Choker Chains

[Buttercups8]

I have a 5-month old male boxer named Bentley. He is the love of my life but I have had a lot of trouble teaching him not to pull me when we are walking. He already weighs about 40lbs. I decided to get a choker chain and train him using this. We have been walking on a daily basis at the park and I feel so guilty when I pull on the chain because it always leaves his neck so red. I guess I am just looking for some advice and if any one else has experienced this. I am have registered him for training classes coming up in April but in the meantime...any suggestions?

 

[brak'sdad]

first of all choke chains can cause throat problems down the line so those arent really a good idea to use.try working with the puppy at home with the " leave it command. trying to take away attention from whatever he is going for and redirecting it to you. that might help.also yo might want to look up "harness" in a couple of these forums as they contain precious info to which all dog owners should go by.

 

[chipchip]

gentle leader

You need to go to your nearest reputable pet store and have them show you a gentle leader. They are the best invention since the computer. Here in Michigan they range from 15 to 25 dollars depending on the store, but they are well worth the money. It might take your dog a few days to get used to it.

 

[gmacleod]

Best suggestion is to ditch the choker. They do cause physical trauma to the dog, as you can already see from the red marks on his neck. The trachea, incidentally, is completely unprotected...

There are far better, more effective and less damaging ways to train your dog not to pull. Just do a search here on "pulling" and you will find literally hundreds of threads where good training advice has been given on how to teach your dog to walk nicely without pulling.

I'll also take the opportunity here to remind people of the rules for posting on this website. Amongst those topics inappropriate for discussion on the site is:

- Discussion of deliberate use of devices or practices that cause or have the potential to cause physical trauma to a dog. Boxerworld does recognise that people do have genuine questions regarding training tools (choke chains, prong collars, mousetraps etc) and methods, but we support and promote wholeheartedly positive training and behaviour management, that is, teaching the dog what to do by using positive methods, not teaching a dog what not to do by causing it discomfort and pain. Any threads which appear to promote "negative" training and methods will be closed.

Buttercups8: what that means is that you are free to ask questions about better ways to train your dog, but promotion of the use of coercive devices such as choke collars will not be permitted on BW. If this thread heads in that direction, it will be closed.

 

[apollosdad]

try focusing on teaching your dog how to "heel" at your side when walking.
i've used food treats placed at my side to keep the dog's focus and attention on my leg and started off with only a few steps at a time. your dog will tend to follow the scent of the treat in your hand. start off by rewarding him/her after a few steps. gradually increase the number of steps between rewards until he is able to walk down the entire block at your side. you might also try taking a few steps and then stopping so that your dog remains at your side and eventually sits automatically when you come to a complete stop. this will take some time and patience on your part, but it will be far worth it once your dog has mastered it. it will allow for walks to be more pleasant for you and your dog.

 

[Shanz]

I agree with apollos dad. You could also try doing that in a hallway in your home where there wont be much distraction and the dog has little room to stray from you.

 

[Mya's_Mom]

I would definitely recommend the Gentle Leader also. Mya pulled terrible until we got her one and she is like a completely different dog. She goes to puppy school and if she doesn't have it on she pulls so hard with her regular collar that she chokes herself and in turn loses all concentration. With the Gentle Leader she pays attention and is a perfect angel. We even end up using it at home when company is over and she calms right down. As soon as she is calm it comes off and she is still well behaved! It seems to help her focus!

Good luck!

 

[Buttercups8]

Thank you!

Thank you all for the advice. Your support and knowledge is appreciated! The leader is a much more appropriate way of training. I am reminded that patience is a virtue! Thanks again!

 

[haleyandmark]

Asia was a total nightmare to walk on a leash for a while when she was a pup but we eliminated most of it through training with our gentle leader! I agree with everyone else, you should really try that out!

We got ours from Petsmart, where we also did training classes, and before we even bought it, the trainer let us use it during classes to see how it was going to work and it was so great that we bought it like the second time. We saw a really quick improvement in our little Asia!!

Good Luck!! :D

 

[boxer sox]

I am in agreement with everyone on this thread...however, I must say that my dog refuses to walk with the gentle leader. You would think I was prodding him with hot pokers when I try to put it on and walk him!
What has worked well for me is using the fact that a walk is perceived as a reward to your dog, and they live to make you happy. So as soon as you step out the door, have them sit at your side. Use a trigger word when you are ready, such as Ok, let's go, heel, whatever works at first. As soon as they start - walk ahead of you instead of at your side; stop, and tell them to sit. When they are situated again sitting at your side, again use your trigger word to start walking. Continue to repeat this, they will start to realize that you are walking them, not the other way and will heel at your side. The reward is a noticably happier walker and a pup that gets their walk - albeit with a lot of stops
As a by-note, pulling on a leash often has a lot to do with energy. Boxers have tons of it and they want to run and play. So walking a tired boxer is much more manageable than an energetic one. Plus they will listen and learn commands much better when tired.
You will find that heeling when walking is as important as "come" is to off leash. Good luck and enjoy!