We love dogs and we consider them to be our best friends; however, how much do we love them after barking at the slightest sound heard outside or at two oâclock in the morning? There are many reasons why dogs misbehave and there are just as many owners who are discouraged when it comes to training their beloved pets. For many owners, experts in the field of dog training have developed innovative devices in the form of remote dog training collars. Online, there are plenty of attractive offers for such products and also a lot of information on the subject. Dog owners should have no problem in finding a highly effective remote dog training collars, destined to make their pets behave properly.
Of course dogs bark. It is their natural instinct to do so every time they want to express their feelings or warn their owners of potential dangers. At the same time, they might bark when they have a difference of opinions with a cat or even another dog for that matter. The truth is that they are bound to bark sooner or later, no matter how hard you try to train them. Having a dog that makes constant noise is not only upsetting for you but also annoying for your neighbours who might not be so happy with the incessant barking. This is why you should consider one of the remote dog training collars, allowing you to train your dog in an efficient and comfortable manner. You will be able to enjoy special times with your dog, finally taking advantage of him being the perfect companion.
How do remote dog training collars work and where can you actually buy one? First of all, you must understand one essential aspect: these collars may be electronic devices but they are not going to harm your dog in any matter whatsoever. Throughout the entire training period, while wearing the collar your dog will be 100% comfortable, the only difference being observed when it comes to barking. The dog will not perceive the collar as an act of punisment; on the contrary, he will understand that barking is not such a fun activity at all times. The remote training dog collar is innovative and highly effective; being placed around the neck, it controls all of your dogâs intentions to misbehave. He barks too loud, you press the buttons and release a cold spray on his neck or chin; some are odourless and others have a citronella smell. Despite all the fun he had while barking, he will nevertheless stop, his attention being caught by the smell or simply by the cool feeling provoked by the spray. Featuring a 300 m range of activity and also a sound button, the dog training collar will be the best thing that you ever invested in.
The best thing about dog training collars is that there are suitable for all dog sizes and various breeds. One just has to use the Internet and find out more about the potential advantages of using such electronic devices. For example, small dog training collars are extremely useful to correct abnormal behavior of small breeds such as: Yorkshire terrier, Bichon Frise, Chihuahua and Shih Tzu. Even small dogs can present behavioral problems, barking without any apparent reason and disturbing the quiet of the neighborhood. If you want a completely safe and efficient way to stop your dog from his continuous barking, then you have definitely have to consider small dog training collars, easily to be mounted and just as easy refilled.
Small dog training collars use an electronic device to release a spray in order to attract the dogâs attention from what ever he is doing. No matter if the dog goes to the garbage making a mess everywhere, if he leaves paw marks all around the living room or barks continuously at the new teddy bear you just bought, this device is guaranteed to correct all the problems of your pet. If you do decide to go for small dog training collars that release a citronella smell, then you are guaranteed to amaze your dog with the citric smell. Sensing the unknown smell, he will instantly forget about all his adventures and stop barking, concentrating simultaneously to identify the source. Such electronic devices are perfect for those small dogs that can sometimes be extremely annoying, disturbing not only the neighbors but even the owners.
The next time you see your dog misbehaving and barking when he feels like, consider the possibility of a dog training collar. Go online and see the differences between various training kits offered by specialized companies in the field. Read carefully about the information provided and make sure that you choose the dog training collar that best fits your pet. Do not let your pet to become master of the domain and show him who the boss is without being too pushy or strict! Remember, you donât have to resort to violence as long as you can benefit from some of the greatest innovations in the field, such as remote dog training collars.
anonymous
Tags: chihuahua
The E Collar, the Dominant Dog Collar, the Prong Collar, the Choke Collar….?
These are tools used by many responsible dog owners (both working and pet/companion) to properly train in many different areas.
People who use these tools, use them correctly and get great results are often told they are ‘lazy, cruel’ etc. Also are berated when suggesting the use of the above in answer to a question in which the owner has tried everything to no avail and is at their wits end.
What I would like to know is if you have used any of these devices what kind of behavior did/do you use it for, what are the results and did you at anytime feel as though you were lazy and your animal was suffering from their use?
For those people who consider them cruel and used by lazy people, I would love to know your PERSONAL experience with the above.
Have you personally used them? Or do you just shout cruel because this is your opinion but you have had NO personal experience?
I would like to add I have had every one of the above around my OWN neck before putting it on my animal. I have never had a dog with puncture wounds, scaring or ‘shut down’ from the use of the above.
I consider them to be vital for training a high drive dog and/or a dog with other issues which cannot/will not be fixed by ‘positive reinforcement’ or a ‘treat’. Not every dog, every behavior issue is fixable by ‘positive reinforcement’. I do not disagree with this type of training BUT I am open minded and can see how it can be used. BUT are YOU open minded to using ‘tools’?
A lecture? Please. Choke collars can do damage used by untrained, irresponsible owners? A BUCKLE collar can do damage when used WRONG by these people…..
I am NOT giving TDs and I am really curious the people who are open minded to ALL different kinds of training why they are getting the TDs.
You post a question giving people the opportunity to support their convictions and they hide behind TDs? Pitiful.
I have used positive reinforcement and/or clicker training. I also use ‘tools’.
It is truly the closed minded anti-tool people I do NOT understand.
I have used positive reinforcement and/or clicker training. I also use ‘tools’.
It is truly the closed minded anti-tool people I do NOT understand.
Youthpas: Type of dogs you trained?
