness, as i had a bad experience using a reg harness. i hardly use the prong anymore and they are so loose they do nothing really if i do use them. i am always open to new ideas and would try the no pull harness if i needed another option. they really dont pull anymore unless a squirrel is very close then.......all bets are off and i'm a bobble head for about 2 feet till i plant my feet. lol. other then that they are very manageable now.

i never really had a "pulling problem" my problem was harlows fixation with cars, bikes, etc. she almost got out of her collar months n months ago and i was terrified she could have bolted in the street after the car. after a LOT of training its down to a miniscule amount now. happens very little and i can easily redirect.

btw, the trainer i hired was "nicole wilde" she lives very close to me. she of course didnt come, rhaina did (dont know if you've met her). she works and partners with nicole. they are both advocates of the prong. rhaina is the one who educated me on how to use it.

[LynnKing]

And that is the problem with prong collars. More often then not, owners misuse them and because they work so well, they don't do any training, just rely on the collar to do all the work.

Lucky you, you found a good trainer. Well worth it. I attended a seminar by Nicole Wilde, great presentation.

[reeder1718]

I swear by this product! http://walkyourdogwithlove.com/index.php  dozer doesn't walk well and it was getting to the point where i couldn't walk him cause he was so strong and pulling me. but i found this and now i can walk him and our other guy at same time.

[BeachBullyPC]

I swear by this product! http://walkyourdogwithlove.com/index.php  dozer doesn't walk well and it was getting to the point where i couldn't walk him cause he was so strong and pulling me. but i found this and now i can walk him and our other guy at same time.

That's just like the Premier easy walk harness we use.  The have no choice but to walk next to me now, otherwise they get turned around and face me if they try to pull.  And, unlike traditional harnesses, there is no pressure on their chests.  I love this thing!