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Monday, July 26, 2010

Daisy Gets Collared


If dog owners are opinionated about one thing, it’s collars. Here’s your chance to voice your opinion on why you should or should not use a certain training collar!

Personally, I love how the Halti helps me control my enthusiastic golden retriever clients (Molly and Cooper) when we go on our weekly walks or else they'd pull me in ten different directions! I love the fact that the Halti Head Collar allows me to direct them without tugging at their necks.

Every dog is different and there is no collar best for all dogs. I tried the Halti Head Collar on  Daisy on several occasions and I love that I am the one who is walking her and not the reverse. However, she doesn't appreciate it as much as I do!



Another collar that is the perfect fit for is the pinch/prong collar. By "perfect fit" I want to emphasize that the collar is never fitted to the point where, if a correction is given, the collar pinches. Instead, even pressure is applied around her neck.  The prong collar is "self-correcting" so if Daisy pulls, rarely is extra pressure, or a correction, needed. 

I use this collar only on days when she will be walking with dogs who tend to make her misbehave; otherwise, I use the Halti or 


                                   martingale collar.

What collar do you think is best for dog training?

20 comments:

  1. Gosh! Hello!! I just came over to say a big hello! I'm enjoying your blog - especially all your gorgeous animals on your sidebar!

    Dog leashes! I guess it does depend on the dog and the dog's unique personality like you say? I never knew there were all types of dog leashes! Wow!

    Oh I do love the Dog Whisperer - what an amazing guy!!

    Take care
    x

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  2. Oh, I'd agree that it depends on the doggie and that one size does not fit all. I doubt that there is one "best".

    wags, Lola

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  3. I say go with whatever you the owner is comfortable with and something that works.

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  4. Yup,

    Each pup is different so if you gets the results you want with what you are using then it is right for you. :)

    Woofs and Licks,
    Maggie Mae

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  5. I just wear a plain collar. When mom and dad furst adopted me... I was 11 mos. old and had NEVER had a collar on. I had a lot to learn.. FAST, Butt mom just used a plain collar and let me learn from following her.
    I think some of us dawgs learn easy and some of us need some extra help.

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  6. It depends on the type of training you are doing.

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  7. A training collar fur da Puddles, you're kidding right?
    oKAYS, in all honesty I am a very good walker and just haves a basic collar and leash and dats it. But, you must not tell anybuddy dat...I mean you knws dat I walks good on a leash.

    Puddles

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  8. I'm not a fan of Haltis, but that's just me.

    We do use a pinch collar on Morgan, but she's a really hairy dog with a really thick neck. It also doesn't take much correction to get her to settle down and walk right.

    For a dog like Daisy, what I personally would use is a regular training collar or a martingale training collar. I doubt you'd need more correction than that. I'm more a fan of positive reward training, though, so mine get rewarded when they're doing what I want them to do. It's a tricky balance between correction and reward for a lot of people, I think. Anyhow, it's just my two cents for the half penny it's worth!

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  9. Years ago I used a pinch collar on Indy. Actually it was far more humane than the constant pulling and choking that he did on a regular collar!

    Pat
    www.critteralley.blogspot.com

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  10. My sister and I both had pinch collars as puppies because it was the only thing that worked for us. Now we both have regular cloth collars and we're good most of the time.:)

    Love,
    Teddy Bear

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  11. I couldn't agree more with your opinions and I am so thankful for the input! It is not a "one size fits all" deal with dog training and I've found it is a learning process to know what collar is best for our dog(s). For example, we started Daisy out with a harness (because we thought a harness would look so pretty on her back) but it was not the best choice and we went on to other alternatives until I found the collar that worked for "Team Daisy & April" and the collar that worked for "The Dog Whisperer & Daisy". Hey, different strokes for different folks, right?

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  12. Thanks for you additional comments! We tried the martingale collar with Daisy but it didn't work as well as we hoped. We do love that martingale collars are considered to be non-slip collars but since Daisy came to us w/o much training we had to try various methods until the right training collar was found. Please know that a prong collar is not meant to be hurtful if used correctly. We don't use the prong/pinch collar often and hope to graduate to an alternative soon. Thanks for your comments!

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  13. As mentioned, dog owners are opinionated about collars! One of my facebook friends wanted me to share this article about loose leash walking ---http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/lltotal.htm --- so please read it for some valuable advice!

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  14. Because we are pug mixes, we use harnesses for walking. Collars are bad for our breathing. I am a puller so Mommy started with the Sporn when I was young, and now I just use the 3 in 1 Vestharness. Ebby walks perfect so a regular mesh harness suits her well. We definitely don't like pinch collars nor would the humans ever try them. Mommy thinks they are mean, but I suppose for some dogs, it is necessary?

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  15. I think it depends on the breed of the dog. Haltis are really bad for Danes because used improperly can really hurt our long necks. We tend to develop spine issues. I have the easy walk harness and it works really well. My friends Darwin and Mango use it too. Mango refers to his as his sports bra. I don't use mine much anymore cause I learned to be good. But all us doggies should walk nicely on a flat buckle collar - BOL like thats gonna happen.

    woof - Tucker

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  16. Because of Chihuahuas' problems with soft trachea's, a pinch collar would not work for Chewy to correct his really bad pulling problems when out on walks. Besides, I'm really not a big fan of any dog being lead around by a collar around its neck, regardless of the size of the dog. I tried one where the leash buckled to the front of his chest, but that one really didn't correct his problem either, it only rubbed his leg pits raw. I then tried the Gentle Leader and all I can say is what a huge difference in our walks now!

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  17. Good points, everyone! All dogs are not created equal and we have to think about their body types, health issues, personalities, etc. I tried a harness with Daisy during her 1st few months with us but she pulled and pulled even with her Dog Whisperer dad so we had to keep trying until we found the right thing for her.
    I realize that I need to stay consistent in order to stop her from pulling and I am working on that as well and then maybe, just maybe, I'll be walking Daisy with a cute Old Navy collar eventually.

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  18. HI April,
    Thanks for your visit! No Abby is not afraid of me at all. She has been feed by me all her life just as her babies will be. Abby was one of 4 babies. 3 were girls and one boy. The three girls are still coming everyday to be feed. The boy is always run off by mother and sisters. It keeps them from interbreeding.
    I use to use a pinch collar years ago. But now just a regular collar is all that is needed. Just as you said no one collar is right for everyone!!!
    Come again!!
    XXOO, Bambi, Happy, coons & Fern

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  19. I HATE those nose mental heeler things! Blech! I wear a pinchy collar when I am on my walkies and so does PeeWee (most of the time). Nothing wrong with that as long as it is used properly. Momma just uses it to remind me to pay attention. It doesn't hurt. Sheesh! I have a 30 inch neck with enough fur and fat to hide a grapefruit. Momma says she used a pinchy collar on her airedale, but never ever on her basset hound who was too sensitive and listened very well to voice commands.

    When I go to skool I use a mental heeler chest harness (sports bra).

    PeeWee likes to do agilities nekked. Ew!

    Slobbers,
    Mango

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  20. I agree with you completely, that it depends on the dog and the circumstances.
    I have tried almost everything with my dog May, and I was starting to despair that I wouldn't be able to walk her, because she would pull so hard and get away from me, which is not a good or safe thing. I tried a no-pull harness, a martingale, a choke collar, and a halti, and nothing worked. Finally, although I had been trying to avoid it, because I did not like how they looked, I tried a pinch collar as a last attempt. Guess what? She walks so beautifully now, is so mild mannered for me, and is just a perfect walker. I am so excited that she is able to join Holly and I on our walks again. We are all happier to walk together.

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