My dogs don’t need all of these crutches. My dogs all walk politely with regular old leather buckle collars. There is no need for all of these other "collars". I have 5 working Border Collies.
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I have a prong for Murphy.
Its amazing how fast it works, and I really dont want to imagine what my life would have been without it.
I dont use it all the time, but its there if I need it.
He wears it when I walk him…so instead of chocking himself for 45 minutes, pulling himself in 400 different directions, he walks nicely next to me. (I’ve made the mistake of walking him w/o a prong a couple of times…I had bruises on my hand from him pulling and he was gagging from chocking.
I also use it for corrections. If I see a behavior that I dont like, I’ll put the prong on and put him in the situation where he exhibits the behavior. Whether its jumping up on me, growling around a tasty bone, or plain ol’ not listening to a particular command. Problem solved with one good correction.
I’ll usually repeat the scenario a couple of times to make sure that he got the point.
Its not cruel…and believe me…if you saw my mutt…he’s in no way…shape..or form…abused or mistreated…lol.
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PS. I think it depends on the dog, breed, how much time you have, your experience, etc. I’m sure there are dogs that dont require these tools and can be trained w/o them.
i have used the citronella no-bark collar on my dog and it worked within a week … i highly suggest them … i have no experience with the others you mentioned and i do not think they are cruel … a poorly trained dog is cruel in my eyes
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It’s funny that you mentioned people being open minded.
Because I use a prong collar, I would never use a choke chain (for example) but I could care less if someone else is using it. That’s their decision, doesn’t effect mine.
Now there’s some people on here that are all "my dogs are all trained on buckle collars, everyone that uses tools are lazy blah blah blah". Doesn’t sound very open minded huh?
I use mine as a corrective aid. It was also being used to help him understand he can’t pull on the leash. He is actually great about walking on the leash now and I could walk him on a buckle collar, but there are still times that he needs to be corrected for things like barking at a screaming kid or wanting to chase after a rabbit, etc. It is for my safety and his (we walk near a very busy road as well).
I don’t care if people tell me I’m lazy or cruel. All that proves is that they are too ignorant to look at all the facts and the facts are that not all dogs can be trained exactly the same. I’m sure there are some submissive dogs out there that don’t need a corrective aid – my dominant Doberman DOES. If you aren’t going to do the research and become knowledgable on prong collars – then I have no use in arguing with the ignorant.
ADD: And again some people make all their claims based on the ONE breed they own and because all of their dogs of the ONE breed are trained a certain way, then that means everyone else should be training their way as well.
Calling a prong collar a "crutch" is ridiculous. Again, please feel free to go find someone with a high drive dominant breed of dog (like a Doberman) and have yourself a good time trying to train him on a buckle collar.
ADD2: Again, I guess I’m not allowed to have an opinion and share the truth that the prong collar worked best for MY dog.
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When I first moved out of my parents’ (long ago lol) and got my own dog, I put a choke collar on her straight away as this was always standard practice in my parents’ home with young dogs.
She never displayed any problems on the lead, and after a while, she went onto a standard collar.
Whether the choke chain helped to prevent problems, I don’t suppose I’ll never know, but it certainly never harmed her.
I’ve never needed to use one in a remedial sense, although I know plenty of people who have, but I’m certainly not adverse to it.
I’ll get tds, I’m sure. Whatever.
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These are all just training tools. They are not cruel and do no harm to the dog.
Any harm or cruelty caused is done by the person on the other end of the leash who never made the effort or took the time to learn how to use the tools properly and uses them not as training tools but as punishment devices. These are the people who are lazy, not the people who have learned to use the training tools properly.
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Was that a question or a lecture?
Am I open minded to using these as a training measure? Sure, there are always cases where you have an urgent situation that needs to be handled.
BUT are YOU open minded enough to know that choke collars CAN do damage when used by lazy or irresponsible dog owners? Like I said, I have a hunch this was just a lecture and not really a question. So golf clap for you.
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I haven’t used any of these, nor do I have any experience but I don’t call them cruel. I don’t think it’s for lazy people; people use their own training methods. Not ALL dogs are going to learn the same way and NOT all dogs are going to learn with treats. If it was something cruel and abusive, I don’t think stores would sell them now would they? People should stop being so judgemental, and I think before somebody gives out an opinion on something they should at least have some experience.
ADD: This isn’t for anyone in particular (just for the people who constantly TD’s everything), but I noticed, when someone gives their opinion (example: clicker training worked better for me than the choke collar) people constantly give TD’s. Hilarious, because we just explained how different training methods work for different people and they’re getting TD’s for saying what worked best for them? C’mon, seriously? You’re going to TD someone for their experience on something? I’m not saying clicker training works better than choke collars or vice versa, because I haven’t tried either of them but WHY are you people getting mad when people say it worked better for *THEM*? Different things work differently for each person and dog so back off. Again, I’m not saying anything bad about these collars, but somebody is being immature and TDing everybody for giving their experience on things.
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You didn’t include the Halti as a great tool. (So many people think it’s a muzzle) As a trainer with over 30 years experience I agree that not every dog can be trained the same way. Some dogs are easily trained on a buckle collar or no collar at all. It depends on the breed or breed mix and most people do not research the innate behavior of a Border Collie vs. an Airedale or a Boxer and judge other people by their own experiences.I have used typical slip collars (I hate when people call them choke collars because that’s not what they do), Haltis, prong collars, and an e-collar (once, as a final resort). Prong collars and e-collars should only be used when the owner has been trained by an experienced trainer because bad things can happen when they are used incorrectly. The dog can be frightened or provoked to aggression if these collars are used by a frustrated or angry owner.
