Training Collars

[Gordon]

Here is some more collars form a good wed site. I think some of you may have already know it. Great for podcasts. The dominant collar is the same as the slip lead. Very good indeed.

[Jack]

John,

You're absolutely right of course. The most powerful tool in my armoury is indeed my voice. Contrary to all the fantastic stuff that Cesar teaches it is my voice, the tone and inflections of it, that produces the best results for me. I don't even have to shout to get a desired effect most of the time. The merest hint of disapproval can have my dogs cowering - not that I have to express severe displeasure often but it's great that they respond so swiftly and effectively as if they're out of my reach I KNOW my voice can control them.

The only collar I will continue to struggle with is the ECollar - I have said I KNOW they can be hugely effective but I honestly feel they are an incredibly lazy way of training and also a recipe for disaster, leaving aside my issues with the humanity of using them. Dogs aren't stupid - they know what one feels like so what happens if you have a wilful dog and have taught it ONLY using an ECollar - the day you "forget" to put it on or decide you no longer need it is the day you or your dog could pay a high price as it will KNOW it's not on and may well decide to ignore all commands and behavioural boundaries it has learned through the ECollar alone.
ECollars should be used when other training methods have failed not instead of them - I too watched the episode of Cesar you referred to - along with the one of the dog on the farm that had a fetish for chasing and attacking wheels of vehicles moving or not - undoubtedly the ECollar saved that dogs life but it was employed as a LAST resort and only after instruction had been given as to how best to and WHEN to use it.


As for the woman who pts dogs simply because SHE failed to train them adequately I cannot believe she had the bare faced cheek to tell you that YOU were cruel to use a tool that worked exceptionally well for you and your dogs yet happily held herself up and said she trains her dogs by electric shock therapy alone or killed them - yeah THAT's REALLY impressive and humane! I'd have bunged an ecollar around her throat and shown her what it felt like THEN I'd have stuck a prong on her and asked which SHE would prefer! I'm well impressed you stayed calm - if she'd picked the wrong day with me she'd have regretted it


Kendal, thanks for the reassurance by the way about the slip leads I might look into them
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Staffies are my life! Visit us at www.staffies.co.uk

[Suzanne H]

Otto has a substantial flat nylon collar which we get online as it has a click/insert fastner rather than a buckle and it's washable which you need with a dog who likes bogs. Similar lead with a padded bit and a prong collar. He's not a really bad puller, particularly if he's walking between two people, an he'll not lunge for anything, we just find the prong focuses his mind outside, when the nose is king.

It's like walking a coiled spring - he just wants to be running, nose down. Slows & calms him down.

[graceb]

I have a DD collar purchased from the Leerburg site but it is only used as a back up if my prong collar came undone. I do not feel he would ever need to be choked out The slip leads Ive tried before but they just slip down the neck so were very infective.

Lead.. I use a police style leather training lead bought from the club and find to be excellent and very useful because of the different lengths u can use. and comfertable to hold. I never wrap lead around my hand. Dont need to as if I say leave it! Dexter will now walk close to me and restrain himself
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Grace & Dexter

[Lisa/Colin]

I like the leather training lead from the club too for the same reasons as Grace.

I also use the prong with a nylon half check as a back up. Ross had a disaster with Hektor yesterday when he was walking him back from kennels when Hek lunged for another dog. The lead was on the half check and the chain burst and Hek ran onto the road. Luckily no one, dog, human or car was injured, but poor Ross was traumatised, not to mention the owner of the other dog, who nearly had a heart attack with Hek bouncing towards him! Thankfully he didnt attack the dog and Ross was able to get him Ok. I wouldnt trust the half check on its own now, does anyone know of a good heavy gauge half check supplier on line?

Lisa

[Gordon]

This is a good site for good leather.
The slip lead I have Grace has a leather slip knot that slide into place to stop it from getting slack and moving down the neck. I haven't had any problems with it yet.

[Louise13]

My dogs wear flat neoprene collars when walking in the middle of nowhere..

They wear their collars and Dogmatics when walking with other people/dogs or in busy places..

They wear flat webbing half checks when working as their neckline attaches them to each other..

I don't like choke chains or prong collars or electric doodahs either..
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[graceb]

[Gordon]

I'm glad you have told me about the problem with the half check collar. I was just about to send away for one. They look very substantial on the web site. Better than the one I got from pets at home which the plastic bit broke and opened right up. I wont do cheap again. Not where it comes to the safety of my dog.
I got my slip cord lead from pets at home and I'm very please with it. It only cost about £8.00.

[Janis]

[Megan]

With Rose(collie) we have tried flat collar, choke/check chain, gentle leader(similar to halti) and half check, the best two out of those was the gentle leader but she still tried to herd cars when walking and the half check but she still pulled etc, but now we use a half check and a prong and have no problems she doesn't try to herd the cars anymore and on the rare time she does one check and verbal no and she stops and walks nicely, she also is very good with other dogs now when she's onlead with it on and seems a lot more confident with people(she used to be scared of men - other than my dad and bro- and now will go up and check them out instead of barking and backing away and will let quite a few pet her now) the half check is there as a back up to the prong and was also a back up to the gentle leader, We use one of the leather training leads that John got.

With Kodi we've tried the above but a halti instead of the gentle leader, also recently tried a slip collar with success in the house and garden but on walks and at class stick with prong and halti with a half check as back up, use voice or halti as much as possible and check with prong if needed, Use a nylon training lead with him but will need to be getting a new one soon as we've had it for two years and its a bit worn as we used it with Rose aswell before Kodi and before we got the leather one for her....prefer the nylon as its easier to tell when or if it's going to break, and most of the time feels softer in hand and not slippery or that when it gets wet like the leather does (atleast to me )


Lisa we got Kodi's half check last May and so far not had any problems with it, It's leather and has brass fittings and seems quite good quality, you can also get it with nickel plate fittings and in black, brown or tan leather and upto 1 inch wide.... Not too sure how strong it would be for a great dane but no problems so far with a rottie
Not sure about there delivery service etc as we got his when we were at the skc last year
On the side highlight 'collars & leads' then 'collars and then click on 'leather best brindle'
http://www.luxwaycanine.com/

Or maybe try one of the all fabric half checks?

Gordon the above on the link would probably be fine for a collie, was going to get Rose one but her nylon one is fine just now so will just wait... that's interesting about the p@h one breaking as we've had hers for over two years now and had no problems...but with Kodi's puppy collar (one of the ones with the xoxo on it) it snapped after 2/3 weeks of use and he was only wearing it as he wasn't on the lead most of the time so not much pressure put on it thankfully it happened in the garden and not on a walk
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GSD Z(4yrs old), Rotties Kodi(6 yrs old) & Quinn(2 years old) and Border Collie Rose(7 yrs old)

[Gordon]

I think I just got faulty collar from p@h. I bought 2 as had 2 collies. The other one is still perfect. Anything that has plastic parts that are under strain or shock from checking can break. Metal is best. I work in a foundry so will always say that lol.
I know border collie trainers that would never put prong collars on a collie and I would agree with that. For bigger strong dogs it can be a good tool. Bobby and Clyde always used to pull on the lead and with some expert training at the border collie rescue centre on a working weekend we solved it with just a long line. the same training that stops young dogs going in to quick for sheep.
Well worth the money for the experience and training.