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Vicki
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19-10-2010, 05:32 PM
I use half-check collars on my two and have no problems with them at all. I wouldn't have any qualms about using a check chain either - perfectly acceptable in the correct circumstances and the appropriate woofer
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Kerryowner
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19-10-2010, 06:43 PM
The other issue (apart from possible neck damage) that I have with check chains is the number of people I have seen who put them on wrongly so the collar doesn't release.
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Crysania
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19-10-2010, 07:03 PM
I wouldn't feel comfortable with choke chains at ALL. Perhaps you could suggest to them that if they're worried about them slipping out there are other alternatives, like martingales.

I'm also not a fan of slip leads. I've had dogs put their paw up, get it caught in the lead and basically slip out that way. It happened VERY quickly. I find most of them (especially at rescues and shelters) to be fairly low quality and hard to hold onto. I had one dog pull so hard that it simply slipped right out of my hand. I prefer a real buckle collar or a martingale as there's less change of injury with those.

Our local shelter tends to use prongs. It's one of the major reasons I don't volunteer there.
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PONlady
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19-10-2010, 07:17 PM
I can quite see why you feel uncomfortable about it - I would be, too. If you have a dog that is spooked by something and tries to run away, how can suddenly strangling it into the bargain help? Surely it just adds to the dogs fright/terror and makes a bad situation worse?

If they were all dogs already experienced with slip-leads or check-chains, it might be a different matter - you only have to look at dogs in a show-ring to see that dogs CAN be quite happy on slip-leads. But in a shelter, you can't be sure the dog will know what it is/be calm about it.

Yes, it's true there are other means of ensuring a dog can't back out/get free of a handler that are much kinder and safer, like non-pull harnesses or head-collars, but I suppose the problem is that these are expensive, you'd need to have lots in all different sizes, and adjusting each one to fit each dog would take so long that it wouldn't be practical.
Plus there's always the worry that a walker in a rush wouldn't fit the equipment properly.

It's a dilemma - but at the end of the day I suppose they are just doing the best they can under the circumstances.
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kate_7590
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19-10-2010, 08:15 PM
I dont like the idea of choke chains, but I feel that for a busy rescue center that has a number of perhaps unpredictable dogs, a slip rope lead may be the easiest and best way to go about walking.
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Adam P
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19-10-2010, 08:42 PM
You have to be careful with prongs that they don't open accidentally. If the dog shakes its head for example.

That said they are excellant for stopping pulling and other lead problems and this in itself will make the dog lots more homeable.

Adam
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Crysania
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19-10-2010, 08:45 PM
Originally Posted by Adam Palmer View Post
You have to be careful with prongs that they don't open accidentally. If the dog shakes its head for example.

That said they are excellant for stopping pulling and other lead problems and this in itself will make the dog lots more homeable.

Adam
Adam they do not fix any problems. Period. They will stop some dogs from pulling because they hurt, but take the collar off and they'll pull again. The only way to stop the dog from pulling and to hopefully make it more adoptable is to train it to not pull. Prongs do not train. They're a stop-gap measure. Training actually takes some work and a little time (I've been amazed at how little time it's taken to train some dogs not to pull on a standard flat buckle collar).
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Adam P
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19-10-2010, 08:53 PM
If the owner buys the collar along with the dog its not a stop gap measure, most owners will find lead walking a challenge to train, especially in situations of high excitment (as evidenced by the number of threads on here featuring pulling dogs and dedicated owners) and by the amount of haltis ect available.

Adam
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Crysania
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19-10-2010, 08:56 PM
Originally Posted by Adam Palmer View Post
If the owner buys the collar along with the dog its not a stop gap measure, most owners will find lead walking a challenge to train, especially in situations of high excitment (as evidenced by the number of threads on here featuring pulling dogs and dedicated owners) and by the amount of haltis ect available.

Adam
But that's not what you said. You said it makes them more adoptable because they stop pulling.

And many people buy into that idea. Prong = no more pulling = training. But it's not. It's a painful pinch collar that ultimately does no good and people like YOU toss the idea around like it's some magical no-pulling device. Haltis are a stop-gap measure too and many dogs find them equally aversive.

The reality is that people have to learn that training a dog to behave actually takes work. *gasp*

I refuse to walk a dog on a prong. I was forced to on one transport and now keep multiple collars and leads in my car in case someone slaps one on the dog.
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Adam P
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19-10-2010, 09:00 PM
If someone goes to view a rescue dog, walks it and gets dragged around they will be put off. Maybe because they think its not fixable and maybe becuase they know it is but don't wnat to have to spend months doing so.
If its on a prong and doesn't pull not only do they get a better impression of the dog but if they buy it and it starts to pull they can buy a prong that will stop the pulling.
Prongs are available in pet stores in the usa and reasonably cheap I believe.

Btw ime many dogs find just wearing a halti extremely aversive (rubbing head shaking ect) I've never had a dog react negatively to wearing a pprong or using one as a control device.

Adam
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