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Seen more years and dogs than probably all of you combined.
I have a problem with any collar that "hurts" a dog when it doesn’t do as you wish. With proper training a dog doesn’t need that. I have trained all my dogs with a praise and reward system and have never hurt an animal. All my dogs turned out great. I think those collars are a cop out for someone who doesn’t have the right patience to train a dog. How would you like it if your parents put one of those on you when you were growing up?
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I have also trained dogs for many other people and volunteered in the SPCA for years and helped people train their adopted and "abused" animals.
I’m open to using tools for training and control. I had 2 lab mixes(70 and 90 lb) at a dog function, both were pullers. I purchased at the function a "gentle leader", works like a hackmore( controls the head). The gal I bought it off said don’t use it here as the dogs are not use to it. End of day I’d had enough, hand bruised, etc… Put the things on both dogs for the walk to the car. Damn things work so well a 3 year old could have walked them back to the car. For a large dog that is not the best on the lead, I highly recommend them.
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As an old(er) trainer, I started out using a choke chain and the koehler method to train. The dominant dog collar is a modified choke that can be made shorter due to a snap. I have used them but not for dominant dogs. Personally I don’t use the hanging technique unless I’m in danger. I use the pinch collar most of the time and then wean to a buckle collar as fast as I can. I’m seeing a lot of over use of the pinch collar. It is being used more so in management instead of training. Dogs should be taught not to pull and then weaned onto a buckle collar as soon as possible. Yes I use the E-collar occasionally. I don’t have to use it much as I have laid the ground work before I use it. I use it mostly on "trained" dogs who feel that they have a choice.
I’m fairly open minded to try most tools. Heck I’ve even used head collars and harnesses with not so good results. I’ve only seen one dog that didn’t fight the head collar. Harnesses need to be used on some dogs with tracheal problems. I’ve had okay results with those as long as they are the correct configuration. It takes longer to train a dog not to pull in a harness.
I’m one of those find the tool to fit that dog and owner then make the dog and owner fit the tool trainers. There are many dogs out there that don’t need anything but a buckle collar because they were started correctly on loose leash walking as puppies. Plus some of the softer type dogs do just fine on buckle collars. I say least restraint is best.
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old balanced trainer
I’ve used a choke chain for when my dog sees something moving on a walk, and pulls, it worked almost straight away. I’d tried treats and constantly turning but, he was pulling me down and dragging me, so I don’t think I was being lazy.
I also have the choke chain and a lead on around the house, so I can correct some of his silly behaviours that an "UH!" doesn’t fix, or when he ignores a command.
On the flip side, I was using it for him getting excited and jumping on people, he became a little better but no great improvent, the last few days I’ve put him on his bed, and clicked and treated calm behaviour, (GASP SHOCK HORROR I used the dreaded clicker) the first time we started I saw so much improvement compared to a correction with the choke chain.
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My dog did fine with positive reinforcement for basic commands like sit/stay. She would not recall though. I tried everything I could think of but nothing was more valuable to her than running away when I called her. As a last resort I used the e-collar. It worked quickly and was very effective. She does a perfect immediate recall EVERY time now. When used correctly, I don’t see it as abusive and I don’t see people who use them as lazy. Some dogs simply won’t respond to conventional methods. The e-collar actually gave my dog more freedom since she can now go out in the yard off leash. Her personality, trust, nor confidence were not lost with the training. I do believe they should not be used by everyone or with every dog. They can easily be abused by people with the wrong attitude.
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I used both a prong collar and an E-collar. I don’t use a choke because I prefer the prong and have never had need of a dominant dog collar but would use one should I need it. I use a prong to teach proper leash walking and continue to use it even though my dog will walk properly without it as it gives me an extra "edge" should something ever happen. I have never needed it for this and never expect to need it for this but the unexpected does happen. I use the e-collar to proof commands off leash and to correct undesirable behaviors that require remote correction.
In my experience people who scream cruel have either only ever seen the tools used incorrectly or just scream cruel because they think they look cruel and have no experience with them at all
People who claim they are a crutch or not needed by to train tend to have dogs that are either not truly proofed on a command or are extremely soft dogs. They don’t understand not every method works for every dog. The correction necessary to get some dogs to even pay attention would likely shut their dogs down completely and send them cowering to the corner.
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I use a prong collar and an e-collar. Neither are for the lazy owner. I’ve spent more time just conditioning my dog to the collar (which comes AFTER formal OB) than most people spend on training their dog, period. I trained him on OB with the prong, and that was 5 months of formal training. Now we’re getting into field work, and I’m STILL using a lead and e-collar, about two months in. This is not for the lazy dog owner.
Why do I use them? Because they work. I get the results I want and my dog knows what’s being asked of him. He wouldn’t be curled up at my feet right now if I was in the habit of torturing him on a daily basis. He doesn’t suffer. He has more freedoms that he would have if he weren’t trained, and will have even more once his training on the collar is really solid.
I’ve used both prong and ecollar on myself, but I don’t equate the way it feels to me to how it feels to my dog- I’m a person, he’s a dog- different physiology. No, neither ‘hurt.’ The e-collar is pretty unpleasant at high levels. For the record, my dog works at 1.5. My boyfriend can’t feel that level of stim on the palm of his hand.
I’ve said this before, but IMO, no one who’s used and felt these tools would find them cruel, so I just have to blame it on ignorance.
Add: No one trains without ecollars in hunting sports here. (no one I know, anyway). They work very well- I think ehawlz has a great pic of her tortured GSP in her avatar.
