Choker Chains for Dogs?
By Macthedj
@Macthedj (630)
February 26, 2007 10:05pm CST
How do feel about the use of choker chains for dogs. It makes me so ngry when I see them, I think thay are one of the cruelest ways to keep a dog on a lead. If you use them, please tell me why and if you dont then tell me why you also disagree with them?
1 person likes this
5 responses
@DJ9020 (1596)
• United States
27 Feb 07
Has anyone heard of a pinch collar? They look like torture devices, but I have seen several trainers advocate them for hard to train dogs. They say that a dog's neck is four times stronger than a human neck, but I don't think I'd like to use a choke collar.
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@wrdsofwisdm (1069)
• United States
27 Feb 07
The ones I have seen are made of metal and the points are bent on an angle. There are also soft caps available to place on the ends. They are mostly used on large dogs that can run and leave you dragging on the ground behind them,lol. Also used for fairly large dogs that can be like Houdini and escape from harnesses and other regular collars. I thought they were bad too but now that I have seen them used appropriately, I would say it is better than having one's dog get away and get hit by a car.
@agentalpo (55)
• United States
27 Feb 07
Yeah, I've seen those. They're usually plastic and have large points in the inside of the collar. They look like a similar concept to a choke chain, deterrence by bad stimulus.
@agentalpo (55)
• United States
27 Feb 07
I think you're thinking of the Gentle Leader, which isn't exactly a muzzle. It doesn't restrict the dog's mouth in any way. It supposedly simulates the actions the lead dog of a pack would take to keep other dogs in line by putting pressure on the dog's muzzle.
Personally, I didn't like it. I tried it with my dog, and even after leaving the leader on her without the leash for an extended period of time like the training video said, she still didn't comply with it. A body harness is just as effective as this Gentle Leader is supposed to be, and it doesn't upset my dog at all, while the Gentle Leader obviously made her unnecessarily unhappy.
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@agentalpo (55)
• United States
27 Feb 07
We used a choker chain for my previous dog because we didn't know any better, he was big and it was the easiest way to keep him under control.
Now that I know better I agree that it's not a good way to keep a dog under control. I think the best option is to harness your dog, that way when the leash pulls, it pulls on the back of the harness rather than pulling around the neck. It's much more effective.
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@blackbriar (9076)
• United States
28 Feb 07
The only time I use chokers is when I get a new dog that's hard to handle and for training purposes. I use it long enough to teach the dog how to walk properly on a leash then switch to a reg. collar. Never ever leave a choker on a dog for a reg. collar. They can easily strangle themselves on it if it gets caught on something. They should only be used for training purposes then replaced with a reg. collar when not training. I know what the pinch collars are for and they really aren't that cruel even thou they look like they could be. Pinchers are really a more aggressive form of the choker for dogs that are so stubborn that they can't be handled any other way. Again, like with chokers, pinchers should ONLY be used while training not in place of a reg. collar for the same reason..strangulation.
@micfac7 (158)
• United States
27 Feb 07
None of my dogs need choker chains because they have indoor/outdoor access via a dogdoor....but I do know that they should ONLY be used while in a training class/session. Out on a dog run, only a stable/secure collar should be used so the poor dog won't choke. There's also a specific way to put the choker on. I believe while facing the dog, the collar needs to make a letter P. Just put it around your wrist, give a quick tug and if it releases all the way, it's correct. If it's on backwards, it won't slide back down and that's incorrect. I hope this helps!
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