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Training Collar

3K views 23 replies 11 participants last post by  ObedienceLabs4Me 
#1 ·
What's the best kind of training collar for a lab?
 
#6 ·
I agree with Brody. For an 8 week old puppy a flat normal collar is the best option in my opinion. We graduated Milly to a martingale at 4 months for one night a week when it was Obedience and then back to her flat collar. At 7 months we switched to a chain choke as the martingale's in our area no longer fit her chubby neck and once again, it's only for walks and Obedience. Flat collar or no collar for everything else.
 
#7 ·
I'm not talking for an eight week old puppy ... I'm talking when puppy is old enough to go from a regular (flat) collar to a training collar.

We used a flat collar on Cybil for her daily collar (her tags were on it) and used a pinch collar only for walking/obedience. A choke collar wasn't effective and had I known about the existance of the martingale I would have tried that before the pinch.

Does anyone here use the gentle leader or a similar product?
 
#9 ·
I only use the gentle leader in situations where I have to be able to control him no matter what. For example when I broke my foot last year, I would use the gentle leader to get him to the car and back when I took him to the beach (so he could swim water retrieves and I just had to stand there, lol!) or when we go rollerblading, and I can't afford for him to knock me off balance.

I used this video to acclimate him to the gentle leader:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XeTKybGuyjw

Other than that we use a sense-ation harness for walking (mostly just because I wanted "walking" equipment to be much different than "training" equipment) and a martingale for if we go anywhere and he needs to wear a collar with his tags. (mom's house, friend's house, park, etc). Both dogs are nekkid in the house though. ;)
 
#10 ·
I started with flat collars, then chain collars for obedience with Emilu. We were doing "OK", but when I went to a more advanced trainer, she recommended a prong collar which we switched to and I had much better luck with it. I eventually switched back to a chain when I was going to show, and then just to a flat collar again because Emilu would stop and scratch at the chain collar all the time. When I started training Skippy I just used a flat collar, but I still use a prong on him when we go out in public just for better control because he doesn't heel as well.
 
#11 ·
Are you talking about formal obedience training, or what I call "manners-training" (loose-leash walking outside)?

Both of my boys go to obedience class and train on flat collars. However, both have a Sense-ation harness that they wear when we're out walking. Believe it or not, Henry needs it more than Ollie. lol!
 
#12 ·
I basically train on flats. I use no collar on puppies at all, unless we're at class. Part of the fun is getting them to stay with ya.

Otherwise I use a metal slip collar, and its worked well.
 
#13 ·
Jake wears a chain collar for obedience training, flat collar at competitions, a harness for walking, and is naked in the house :)
 
#14 ·
That's funny to me (dogs being naked in the house) ... my Cybil would get antsy if her collar was off. She LOVED having it on. We (were mean) would take it off just to see what she'd do. Sometimes she would just carry on with her business, but most of the time she sort of stared at it wagging her tail.
 
#16 ·
Tried one of the anti-pulling harnesses on Caleb and he dragged me all over the place! No control what so ever! Was walking the boy in the national park in our area this past weekend and they had a pinch on. A man was walking his yellow Lab on a harness. My boys sat very politely and left the man and his Lab along. The man's dog was dragging him all over lunging at my boys. The man remarked about the collars the boys had on, but at least my boys were nice and polite and not acting like uncontrolled idiots! The man obviously had no control over his dog.
 
#17 ·
LOL Susan, I walked the three hooligans last night, and we were met by a dog who seemingly had never been walked...though I am sure that's not the case.

Yes, Gin got interested in the psycho dog, but for the most part they were very good while this dog dragged its owner across the street to come 'visit'.

He didn't ask why my dogs were so good, he just said 'Wow you must abuse your dogs'. I said 'Yup' and kept walking ROFL.
 
#19 ·
Flat buckle- Public is very accepting of this, generally considered best for pups, really hard to get a "good" correction Really hard to use improperly

Choke, a little less accepted by the public, longest history as a training collar, easy to use if you have been trained in the proper use, ability to get good corrections, can cause loss of fur in ring around neck

Pinch Collar- public often thinks this type of collar is cruel, very good and consistant corrections, should not be left on unsupervised dog, most natuaral type of correction, requires training of handler, Never allowed at Dog events

Martingale- public is usually pretty accepting of this, less effective corrections compared to the Pinch Collar (Pinch collar has the same movement as a Martingale)

Head Halti- Often looked at strangly by public and dog people, Uses both leverage and pressure on the head, often cited as potentially damaging to the neck for high drive dogs. great for walking dog with pulling tendacies

Electronic Collar- Often looked on by the public as a torture device, Most likely to get you yelled at by the public, has the fastest correction times, has the most consistant corrections and the most easily adjustable, Has the greatest distance for corrections, Never allowed at Dog Events

No Pull Harness- not a training device simply limits dogs from pulling by applying pressure and asymetrical force. safest for dogs that you don't want to pull but don't want to train not to pull

Kelly and Amber
 
#20 ·
No Pull Harness- not a training device simply limits dogs from pulling by applying pressure and asymetrical force. safest for dogs that you don't want to pull but don't want to train not to pull
LOL! In theory. I know a lot of dogs that still pull and drag their owners with no pull harnesses.
 
#21 ·
No pull harnesses are harnesses that have a buckle in the front, on the dog's chest, as opposed to having the buckle on the back.

Looks like so:


They do work well, but they DON'T make training unnecessary. I find people often expect them to perform miracles and take away any need to train, and that's just not the way it works. ;)
 
#22 ·
Ah, yes, I've seen those! I wouldn't own a dog without taking it to proper training lessons (and making sure it learns!) but I was thinking a no pull harnass was a harnass used for when biking or rollerblading with a dog. Would it work for that (providing the dog responded to the harnass as it's supposed to)??
 
#23 ·
You can use it for that, I use the gentle leader while rollerblading, because it does give you much more control when/if needed. As was mentioned, they can throw their weight behind the no-pull harness if they want to.

But I'm also skeered of falling. Even well trained dogs have their "moments", and I don't want to end up going a$$ over tea kettle if Baloo happens to have one while we're out rollerblading. ;)
 
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