Add 2: I actually think the e-collar is better than the prong or choke- or even buckle. It offers a consistency the human hand can NEVER achieve. There’s also almost no possibility of the dog being accidentally corrected (stepping on the lead, poor communication, etc.). Also, there’s no possibility of damage over the long term like choke and buckle collars. You also get behavior very quickly (linked to the consistency issue), so there’s less frustration on the part of human OR dog.
Keep those TDs coming! I take them as compliments!
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I have trained hunting dogs for years – the greatest invention of all time for training hunting dogs is the e collar – the dogs are out in front of you and if they make a mistake you can correct with the e collar and the dog gets immediate feedback. The collars can be purchased with a warning tone so the dog learns when he hears the tone to correct his behavior and the shock is never used. Many dogs adapt to this after one or two shocks.
If you start at the lowest setting and work your way up to the proper setting for the dog you really don’t hurt them. If not used properly they can create as many if not more problems than they solve.
I also use a spike force training collar – the collar when used properly creates a pinch on the neck that the dog can relieve immediately by correcting his behavior there is very little delay time unlike pinch collars and choke collars which should never be used for training.
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I have no problems with the tools other owners use to train/correct their dogs, I say whatever works for you, however, when it comes to choke chains I really do not think the average person knows how to properly use one. When I was 5 years old, & this is still burned into my head like it happened yesterday, we had a Pit/Heeler mix, he was a beautiful dog, yes. To the point- my parents not knowing any better put a choke chain on him & actually tied him up. The next morning when I came outside, I seen a strangled to death dog, still standing up, he had absolutely no slack to fall after dying.
I have on numerous occasions seen people using choke chains as an everyday collar & lets face it, most people are stupid & do not take the time to learn or even wonder what it is really used for. I have probably saved more dogs lives than I can count just by pointing out the wrong way to use a choke chain collar.
An e-collar I have no problems with but for me personally I have not came across a situation yet to where I actually had to resort to one.
Prong collar-totally for, have nothing against them.
Dominant dog collars-excellent!
ADD- Wow, these TD’s are just hilarious!!
*&* this is extremely off topic, but I’m really getting sick of the *TROLL* accounts as well. Quit being a coward. You want to call people out but don’t want them to know who you really are–grow a pair!!! I have my one account, that’s all I need, don’t like my views or opinions OR experience, TOUGH SH*T!
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I use chain collars, I will never use the word choke collar because I am not choking my dogs. I have two dogs that we can use a buckle collar on, and thats my french bulldog and my oldest bulldog.
I use them to train, show and walk in. The only time I use a buckle collar on my weims is if we are going to go jogging. Otherwise they are on a chain collar. It does not hurt them. I don’t care what anyone says, you try training highly prey driven weimaraners (to show how prey driven, my weims chased down a bunny and actually caught it, a weim out of my breeding chased and took down a large doe) with a buckle collar and see how far you get. Bulldogs are stubborn and heck, chain collars work great with them. I have a prong, but I don’t need to use it, If I have a dog that at one point does I will use it.
I have put a chain collar (toggle cause I don’t have a big enough regular chain) around my neck and pulled. It does not hurt nor does it choke, using the pop and release method.
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I have never personally used any of these but it isn’t because I’m "against" them per se. I guess I just haven’t really needed to. Prongs and E-Collars are banned here I think.
I definitely believe these tools are effective but only if used correctly. A lot of people do not know how to use a chocker and end up almost strangling their dog because they haven’t educated themselves. I remember when I was a kid we used to have a chocker for our red heeler x and she’d still manage to pull my parents!
One other thing I don’t like is when people on here automatically answer a question with use a prong or chocker, when clearly the person who asked the question isn’t educated about them.
I use positive reinforcement with my dog which includes corrections but in my personal experience my dog responds better to these types of methods. She’s a pretty soft dog and would shut down if I used a choker.
LOL, oh noes Emilie you used a clicker! Shame on you.
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My wife used to use the choke collar for when on walks because she would be caught off guard at times when other dogs appeared and ours would go crazy. I never needed it, I get the same results with a tug on his regular collar. But then again Im much stronger then my wife so I can see where it helped her. I have used the shock collar type to get them to stop leaving the yard, figured it would be much cheaper and less labor intensive than putting in a electric fence. It has worked well, I actually like it better then a electric fence. I figure if they are going to get zapped when they wander I can give some voice commands also so they know.
Ive seen all types of training thru my life, everything from people literally beating their dogs with leashes to train them, to little old ladies sweet talking their dogs into obedience. I have no care or concern for what other people do, I have seen just as many results as failures from all styles. I dont get my feelings involved with other peoples lives or animals.
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I have never had to use any of these devices but in the right hands they can be essential. I have had many dogs in my lifetime and although they all had issues of some sort their issues were never anything that called for any type of professional training (other then what I could give them) or the use of any of these collars. What is frustrating about these devices is that a lot of people who don’t know how to use them can actually cause issues for their dog when they use them wrong.
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Edit: Wow, so many thumbs down for not having to use those collars but agreeing that they can be used well in the right hands….too many asshats in this section anymore.
I like to think that I am open minded towards using tools. I have worked with a choke chain, a prong, a halter, and electric bark collar.
I do think that they have a place, and can be useful when used correctly, by a knowledgable trainer, in an appropriate situation.
But I do think that many (not all) trainers use these tools as crutches and shortcuts, rather than establishing a proper training relationship with the dog.
