A question about choke collars?

Question

My dog is CRAZY. She's a golden retriever, so she's super friendly, but when she sees a rabbit, she goes nuts! We have a choke collar on her. I love animals, so I'm so afraid that it's going to damage her neck! So I never pull to hard. We had a normal collar on her, but she always wiggles out of it and runs away! I want to know, can choke collars do damage to a dog's neck?

Thak you SO MUCH for all the answers. I realize that everyone has a different opinion. And of course, if you're a total animal lover, I understand how you don't want to put your dog at any risk with a choke collar. I think I will continue to use the choke collar when I take my dog for walks, so that she can learn to behave properly on walks, and I will put a regular collar on her during play time. If you see anything wrong with this, please do tell me, but I think it's the best choice based on all of your answers.

Answer 1

Yes.... definately... choke collars can injure the larynix plus cause problems that only a chiropractor can fix.

My reccommendation is to use a pinch collar. Altho they look bad what the prongs do.. is... as the dog pulls the line.. the collar closes on the skin pinching it... He will yip and run back to you... then you give him loving... nothing bad comes from you at this point.. YOU let him do his own corrections and you be his safety zone...

ONE or two pinches and he will not be tugging on you anymore. Not for anything...

This is the kindest way to teach a dog very quickly not to pull on the lead...

Remember dogs are collar concious so when you don't have it on... until he matures a bit.. he will tug you again... (smiles - that is how dang smart they are)

Good Luck
H.O.T. Dog
Handler Owner Trainer of GSD's
Member U.S.A- MSSV - A.W.D.F

Answer 2

Using the choke collar is a good idea if used properly. When you put it on make sure that it releases when you are not pulling on it. You can check this on your arm first before putting on the dog. Put it together, drape over your arm and pull the end. Should tighten, relax the pull, the collar should also loosen up. If it doesn't then it is on the wrong way. Put the chain down through the other end and this should work. Pull=tighten. Relax=loosen. Give your dog short quick jerks to correct. When she stops pulling, relax . Can you take her for walks where there aren't any rabbits. Like a park or walkway. It is just in her nature to chase those bunnies.

There are also the gentle leader that pulls back on their muzzle and neck. Check these out also. These are effective and easy to use. I do agree with many here, that she does need some training. Go to one of the classes most towns offer. Then she wouldn't need a lead. She would mind with verbal commands.

Answer 3

When used correctly, choke collars are not harmful to a dog's neck at all. Unlike a human's neck, dog's necks are very strong and full of muscle walls that protect it. Don't feel bad using a choke collar because the dog is in control of how much tension is put on it. If it is too tight, all the dog has to do is stop pulling and it loosens up! The only way it would hurt the dog is if you were yanking on it more than to give a quick correction.
If you want an alternative, try a gentle leader. It goes around the snout as well as the neck and is not at all painful. When the dog pulls, it pulls it's snout down so the dog is looking at the ground and it will stop pulling. Even the worst leash pullers walk well with a gentle leader. Check it out here: http://www.premier.com/pages.cfm?ID=29
Oh, and by the way, someone suggested using a harness...bad idea. Harness are made to allow a dog to pull comfortably, therefore, it will not solve the problem. Keep using the choke collar or the gentle leader.
Good luck!!

Answer 4

As you see there are many opinions on the use of choke collars. I use them and I do not see anything wrong with them.
To answer your question, it is a training tool and if not used correctly can hurt the dog and many dogs will happily pull against one until they pass out from lack of oxygen. You have to know how to make a correction and the timing has to be right otherwise a choker is worthless. For a dog that pulls I recommend a prong collar because the dog corrects itself so little effort is needed by you but it must be fitted correctly or it does not help at all. You can ask a training instructor to show you how to fit it or where ever you buy it someone should be able to show you how to fit it.
Here is a site that shows how it should be fitted and look through the articles they may be of interest.
http://www.leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm

I would not ever use a harness because that promotes pulling which is what you are trying to prevent and as for the head halti thing I have seen too many dogs escape those to believe they are safe. For pulling, the only way to really fix it is to teach the dog to not pull. The tree method works for some dogs, if the dog pulls on the leash, the owner stops and refuses to move and you only move forward if the leash is slack. You may want to join an obedience class so you can teach the dog basic obedience and how to focus on you.

Answer 5

Wow, the ignorance being displayed by some people here is astounding. I apologize. Regular choke collars are mostly ineffective in the hands of a novice person. Prong collars are a much more humane choice and do not require a lot of strength to use as 9 times out of 10, the dog will correct her self the first time she lunges. You still need to be taught how to use one properly by someone qualified. Please do not listen to some of the people here who tell you that chokers are cruel or that prong collars are torturing devices. What they do not understand is that the dog chooses to get corrected, out of her own free will when she does not pay attention. Her behavior is what causes her discomfort, not the prong collar. Tom is one of those people who has been training longer then most of us have been alive, listen to what he says carefully. Shepherdgirl is another one. I hope I have helped.

