Would you use a choke collar wile training a young doberman to walk on the leash ?

Question

I was shocked about the effects of shock collars and I would never never use them, but I am not a native speaker, what is the difference between shock and choke when both the words are new to you !! Is it OK to use a CHOKE collar or are their better ways to teach my dobie not to pull me of my feet every 23 seconds ? Serious answers please.

Answer 1

Okay, I'm going to be the unpopular response, but here goes:

First, Shock Collars are okay if used intelligently and supervised. I have a red DoberGirl that would not cease her barking. She barked herself hoarse. I used to think she was mildly ADD. I worked with a trainer and spent thousands of dollars with this trainer to have us both decide monitored use of a shock collar was our last resort. Mind you, this is a dog that emptied the canister of a Citronella bark collar and kept going. Used properly, the electronic stimulation from a shock collar serves as a distraction that the dog will find undesirable but it does not -- repeat -- DOES NOT harm your dog! The electronic stimulation (aka shock) is a static shock that is no different than walking on the carpet and than touching your furry friend. By obeying, your dog quickly learns to shut off the stimulation, thus gaining confidence in response to commands. My girl no longer barks. Between the use of a shock collar and taking her through protection training, she has learned the proper use of her voice.

Now to the choke collar -- first, they aren't intended to be used to CHOKE a dog. All of my Dobermans -- all 5 of them -- have had training based on the use of a Choker Collar. I still keep one handy and jingle it to get their attention when they are being defiant. I used the same method when starting to do off lead obedience by keeping one in my pocket. A jingle for an igorned "come" works wonders. Therein lies the true value of the collar -- the sound the links make. After one or two PROPERLY GIVEN corrections, a dog learns the sound and modifies their behavior -- like pulling -- before they get corrected.

A properly fitted choke chain is key! It should be the size of the dogs neck plus 2 inches. If your choke chain goes over your dogs head a little snug that's expected because most breeds have a larger head than neck. To put the choke chain on correctly, drop the chain through either ring and make the letter P of the alphabet. Now with you looking at the letter P slip it over your dogs head with the tail of the P on top and extending left. Now attach the lead.

With your dog on your left hand side (in heel position), you pop up on the leash and release - the choke chain should also release the tension on the dogs neck. That's all it should take. One or two fast "pop and release" actions for correction -- and then the dog starts listening for the sound of the links and the behavior you're trying to alter stops.

The best collars on the market are made by Herm Sprenger. They also make a toggle type where one end is a ring, the other a toggle that goes through that ring -- which clearly becomes the end the leash attaches to. This type is particularly helpful if you have a dog with ears posted.

Answer 2

Don't use either a shock or a choke collar. On a dog that can be trained to be aggressive, it's best to use firm but nonaggressive training methods.

A shock collar delivers an electric shock, usually when you press a button or if a pet nears a boundary. A choke collar, on the other hand, either tightens around the animal's neck when it pulls or has spikes sticking out that irritate (or injure) the animal's neck. Because Dobermans have short hair, the choke collar would be more painful to your pup.

The best method I've seen for training a dog not to pull is to put a belt around your waist (just loose, over your shirt) and hook the leash (a standard/short cloth leash on a standard cloth collar) to the belt. Walk the dog as usual, encouraging him to walk beside and slightly behind you with small treats :) When the dog pulls, stop right away. If your pup is strong, walk near trees or a railing so you can have something to hold on to. The belt will keep the dog from pulling away from you and will help you hold on. The leash will give the dog a limited range. Don't start walking again until the dog has stopped pulling. If you do this every time (and reinforce good behavior with small treats or bits of dog food), the dog will learn to walk close and not pull.

Good luck!

Answer 3

Choke collars are a simple loop that goes around the dog's neck. When the dog pulls on the leash, the loop tightens and "chokes" the dog. They sound a lot worse than they really are, but dogs should not be left alone while wearing them. There have been instances when dogs accidentally hung themselves when the collar would get stuck on a fence or doorknob.
I've yet to find a leash and collar system that doesn't have drawbacks. The best thing you can do if you cannot afford obedience training, is to take your dog to a deserted area that you know of. Somewhere fenced so he can't get away from you, and teach him commands off-leash, like stop, go, slow, etc. Once he understands those things, you can introduce the leash and when he starts to pull, you now have a set of commands that he knows. He'll be much more behaved as long as you keep rewarding him with treats and praise every time he gets it right.
Young dogs are hard to keep under control sometimes. They calm down with age though.
Good luck.

Answer 4

The most important thing is to get into obedience training so you know how to train your dog. I personally would use a choke collar for a doberman. (It doesn't really choke the dog but it gets their attention. If the choke collar didn't get the dog's attention, I would probably even use a prong collar.) Either way, you take it off when the dog is off the leish. But there other training methods, so see what kind of obedience training is in your area and pick the one you prefer. Remember, though, a dobie is a big strong dog. That is why I am inclined toward the choke. You need to have control over your dog.