Most of the time when I am training my dogs, the collar is irrelevant. It’s only there to attach the leash to as a safety precaution (if we are working near a road) or because the dog is required to wear it in class (or wherever we happen to be). I prefer for my dogs’ compliance NOT to depend on what kind of hardware they are wearing.
EDIT: If I might clarify, I think that a lot of people use these tools to CONTROL the dog rather than TRAIN it. Far too often I see dogs that (for example) simply cannot be walked without the prong, halti or whatever. That dog is not trained, and the tool is not fulfilling it’s intended purpose.
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Well Bobbie, teach your BCs to cut two from the flock with a leather buckle collar; http://i396.photobucket.com/albums/pp43/blunderpic/dogs/P1000229-1.jpg
That is last years WORLD Sheepdog Champion BTW, and he trains with an e-collar.
All collar types do the same thing, that has never been the question. The question is how hard and how long do you want to work at it. When I can resolve a problem with one or two corrections, I’m damn sure not going to use a device that requires me to make ten.
Most of my training is done with my dogs as much as a half mile away from me, and at 70 years old I won’t do much running out there where the dog is to make a correction. So there really is a reason that I choose to train with an e-collar.
The irony is that I have seen more dogs abused with a leather buckle collar than all other collar types combined.
edit
"The E-Collar was always seen as my last resort,"
Erica that is exactly the concept of the e-collar that is WRONG. The e-collar is not, nor has it ever been, a "last resort" training device.
The reality is that you either "collar train" or you do not. Collar training is a SEQUENCE of events that leads to a trained dog.
Just slapping a collar on a dog and expecting it to come when you call IS NOT what the e-collar is intended for.
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You have to love this dog section activists…….
People come on here saying that these *TOOLS* work for them and then they get a million TDs for sharing their experience. I believe even *SOME* people on here said that different strokes work for different folks.
When are people going to get their heads outta their @sses and doing some *PROPER RESEARCH* on *REAL TRAINING*?
Oh and saying that buckle collars work for you but that everything else is a *CRUTCH* is also not being open-minded. It’s called being arrogant.
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You’ve got yourself some pretty good answers so far, I think!
I have to admit that I’ve never used an E-Collar or a Dominant Collar before. The E-Collar was always seen as my last resort, and thankfully it hasn’t gotten to that point with any of my dogs yet. I’m not entirely sure what a Dominant Collar is, but I wouldn’t be opposed to using it if the situation called for it, and if I were properly educated on the use, fit, etc… of the collar. I have never used ANY training tool before properly educating myself on the proper use of the tool, and I don’t think any owner should use a training tool without the proper knowledge OF the purpose, use, etc…. of that tool.
That being said, I HAVE used a chock collar, and a prong collar. I, personally, will never EVER use a choke collar again. We used it on our previous black lab/pit bull cross, and it didn’t go anywhere good. We had it properly sized, fitted, etc…. and still had a very bad result. He was an AWFUL puller, we had tried EVERYTHING else from redirection, food, clickers, stopping and waiting, and NOTHING happened, unless you count the bruises on my arm, wrist and hand from the leash, the sore shoulders I ended up with, and him gagging and gasping for air. Therefore, we tried a choke collar, because my husband wasn’t too sure about the prong collar yet. The first couple of times he did okay. It wasn’t until a couple weeks in that he started to replapse into his pulling stage, and seriously hurt himself. Chocolate had a lot of excess skin around his neck area, and within minutes somehow got it tangled up into the collar and left a decent size wound. Nothing serious, to the point it severely hurt him, but he definitely felt it. After that day, I personally wont use a choke collar again. However, I’m not opposed to people that DO use it and have success with it. Every dog is different, and every dog requires different training methods, tools, etc…
Once his neck healed, and we were able to safely walk him on a regular collar again, everything was back to normal. I’d had enough, and told my husband we were trying the prong collar whether he liked it or not, basically. Keep in mind, Chocolate topped out at 125 pounds, and it was usually ME that walked him. At the time, I was all of 140 pounds, and 5’0 (the height hasn’t changed!). My husband is 6’1 and a bit over 200 pounds, so he by far outweighted Chocolate, however, the dog didn’t listen to him for sh*t. He listened to me perfectly most of the time, until the leash was on, then it was iffy, but I still had a better chance then my husband, lol. We got the collar, fitted it, etc… and put the leash on. It was like a different dog altogether. Within two weeks, everything was 100% better, and we could actually walk him without any pain to him, OR ourselves.
Yes, prior to the choke chain and the prong collar, we had used various other things, including the Halti, Gentle Leader, various harnesses (I learned later that harnesses are essentially crap for pullers because a harness was MADE for pullers such as weight pullers, sled pullers, etc…. if that makes any sense. I should have thought about that YEARS ago, lol), and other methods as I’ve already mentioned, such as food, redirection, stopping and waiting, the snap correction with the regular collar (which is very difficult to pull off when the dog is 3 feet in front of you on the leash, not to mention the armlength). Aside from not walking him at all, nothing had worked for us. So, no, I don’t think we were lazy about it, I think we needed a solution that actually worked, and we found one.
The prong collar helped in other areas, too. Chocolate LOVED kids, absolutely ADORED kids. His problem is he would get very excited when he would see a child. Chocolate didn’t realize how large he really was, and that he scared people by how excited he got. Between the pulling towards them, the jumping, whining, etc…. he could be a very frightening dog when he was excited to see you. The prong collar helped in that area as well. Not only did he stop pulling me towards people, but a quick correction with the collar stopped him from jumping up on people (especiallly NEW people) as well. Children could confidently approach him then, without worrying that he was going to knock them down, etc… Parents could let their children approach him without worrying that he was aggressive, etc…. because of his pulling, jumping, etc…. It really did help change a LOT for us and our dog, and I swear by the prong collar now.
