Semi Choke chain or flat collar which to choose ?

I have just returned from my 1st obiedience class with shadow, and my hands are red raw! I made the grave error of taking her on a harness and using a chain lead. Bad idea, try having a chain lead wrapped twice around your hand, then a staffie pulling on it. I nearly lost my fingers . But thats not what my question is about.

I was speaking to the trainer after the course, and he said i shouldnt bring shadow on a harness next week, and dogs learn they can pull on harness as they can put a lot of weight into the pull, as they can use their shoulders, not just their necks. This makes sense to me, so i thought, ok no harness. But he then suggested i use a semi check (meaning a semi choke chain) and i immediately thought "no i dont want to teach my dog by using correction, I think choke chains are cruel" even though i;ve been informed lots of time that if used correctly they dont harm the dog. So i told him i didnt like the idea of using a semi choke, so he said just to use a flat collar and lead.

Now my problem is that shadow pulls like CRAZY especially when she's just on her collar and lead, she ends up coughing and wheezing cos she pulls so hard, she even retches. So its a case of the "lesser of two evils", do i put her on a normal flat collar, where she puts so much strain on her throat she hacks and retches, or do i buy a semi choke, and when she pulls use the correction method he showed use where u pull the dog in a different position to where they are pulling, if they pull, you move again, etc. So on one hand its possibly damaged throat and windpipe? on the other slight tightness around the throat?

I just dont know what to do. Please help. A part of me is just screaming "NNNOOOOOOOOOO CHOKE CHAINS" but the sensible part of me is thinkning, "its less strain on her throat........"

help me........

(p.s I will start another thread on how the actual class went)

firstly, i personally would not use a half choke. however the half choke, if fitted properly doesnt choke the dog. i think the actual collar bit should fit comfortably round the dogs neck when the chains tighten. So it should fit like a normal collar. i can never remember exactly how the chain bit works.

anyway, to answer ur question, if u teach a dog to walk to heel properly, or at least without pulling it wont matter if u use a collar or a harness. But it is how u teach it. im not sure by ur description, but i hope ur trainer isnt suggesting anything about 'checking' the dog.

personally, i prefer a harness as they cannot damage their throats. if u teach ur dog how to walk properly, then pulling should not be a problem. and if he does pull, then hes less likely to hurt himself.

edited to add: id pick flat collar over half check

Did the trainer show the type of 'semi choke' that he recommended? If it is the same type as I am thinking of with just a short length of chain to which the lead is attached and whitch tightens and releases, then they do not work in the same fashion as a choke chain. The principle is that the pressure is distributed right around the dog's neck rather than just on the windpipe as is the case with a flat collar. As with a full check the noise of the chain should be a signal to the dog to stop pulling. Used correctly a semi-choke/check (martingale) collar is fine

If you decide on a flat collar use a wide one as this distributes pressure a bit more than a narrow collar which will cut in to the neck.

It looked like a normal collar, with a short bit of chain. He said that a lot of dogs learn not to pull just by the noise it makes. He wasnt using it in a cruel way, he had it on a doberman who was pulling, the dog would pull, and the trainer would start walking in a different direction, the pull the lead and collar for the dog to follow, obviously if the dog doesnt folllow and resists it will get uncomfortabe around the neck. And if the dog started pulling again, turn and walk in another direction, etc. It did seem to make sense, he called the collar a semi check chain, is that different to a semi choke?

You can also get semi slip collars which work on the same principal but has no chain.. it has a webbing slip and full webbing collar.. This is what we have on Seiko

Semi-check, semi-choke, limited slip, martingale - they are all the same

you would be better off with a gentle leader. if fitted properly its the pressure high up at the back of the neck that calms them down and stops the pulling. it worked for me it stopped the pulling and once he walked to heel he didnt need it any more. went back to using his collar.

You can buy semi choke collars with the slipping part either chain or fabric, the main part of the collar is normally fabric or leather. I use fabric collars with a fabric slip because my dogs have a long ruff and consider the half/semi slip the safest of all types of collar as correctly fitted it is impossible for the dog to back out. Some people like the chain slip because the noise remind the dog what it is they are supposed to be doing.

If you are training the dog for obedience it is no good using a gentle leader, Halti or any other of the variations as what you are trying to do is teach the dog to walk to heel whether on not it is on the lead.

and it did and he does.