I have a doeberman puppy, huge 70 pounds and when we walk he pulls, alot so i wonder if a gentle leader would work or do i need a cholker pincher collar you know the one with the spikes that tightens when they pull.
2006-10-13 16:27:16 · 15 answers · asked by bluec4grace 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
Go buy a Halti Collar - you can find them at most major pet stores.
Just make sure you follow the instructions when you introduce your dog to the new collar, otherwise they will resist it. It works great!
2006-10-13 16:37:20 · answer #1 · answered by Bird 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Good question. I am a trainer and I am not a big fan of the choker or the pincher collar. There is the Gentle Leader and the Holt harness that I recommend. There is also a Gentle Leader that they wear on their head too, but I have seen more dogs that can't get used to that. That's why I usually tell people to go straight for the harness. With these, for every hundred pounds of pull from the dog, you only feel about 3 pounds on the leash. You can have a five year old kid control a St. Benard with one of those on. They also give a gentle tug to help teach the dog to slow down or stop. There is no harm to the dog. I had one lady one day who had a pincher collar on her Pit and the Pit pulled even though the pincher collar was digging into her. She used a Holt harness and the dog stopped. I have seen in some extreme cases where the choker or pincher collar are the only things that worked, but that should be a last resort. Why go to that point if you don't have to? If you go to Petsmart, you can try both the Gentle Leader or the Holt out. If you're not happy with them , they have an awesome return policy. You can get your money back or exchange it for another training aid. If you do end up going for the choker or pincher collar, only keep it on while training. Take it off when you're done. The last thing you want to happen to your dog is the collar to get stuck on something and they choke themselves. Also, any of these aids are only to be used till the dog is trained.
2006-10-13 16:44:05 · answer #2 · answered by freedove06 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm a vet tech, and I own an animal shelter. I have several dogs that are well over 100 pounds, and when they come into my shelter 99% of them are totally out of control. I've tried the choke and pinch collars and I hate them both! I'll never use either one again.
I have had tremendous success with the promise halter, it pretty much does the training for you. They will fight it at first, he may even go into a "death roll" but he will adjust to it quickly once he realizes that he can't get away from it.
I've only ever had one dog that did not respond positively to the promise halter, he was a 160 pound Pit Bull/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix. He was as tall as I am nearly and extremely Strong, I couldn't control him without some help. I bought a no pull harness from Petco and that worked wonders for him.
Choke collars and pinch collars can both do serious damage to the dogs trachea, not to mention the fact that they are painful. The promise halter or the no pull harness should work for your dog.
2006-10-13 17:29:29 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I walk dogs everyday for a living, and the gentle leader is a miracle!!! I love it, it makes walking a dog that normally pulls, an absolute pleasure!! Get one today, you will swear by it too. The person below that claims gentle leaders do not work and prevent a dog from opening its mouth, is dead wrong. The gentle leader is not a muzzle, a dog can open it's mouth as it normally would, and the gentle leader does not injure a dog. The gentle leader works because as a dog begins to pull it will feel pressure on the snout, bringing the head down, and that is how you get the dog's attention (by manuevering the head, not yanking on its neck). I have used the gentle leader on schnauzers, border collies and rotties, none of them have ever panicked or injured themselves.
2006-10-13 16:32:13 · answer #4 · answered by Redawg J 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My brother has an 80 pound lab that used to pull everyone while out for a walk, then he discovered the gentle leader. The dog wasn't thrilled about wearing it at first and it was difficult to get on him. Now that he associates the leader with going for a walk, he doesn't resist putting it on and he doesn't drag anyone around the block anymore. His small kids can even hold the leash now.
2006-10-13 18:27:58 · answer #5 · answered by Brandon 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The AKC will ONLY allow slip (chain) chokers on dogs who are in either obedience trials or conformation shows. This should tell you something.
The "pinch" chokers (A.K.A. German chokers) are good for training a dog with long, thick fur such as an Akita. However, if you show up at an obedience trial with one you will be asked (not very nicely) to replace the collar immediately or leave the ring. After having trained more than 150 dogs to full AKC obedience competition trail (known as a "leg") standards and having NEVER failed a leg, I can say without hesitation that German chokers are **completely unnecessary** for a dog with a smooth coat such as a dobie.
The keys to training ANY dog to walk properly on a lead and not drag you all over the place are 1) a slip choker, 2) a 6’ nylon leash, and 3) short, sharp corrections. The correction should consist of a sharp tug on the leash and then immediately release tension. If the collar does not release completely and immediately after you give the correction then you have the collar on BACKWARD and risk injury to the dog. The TOTAL time necessary for tension on the collar should be the same as the length of time it takes you to say the word "no". Give the correction immediately when the dog does something that he is not supposed to do. If the dog persists in the same action, just repeat the sharp tug on the leash and repeat the word "no". **As soon as** the dog does what you want him to do, fawn over him and let him know that he is doing the right thing.