We use the same prong collar we had on Chocolate for our current APBT, Pixie. We had it resized to fit her, and use it as needed. Generally she’ll walk on a regular collar quite nicely. However, she does have a bit of a developing prey drive (I call it developing, because she didn’t really have one when we first brought her home, it slowly developed over time, and then got worse once we had to put Chocolate to sleep) that can make walks a b
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I use e, prong, and zip collars.
We used e collars for barking in the house, she was given a NO first then if she continued a zap.
We use prong for when we are outside she loves too drag us everywhere and we are tired of it.
And yes I know it bad and that we shouldn’t do it but her collar is the zip collar, Shes happier with it than with a buckle collar. We have tried switching but she acts like a beat puppy, OG now that I think about it maybe she thinks its a e collar? Which we only put on her when she being bad.
Okay back on topic. No these are not cruel or inhumane tools. Yes my dog is not to keen on the e collar but she better behavied just by picking it up, and she follows our commands even better with out it on anymore, its been months, not quite a year, since we’ve had to pull it out.
And no one and I mean no one has any idea what they are talking about when they say prong collars a cruel because their not the ones who have the collar jerked out of their hands by the dog who had jumped up and dove her head in when you weren’t paying attention or not moving fast enough. She is always so excited to see it.
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First of all I want to say that peoples opinion of a well trained dog varies widely! My idea of a well trained dog is one who minds me, first time every time. One whom I can trust OFF leash and does not need reminders to stay in the position I place it. One who is proofed to mind despite the activity around it. One that behaves as well outside of the home as it does in our home. Once well trained, I have always expected by dogs to do all this without corrections, without reminders, and often times without commands and to remain focused on me. I expect the dog to just KNOW what it is I expect to a certain degree. They learn this through repetition and through the use of training tools. This is not to say I have had to use training tools on all my dogs…I have had a couple throughout life that that simply learned the easy way. Some dogs can be more head strong, challenging and more obstinate.
In the right hands NONE of the tools are inhumane or cruel. I have seen people who believe these tools are cruel and yet they loose their tempers with their dogs and resort to kicking etc out of frustration. I know other bleeding hearts who would never use a tool as such and they do not have what I would term a well behaved dog by any degree.
I believe just the opposite…these tools are not for lazy people looking for a quick fix. It irks me when ppl make comments about others using prongs for instance because they are lazy. If you have never had a dog you needed to use this type of training tool on then you have never owned a real dog. I agree…VITAL for a dog with lots of drive. With this type of dog any training tools you mentioned will not shut them down either.
You did not mention it but I am going to, and that is the Halti…this is one tool I DO NOT agree with. Dogs were not meant to be led by their heads. Dogs do not have near the neck muscles a horse has and a strong correction by the wrong person has every potential to snap a neck. I walked one dog on a Halti…a dobie I am working with for a friend. This is what SHE chose to control her 2yo Dobe that is semi fearful and will attack another dog. Against her will, but she allowed me to try it…I put the dog in a prong. Wanna know what? That dog owner leapt to the other side of the fence! I showed her how to properly fit and use the prong and based upon her seeing her dogs reaction to it she is overjoyed and now loves walking her dog without worries she cannot control her. The dog walks great on a loose lead now and the owner agrees the dog does not at all act fearful of the collar and walks more proudly vs the Halti. Some people just need more gentle cohersion to accept that these things are not cruel in the least bit!
Currently I use a nylon slip lead on my Cavaliers. With them, they would NEVER have the need for a prong LOL. I am currently using a e collar on a few girls to proof a recall. Seriously…you choose the level of stim based upon the dog. The level is SO SO entirely low that I use on the Cavs..enough that when I call and ignore, I nick, and they turn and come running…tails up happy dogs! Cruel? Not in the least!
The thing that closed minded people DO NOT realize is that a LESS HARSH correction can be done with a slip, choke, prong that what would need to be done with a buckle collar to gain control of the animal. If you are dealing with a dog who lunges for other dogs on walks lets say…no amount of cookies is going to get him to focus back on you when he is in that state of mind.
For me…these are training tools. I have used every one of them at some point in the past with various dogs. Usually as part of proofing a behavior or correcting extreme pulling/lunging with some of the more aggressive dogs I have worked with.
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I have used all but the e-collar….havent needed it yet.
They are just tools – you can remove a screw with a butter knife, but its much easier with a screwdriver.
) Using the proper tool does not make you lazy, just more efficient, and a tool is only as good as the person who is using it.
Most of my dogs over the years have done fine on a flat collar or harness, but for those with stronger drives, who ignore a correction with a flat collar, I have used tools with progressively stronger effects. I have only had one dog who requires a prong collar, but he ignores anything less.
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lots o dogs
I have used Don Sullivan’s "Command Collar", which is a "milder" version of a prong collar, but still gets the job done. I’ve also used an e-collar.
I only used the e-collar after my dog already knew what he was supposed to be doing. He’d get 150 feet away and realize that I couldn’t catch him, then he’d take off. The e-collar fixed that problem immediately (set at a proper level for the dog, of course). If it weren’t for that, i could never trust my dog at a distance. If he takes off after a squirrel, I can trust that he will stop and come back to me when I call.
