Posted: Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:46 pm Post subject: Choke chain.....question......
Hey, I use Choke Chain when i take Maisie for a walk(she's 9 months old) and I have heard of the people saying that it is wrong to use it as it could damage to windpipe. I thought it would be good because hopefully it will teach her not to pull! She is always pulling..... sometimes, she made noise like stuggling to breath etc. I don't want to hurt her. Any advice? Am I doing wrong???? (I've used the choke chain correct).
It is true that they can do damage to the windpipe, especially as labs often tend to be such pullers. I think they hurt dogs too - if you try one around your arm and yank it you will probably find that out. Charlie certainly would have more than likely strangled himself with a choke chain before working it out, so I would not have dared to try.
I would switch to something like a half check collar or a headcollar such as a gentle leader/halti and start to work on heelwork that way.
I have also just used a flat collar on Charlie and can most of the time get him walking to heel, except when he sees another dog etc. It takes time, but choke chains are not generally recommended these days. As I understand it, most dogs who are determined pullers on the lead are not deterred by it, and if not expertly used then they can do a lot of damage.
Helen.
Last edited by Topseyt on Fri Jan 26, 2007 5:59 pm; edited 1 time in total
Choke chains are a training aid....They are not supposed to be put on and let the dog pull into, as this can not only damage the dogs windpipe, it can also damage the nerves in the neck causing paralysis of the legs.
Choke chains only work if the dog walks with a loose lead most of the time, then as they pull you can "pop" it (give it a tiny tug) as a correction. The idea being that they learn to walk on a loose lead all the time...They most definitely don't work on a persistant pulling dog...I know, I had such a dog.
There are very few trainers who still use choke chains these days and I know they are banned at the Dog School I go to, because it is so easy to get it wrong.
I would try to get away from gadgets if you can and just use a flat ollar. If you really need something then try a Canny collar, or a Halti...or even a No Pull harness....Nothing is a miracle cure though...even these will need to be used as part of her training.
Glad you posted!
The choke chain can and does damage the wind-pipe and I'm afraid it doesn't stop dogs pulling, as you've already found out, dogs will pull into a choke chain until they are, lquite iterally, blue in the face!
Fortunately, products and training techniques have moved on and there are much more friendly alternatives now.
Whilst training mine to walk nicely, I use a Halti (also available are the Gentle Leader and other similar things), this fits on your dogs head a bit like a headcollar would on a horse, and gives you much more control without hurting or damaging your pup. Use lots of treats and praise to introduce it as they don't often like it to start with, but do get used to it if you persevere.
Di has written an excellent post on training towards heelwork, which you should be able to find in the training section.
My older dog doesn't need his halti anymore, but I still walk Rosie in hers as she had never walked on a lead before we got her and is still pretty horrendous at times!
I wouldn't recommend a body harness for labradors as they give your sturdy little dog a great thing to lean into and you have less control or steering, especially as they grow up.
Good luck with Maisie!
When you buy the halti or gentle leader make sure you buy a means to attach it to your dog's regular collar, as some dogs manage to get them off by jerking themselves backwards.
I use a double ended lead for this (a clasp at each end - one attached to the nose-ring of the headcollar and the other attached to Charlie's regular collar). That way, if your dog does manage to get the halti off then you will still have him/her on a lead. Also available is the halti-link, which is a small strap for attaching the headcollar to the flat collar. The choice is yours, but I prefer the double-ended lead, as it is stronger (if it is too long then just knot it in the middle).
Ah thanks, helen. I didn't realise that some dogs manage to get them off by jerking themselves backwards when used Halti. I got the feeling that Maisie will be doing that and would run off as she is only learning to come back, but at the moment, she would run away. I'm still training her recalls.
So which one is the best one? Maisie is a puller, strong!!!
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(I've used the choke chain correct). 