Answer 5

A choke (also called slip) collar is usually made of chain and slips over the dog's head; you attach the leash to one end and by pulling on the leash, you can tighten the collar on the dog's neck. (Actually, it is usually the dog who tightens the collar by pulling on the leash, as you have experienced.) The idea is to "correct" the dog by lightly jerking the chain when the dog pulls you off center or misbehaves. Sometimes, they have little sharp prongs on the inside and these are called pinch collars, usually only used as a last resort for dogs who are not sensitive to the choke. A shock collar can be used to send an electrical charge through the dog via remote control. Both are intended to train the dog through discomfort, and there are drawbacks to both. However, I found that my dog (who recently passed away) much preferred the choke chain to a traditional leather collar. She liked it so much, in fact, that we referred to it as her NECKLACE, and she would try to get it back whenever we took it off. She seemed to find the leather collar uncomfortable--probably too stiff & bulky--so even though I was sensitive to the negative reputation the choke collar has, I felt it worked best for her. I have never used a shock collar.

To use the choke collar correctly and humanely, you need to teach your dog how choking can be avoided. I hope my answer is clear and helpful to you. The website below goes into greater depth than I can and probably explains it more clearly, so do check it out. Good luck with your DoG!

Answer 6

Don't use a shock collar there is no need to send electrical currents into the poor animal. You can use a choke collar but if he is pulling really bad you have to limit how long your walk is till he figures out what is going on and that he is causing the shortness of breath.

One thing we were taught to do when I worked at an animal shelter was to keep pacing back and forth so the dog has to give in and follow you cause he has no idea which way your going to go next. Save the serious training for at the end of your walk when he is tired and your able to control him better.

Answer 7

There are several types of obedience collars on the market. I don't care for the shock collars. Depending on the level of pulling your dog does, you could use a martinet, or a humane obedience collar that is made out of a durable rubber prong style. I actually use the metal prong collars for my Great Danes. There is nothing like flying through the yard with a Great Dane puppy wanting to play with a cat or another dog. I find they work really well. Most people don't understand the logic behind them and think they are cruel when in all reality all they do is give the dog an uncomfortable pinch in the neck that redirects their attention. I know of several Rescues and animal shelters that use them for walking of their animals. They are where I learned of the collars in the first place. Check your local pet and feed stores for more collar options. A standard choker will work for a dog the size of a doberman. Use what you are comfortable with. check with your local animal shelters for their recommendations.

Answer 8

Yes a CHOKE collar is acceptable. It just tightens on the dog's neck causing him to be uncomfortable. A choke collar may not help, though.

A SHOCK collar gives the dog an electric pulse causing him to be VERY uncomfortable, but it should be set very low so that the dog doesn't get hurt. If he yelps, it's too high. I have HAD to use one on a REALLY stubborn dog! I didn't feel it was inhumane given the circumstances.


Much Love!!

Answer 9

No because I woldnt use one on a human child/adult because it does compress the windpipe and is largely ineffective, when it is effective it is because you are giving the dog PAIN. try it on your neck and get someone to use the same method used with a choke collar to train a dog..you will instantly feel exactly what your dog feels when the collar is jerked around his neck. use a HALTI they are more effective and not painful in any way unless improperly used unlike a choke chain which is DESIGNED to cause physical discomfort and PAIN.....HALTI HALTI HALTI or GENTLE LEADER.

Check this site out and you will see that the head collar is far better than the CHOKE collar (notice the name describes what it does dont let people fool you into believing it doesnt do what it says) Go here to learn more about the halti... http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_Display.cfm?siteid=12&pCatId=875

Answer 10

Ok I am writing in simple English. I hope you can understand.

Yes, you can use a choke collar. It is safe & would not hurt your dog when you are starting to train him how to walk. But as soon as he can walk well, you can change collar. Buy him a softer collar instead. Choke collar is only good for training.

You do not want to use a shock collar.
It is not good for you dog. Shock collar uses different electric levels to the dog. And I don't think you want to hurt your dog. You only want to train him.

Here is a link about how to use a choke collar. They have pictures to show you.

http://www.101-dog-training-tips.com/Dog_Training_Collars/Dog_Training_collar.shtml


Good luck & have fun training your dog!

Answer 11

I would use a prong collar rather than a choke collar if your dog is a serious puller, but you can train your dog to walk beside you very easily.

Sit your dog at your left side and get him to look at your face. Praise him for sitting beside you. Take a step forward and make him sit again... praise. Repeat until you can walk slowly with him staying right next to you. Increase the rate of speed and the length of your walks each time and remember to give lots of priase.

Sometimes dogs get excited on walks and can forget their manners, though, so I have a way of reminding them while we're out walking that's easy and not too harsh on either of you.

While walking with the dog, I hold the leash short in my left hand with the other end of it hanging in my right hand so I can whirl it around if the dog tries to pass in front of me.... when the dog passes, I whirl the end of the leash and it whacks him under the chin and he steps back... then the dog gets lots of praise for walking beside you again.

After a little bit of training and reinforcement on your regular walks, your don't won't pull you anymore.