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I have never had to use any of those tools, however, I have never owned a dog who needed them so who knows? I know some dogs who need a prong because they are so ill-behaved, but have to ask the question, if they had been properly leash trained as pups, would this be necessary when the dog reached full weight and could pull the owner around? I also know some dogs who need a prong because of the energy level.
Unfortunately, once again it boils down to whether it is needed, or whether the dog owner is an idiot who didn’t do the right thing to begin with and now needs to correct their own deficiency with a tool.
I have seen very few owners who know how to use these tools and use them correctly. I have seen a legion of owners who use them because they look "tough" on a bully breed or because their adult dogs are so completely out of control that this is their last resort, and even then, they don’t fit them properly, so they are still useless. These scenarios always get a smile from me.
My question is, if the prong is just a training tool, why does the dog never seem to be trained enough to go to a flat collar? Wouldn’t that make it a control device and not a training tool? All these dog owners who do not know what they are doing use these devices for the life of their dog. I can’t believe that is the correct outcome, or the one they would have if they were using the tool correctly.
An example: Two lovely GDs that come to visit me every week. They both walk perfectly on flat collars. A man who uses a prong all the time on his adult dog asked the owners why their GDs were not wearing prongs. The owners politely replied that they had no need for prongs anymore, because their dogs were trained.
So why can’t that be the norm and not the exception?
The same goes for e-collars. They want to train their dog not to go on the counter with an e-collar. They want to train the dog not to pee in the house with an e-collar. Some of the more horrifying things they want to correct with this tool, I will not even go into.
Can’t help but think that you can house train your dog without the use of this particular tool. While this tool has a valid use, most average dog owners don’t even know what that is.
I guess you would have to be out of the dog community and into the average Joe dog owner community to witness this stuff and scratch your head, wondering why these people don’t educate themselves and hire a good trainer.
ETA: Correction-just remembered that we started Pepper on a choke collar. Did not get the response we wanted, so we went with a martingale instead. Got what we wanted. If we had been successful with the choke, we may have continued. and yes, we were doing this under the tutelage of a trainer.
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Adolescent Dobermanns typically go through a fairly hellish stage, when a hitherto obedient dog will test the boundaries, forgo good manners & ignore commands to see if their owner will consistently follow through & enforce commands.
Jacob is a tall, muscular dog, so unless I wanted to be flat on my face, staring at the sky, to stop him exhibiting bad behaivor when he felt so disposed to give it & pulling against the lead, I invested in a prong collar.
While I agree that they look something like a medieval torture device, it is in fact simply an inanimate piece of training equipment that an owner can make use of to teach a dog what behavior is expected of it.
I love the prong because it distributes pressure evenly around the when its bites {firm pull upwards on the collar, then immediate release} & a dog learns that bad behavior causes a negative consequence it would rather avoid & compliance is rewarded with praise.
Obedience is demanded & never given at the dog’s discretion, otherwise the dog & not the owner is in control.
The prong in common with every collar can be misused by an abusive or ignorant owner, but if fitted & used correct, it is an excellent training tool, & I was very pleased with how effective it was on my dog {who never quaked with fear when I put it on or suffered an injury from wearing it!}
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I use an E collar and that is all people need to know great tool in the right hands cruel nope used it on my 5 year old dog for the last 3 months
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I use a prong and got it for walking/training purposes for Sampson.
It helps bunches! One day, I was taking Sampson on a walk (with the prong on) and I saw a squirrel ahead, so did Sampson, I told him SIT, and he sat, and we watched the squirrel go up a tree. I was so happy at myself and him. Usually he would be pulling my arm out to get to it. It has certainly helped for the purpose I got it for.
Also at home and out and about, he has a MUCH faster sit/down, even when the prong isn’t on.
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The one thing I wish these people who opposed most or all of these training tools would realize is that not all dogs are the same. Just because all of your dogs have been successfully trained without using these does not mean that everyone in the world should not be.
My lab is one of these dogs. He barely needs a verbal correction and is very reward motivated. If I had all dogs like him, I may think the same. But I have other dogs, dogs with strong drives in particular, that require correction. These dogs could care less about a treat when they are in prey drive.
I always laugh when someone says e-collars are for lazy trainers. Last Monday I went out with our K9 section, who are in the middle of certifying a dog with a new handler. She has one problem that would EASILY be fixed with an ecollar, yet the trainer has tried every other method of correcting it, wanting to use the e-collar as a last resort. When I asked him why the e-collar is a last resort, if he does not like them. His answer, its too much work. Our dogs are not e-collar conditioned, so to use one to solve any problem, you have to start from the beginning. Because time is limited to certify her, he would prefer to not have to go through all the work of conditioning her to it.
Personally, I have not had the opportunity to use the e-collar, dominant dog or prong collar, yet. I have done extensive reading on the e-collar, including every site that is against them. I have read the studies quoted, and have found no evidence they harm the dog. One study that suggests they not be used can even be quoted as saying they do not do physical damage.
I recently also had the opportunity to try an e-collar that belonged to a Police K9, a Mal. I used it on his working level. I had to put it on the inside of my wrist to feel it. Nothing even close to what I would consider painful.
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Lioness – your runner reminds me of a dog in my agility group. He is an extremely food motivated dog, but is a runner as well. Even food cannot bring him back if he gets the chance to run. We work in a fenced in area, the dog actually swam a culvert under the road to get to the other side to freedom.