Dogs live for praise. If you let your dog know what it is that you expect from him with immediate and sincere praise, then he will work harder and harder to earn the praise. Consequently, you will do less and less correction when the dog you love goes out of his way to do what you want him to do.
Being dragged by a dog is nothing short of a sign of the handler's ignorance of how to work with a dog. Honestly, when I see people being dragged by their dogs I don't think, "gee what a spirited puppy". Instead I think, "that poor dog has such an ignorant owner. I sure hope that he doesn't break that leash/harness/collar because he would probably run right out into traffic and get hurt because their owner didn't care enough to learn how to handle a dog properly".
Harnesses are great for pulling sleds, carts, or for securing packs to a dog's back but they are not designed for use INSTEAD of some very basic handling skill.
2006-10-13 17:13:41 · answer #6 · answered by MegaNerd 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Aww dobermans r so adorable! actually the kind of collar u use is up to u! @ the shelter where i work we use gentle leaders for dogs that have behavioral problems w/ walking on a leash! they work great! but then again so do cholkers! u can use the reg. cholker or the ones with the spikes (totally humane) they just run more costly! As far as the pulling goes just pull him back and reinforce w/ praise when he walks by ur side! Good Luck!
2006-10-13 16:37:26 · answer #7 · answered by ☮Dano922☮ 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I personally like the halti lead over the gentle leader. The gentle leader has to be fit just right or else the top loop will slip off the dogs muzzle. This won't happen w/ the Halti b/c it is designed differently and it has a safety clasp so if the lead comes off, your dog is still attached to the leash by it's collar. Gentle leader doesn't have that and once the gentle leader slipped off and I had to chase after my dog.
2006-10-13 18:13:29 · answer #8 · answered by brsug15 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Okay, I have been training, showing and handling all breeds for obedience for 43 years.
I HATE those "gentle leader" things. First, they are one good way to give your dog a case of cervical whiplash. Second, the minute you take it off the dog KNOWS that you have no means of making them obey. Third, a lot of the gurading/herd guarding/working breeds actually panic with those things since they are genetically programmed to be able to move into defensive postures which means being able to open their mouths,
There is NO REASON to use a pinch collar on a puppy. That is the last ditch collar only to be used after everything else has failed - typically late adolescense when a big powerful dog is going to try it on and see if he can do what he likes.
Go get a chain slip collar. Properly fitted, there should be 2 1/2 to 3 fingers of space between the collar and dog. Learn to use it. You SNAP the collar - NEVER pull or drag. It is a fast jerk/release.
Put the slip collar on the dog so when the junction of the rings is facing you on the side of the dog's neck, the part that slides comes across the back of the dog's neck towards you.
Hook the leash on the dog's slip collar. Get the dog on your left side. Take the leash and run it behind you over your hips to your righ side. Hold the end of the lesh in your right hand. With your left hand, take up the leash so there is some slack between your hand and the dog's collar - maybe a loop of 6-8 inches on each side.
Walk off. When the dog lunges forward to drag you, halt FAST and step backwards with your left foot taking the dog's lunge with your body. (You are basically snubbing him off.) You can even take a complete step backwards if you are fast enough. Let him hit that slack and snap himself back.
As you do that yell "NO" in a deep stern voice, and then in the same voice order him back to your side with "Heel". Make him get back there and move off again.
When he is being correct, stayng at your side and behaving - PRAISE with good, good boy, that's it, etc plus some quick caresses on his head as you go.
This is a no-fail method if you do it correctly. I weigh 98 lbs and can stop a Great Dane or Bloodhound cold when they pull using this method.
A harness won't solve the pulling, as it just gives the dog more leverage to pull against you. That is why dogs wear harensses that go over the shoulders and chest for pulling carts and objects
2006-10-13 16:46:17 · answer #9 · answered by ann a 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋
I have a yellow lab puppy - he's about 60 or so pounds ... we have a gentle leader - and I wouldn't go any other way .... well ... other than getting him to use a regular collar without walking me. I nanny for 2 toddlers, with the gentle leader, they walk him. The downside to the gentle leader is that it's next to impossible to later teach them to walk without it.
2006-10-14 16:22:20 · answer #10 · answered by Sara S 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I personally do not like it, especially for a doberman. I train in Schutzhund and gentle leaders are not allowed. My trainers do not use them in their general obedience classes. They have seen dogs hurt by the gentle leader. IF USED CORRECTLY, a pinch or a choke is a good TRAINING collar - a training collar is NOT left on the dog outside of any obedience training.
As with a lot of subjects, you will get two sides of the coin for your answers to this question. It is a good question. People wil either disagree - totally - or agree - totally. Good luck weeding out an answer to work for you.
I would try and contact a dog trainer in your area specializing in dobermans. That way, they know the 'personality' of the breed and can point you in the right direction to take for your dog!
2006-10-13 18:43:38 · answer #11 · answered by wotana02 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