Answer 6

With enough force they can but it takes a lot of force. I have only seen once situation in which it happened and a guy grabbed the dog by the leash and yanked on it like he was starting a lawn mower. It crushed the dogs esophagus. A quick sharp yank will not do any damage. The force is meant to be enough to startle the dog and get it's attention and not enough to hurt the dog. Depending on the dogs size you will have to adjust the force. If you have a six foot leash you can allow him to run but hold the leash and hold your ground. This way he corrects himself but without you applying the force. Any leash over a six foot I would not recommend because the dog could build up enough speed to cause pain. Don't use a pinch collar as they have punctured the dogs skin and caused damage. Plus, like shock collars, they build-up the dogs titration level causing the dog to ignore standard corrections and become more dominant. I can't believe so many people are against choke collars but support the use of pinch collars. It's like taking the worst of two evils. One technique that I use is the dual collar mode. If you are giving the dog free time use a standard collar but if you are working on training him on a specific thing such as not running away or sniffing harmful things hook him up to the choke chain. This way while he is playing and just being a dog he won't have the pressure of the collar constantly but when you need to correct him you hook the leash to the other collar. You should also never let your dog walk in front of you. This establishes dominance, reduces strain from leash pressure, and allows you to have more control over your dog. Simply pull the dog behind you and if he gets in front of you stop and pull him right back.

Answer 7

Hi, from taking my dogs to different trainers and stuff. i have found that with the choke collar is you need to correct your dog before your dog takes off after the rabbit, a choke collar is not made to choke the dog it is meant as a corrective measure.. and when your dog is pulling so hard how can you use a corrective measure.. Work with your dog more on the choke collar or even consult a trainer for the correct way that would be best for you and your dog..

Good luck :)

Answer 8

I use choke chains on my 2 Labs (one is 4 years and one is 9 years), and as soon as my German Shepherd (6 months) is TRAINED, he will wear one as well. I use them for 2 reasons: 1) the nylon ones with the buckle (like the ones on the shopping carts) are useless to me. They wiggle out of them or chew thru them (the 4 year old does this), and 2) they are meant to be an attention getter for the dog. One or two quick tug and releases does the trick. As with anything, there are pros and cons. You have to choose what is right for u and ur dog. Im sure that the choke chain can be harmful if used incorrectly, but I dont use them in a manner that is harmful for my animals. I would recommend them to any dog owner that I know, just for the simple fact that they will get their attention without screaming at them.

Answer 9

HI!

I see nothing wrong with using a choke collar while walking your Golden. It is a great tool to use. I have used both the choke collar and the prong collar for training and working my Goldens. They are ment as tools not as your dogs perment collar.
I Have 2 big male Goldens here with me and I use a choke collar for my boy's. Please get a trainer to show you how to fit and place the collar on correctly and how to give a proper correction for your Golden. She is still very young and Golden's are very smart dogs she will soon learn to enjoy her walks with you. After your walk the collar is no longer necessary.
I wish you the very best!

Answer 10

i just ran through the responses posted by previous members and some of them are absolutely ridiculous. let me set you straight... one of our closest friends is a professional dog trainer and rehabs pitbulls and this is where i learned it.

you CAN hurt your dog with a choke collar -- collapse her trachia and/or esophagus. the point of the choke collar isn't to constantly choke the dog. it's is to snap the collar to get her attention and know she's doing wrong... so, let her have some lead and then BEFORE she goes to run snap the collar quickly and release and tell her "leave it". when she "leaves it", give her a treat.

DO NOT GET A PINCH COLLAR. These are the worst invention ever. What makes people think these could do less damage than choke collars? Not only do they pinch the skin, but they also choke. It would be like wearing a necklace with thumbtacks attached to it. It irritates the dogs neck so bad that sometimes it bleeds, but people don't see the blood because it's covered by all the hair. I'm definitely against these.

Go to your local pet store and get one of the trainers to show you a Head Halti. They can teach you how to put it on her and this will work the BEST. This system allows you to lead your dog by her head, instead of her neck. A dog will go where her head goes... just nature. Try it out!

Also, do NOT get a harness. These work great for small, non-pulling dog. My dogs pull and if you put a harness on a pulling dog, it just gives them more leverage because then they can use not only their chests, but all four feet. They can get some serious traction with a harness. Many of the pulling dog competitions use harnesses so their dogs can pull better. That should give you an idea of how bad this could be.

Good luck with your dog. Don't give up on her. She can learn, you just need to learn how to teach her.