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I have not used any of the "tools" myself but know people who have used them and had great success. I have also know people who used them incorrectly and have hurt their pets. For instance, the person who set the e-collar too high and his dog bolted into the street and got hit by a car( Thank God he only suffered a broken leg). I am considering using one of the "tools"on my dog just to keep her from barking when people come to the door. I will, of course, stop using it as soon as she quits barking at the door when given a verbal command. I just haven’t decided on which one to use. I don’t know much about the citronella collars. Positive reinforcement and diversion are not working with her. She is a terrier and very hyper( it doesn’t help that I have a 10 year old just as hyper as the dog).
I have also known people who have choked their dogs using choke chains and regular collars.
I would also like to hear from people with both positive and negative experience with the E-collar and the Citronella collar.
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I use positive reinforcement to teach. My dogs never feel a real correction until they’re 7 or 8 months old. Sometimes later. BUT in the end all dogs will do, are doing, or have done something they should’ve been corrected for. And if you didn’t do it? You might as well have trained them to repeat the behavior.
I use all of the above, every tool you mentioned….I use them because they work and always have.
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I already used prongs on my first dogs but I began using the e-collar with Bart, since he has a tendency to chase vermin (terrier mix, maybe?) and when he does it, he doesn’t come back so easily.
After using the e-collar, Bart has been a LAMB when recalling. And it really works well. I think I would use an explosive device on my dogs if that made them trained! Bart has a little explosive personality (once again, maybe a little terrier hint?) which makes him naturally dominant. I think that with treats and clickers ONLY I wouldn’t reach the point of a well-trained dog like he is now.
I NEVER got bad results with prongs neither did my parents. I agree that all those things can seriously harm a dog
I strongly disagree with treat recall ONLY. You need to train your dog’s head and not its stomach. I think that maybe one day the dog will see something more interesting on the other side of the street, like a cat, chase it and won’t come back to you, because he isn’t hungry, and you have a lost dog just because of lack of hunger.
So I think that "come and you get a treat" is less safe than "come or you get a correction". Don’t get me wrong, I also think that clickers and treats CAN work well, but you have to balance it with corrections.
Man, I trained my dogs with e-collars and prongs yet never touched a clicker!! Damn, they must be hell sad! They DO look very sad and abused!
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4006/4525308851_6966c2d25f_o.jpg
If I was lazy, I would probabilly avoid training my dogs instead of actually doing so. LOL.
EDIT: And at the people that often say "have you tried on one yourself??". LMFAO. I’m not going to try on a device that was made for a dog. I’m not going to walk around on all fours and see if that *hurts* as well, LOL.
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LOL Nice Q Launi!
Did you like that yesterday? Dogtra 1900 10 TDs!!! yay!!! LOL.
I am not closed minded either. I am willing to listen if people are willing to listen to me. Most of the BS on the tools are from people that are uneducated on them and refuse to listen yet they want you to listen to their little bunny hugger speech. I am not buying it. I use what I want to train my dogs with and what methods I choose it up to me and what is best for the dog.
Lazy huh? NO its NOT lazy its efficient. Is using a dish washer *lazy*? Is driving a car *lazy*? What about blow drying your hair is that also *lazy*? No its not. Its a better, easier more efficient way to do something. Using these tools often works not only faster (faster is lazy apparently) but better and more reliable in most cases. I would rather have control of my dogs on walks then have them pull me all around. I would rather teach my dogs a solid recall then have them run off and get hit by a car. For my stubborn breeds these tools are sometimes the ONLY way to get things down pat for them.
Again I don’t care what anyone thinks. MY dogs are MY dogs. None of anyones business unless they are willing to listen and learn.
ETA: and what some of you don’t understand is that dogs are animals and as animals they correct each other. Most of these tools are not painful when used in the right way, they just stimulate the dog and get its attention.
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Owner of bully breeds
I use e-collars. I use them for recalls and nothing else.
4 reasons why:
1. My Aunt and Uncle had a Bedlington Terrier. They didn’t believe in e-collars. Their dog was never reliable off leash. One day, he snuck out the front door when a visitor came and would not come back when they called him. They didn’t find him until a neighbor had called them and said he was at their house dead. He was hit by a care and killed instantly.
2.Somebody I know has a husky who simply ignores her when she calls him. The other day we went to walk on some trails and she ended up looking for him for half an hour before he finally came back to her. Yesterday he took off and she had the whole neighborhood trying to catch him. Other times she didn’t get him back until someone caught him and dialed the number on his tags. A few months ago, she called him away from the edge of an ice shelf on Lake Superior and instead of coming to her, he decided to jump in the frigid lake. Fortunately he was able to claw his way out with a little help. How long do you figure this dog has to live? I’m betting on maybe another year before he’s hit by a car or god knows what else.
3. Another person I know had two boxers. Neither one was ever given an real corrections in their lives. They simply ignored their owner whenever they saw fit. One of the dogs went out on the ice and ignored the owner when she called her repeatedly. The dog fell through the ice and was sucked under by the rushing current. The dog was never to be seen again.
4. Shortly after I got my GSDx, (a bad runner who could never be off leash) we were at a training class doing off leash healing and he literally went from a heel to jumping right out the open window. We chased him across a busy 45mph street. One of the worst nights of my life. That night the trainer and I had a talk about e-collars. That dog, now 10 years later, comes when he’s called.
Making sure this stuff doesn’t happen is NOT lazy. It’s responsible.
I’d be very interested to know how many people could call their dog off the chase of a rabbit 3 feet from their nose heading across a street with a car coming. I know I can.
I have prongs and chokes, but I don’t really use them very much anymore because both of my dogs are pretty well trained. I’ll have no problem with pulling them out of the closet again if I need to.
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