Archive for the ‘training collar’ Category
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Eighty percent of the time Ace does well on a flat collar, especially when it’s just the two of us in our own neighborhood. He’s even OK with no leash at all, because it forces me to be more in tune with him. What I’d like to work on is the other 20 percent, when the mutt is either strangling himself or continuously sneaking ahead. His worst leash behavior is when someone other than me tries to walk him, especially an inexperienced person. He can also be pretty bad if another person or dog is walking with us. That’s when Ace decides everything is a race. I took him on a five-mile race last fall, and he made it his goal to pass every person in front of us that we possibly could. Let’s just say I ran faster than I would have without him. New and interesting places are another challenge, like a park where he wants to run and sniff. I often take my mutt out in the country where he can safely be off leash. But I’ve made the mistake of letting him run ahead because he always comes back when I call him. Since I’ve given him too much freedom, now he wants to run ahead all the time. He’s heeling pretty well off leash in the photo above in western North Dakota, but that’s because we’d been walking all day and making the mutt carry his own food and water. The main reason why I want my dog to heel in all situations is so I can bring him to more places and have him under control without depending on a certain collar. This challenge will force me to be consistent with Ace and to get out and walk him in new areas so he learns to heel reliably no matter where we are. We just moved across town, so already Ace will be walking in a new neighborhood. I plan on walking him with both his flat collar and choke collar on this week so I can switch his leash from one to the other as needed. I’m hoping I won’t have to use the pinch collar or Gentle Leader at all. I use the words loose-leash walking and heeling interchangeably. Loose-leash walking can mean walking without pulling, but to me it means the dog should walk without pulling and remain at my left side, not in front. In what situations does your dog need work on loose-leash walking? This is day one of my 30-day challenge to work with my dog on loose-leash walking. Click here to see my other 30-day challenge posts.
I’ll go first: The two collars I recommend are the Halti and the prong (or pinch) collar. Every dog is different, and there is no collar best for all dogs. But for the average medium or large dog, the best training collar is the prong collar. With a quick leash pop as a correction, the dog learns not to pull. Of course, it takes a lot of time, patience and practice to get to the point where the dog heels reliably, but the prong collar is a good tool to use to get to that point, especially with powerful dogs. The prong collar is similar to a typical training (or choke) collar, but it is more effective. With my mutt’s short, smooth coat, a regular training collar constantly slips to the thickest part of his neck where it is useless. The prong collar remains high on his neck and rarely needs adjusting. Some people will say prong collars are inhumane. Personally, I think it’s inhumane to have my arm ripped off. Still, I know many people have issues with the prong collar and will not use one under any circumstance. Other dogs pull so bad even with the prong collar that they could hurt themselves. That is when I recommend a Halti. Haltis are basically the same as Gentle Leaders. Both are head collars that minimize a dog’s pulling. Even for the worst cases when a dog pulls no matter what, the pulling is less noticeable when the dog wears a Halti. The problem with Haltis is dogs will go right back to pulling once they are on a regular collar. For some people, that’s OK, they just depend on the Halti and use it all the time. I don’t want to depend on any kind of training collar, so I switch back and forth between the two kinds while trying to use a regular, flat collar as often as possible. For what it’s worth, Ace prefers the prong collar. Although he tolerates them, he hates Gentle Leaders and Haltis because having something around his muzzle makes him feel restricted (or shall I say under control!). I don’t think he even knows when he has his prong collar on. What collar do you think is best for dog training? Email your dog-related question to me at Lindsay@thatmutt.com, and I’ll post it for others to answer. Click here to read all my weekly question posts.
………………………………………………………………………………….. I love Staffordshire terriers, also known as the American pitbull terrier or “pitbull.” With so many pitbulls sitting in shelters across the country (more than 9,000 on Petfinder alone), I thought I’d share how great these dogs are. My next dog just might have to be a pitbull. The guy in this photo is Matty. He needs a home and you can read his profile here. Staffordshire terriers have a bad reputation because they have been used as fighting dogs since the 1800s when they were first bred in the United States, according to the Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds by D. Caroline Coile. They are known as pitbulls because they would fight other dogs in “pits.” However, be aware that the term “pitbull” refers to a group of dogs, including the American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier. Several similar breeds are often inaccurately slapped with the name pitbull such as the Cane Corso, the American bulldog and any mix resembling these breeds. American Staffordshire terriers were bred to be affectionate to people because their owners had to handle them even in the middle of a dogfight. Because of this, Staffordshires are friendly to strangers and generally love children and make loyal family pets. American Staffordshire terriers weigh about 55-70 pounds, larger than the Staffordshire bull terrier. American Staffordshire terriers come in colors ranging in solid or mixes of white, brown, red and black. Advantages to owning an American Staffordshire terrier: 1. Staffordshires are playful and gentle around people. They love children and affection. This is why it is so sad to see a Staffordshire terrier unsocialized and tied up in a yard all the time. These dogs thrive off of human interaction and companionship. 2. Staffs require very little grooming. Their coats are short and smooth. They still shed, of course. 3. This breed is easy to train because of its desire for attention and to please its owner. 4. Staffordshires make great watchdogs and will protect their owners if threatened. Unfortunately this trait is abused when owners encourage their Staffordshires to be aggressive. 5. They are beautiful dogs to look at, with muscular bodies and a strong, sturdy appearance with smooth, shiny coats. Disadvantages to owning an American Staffordshire terrier: 1. Staffordshire terriers require dedicated owners who will give them the training, attention and exercise they need. They are powerful dogs and need their owners to encourage the gentle side of the breed and provide positive outlets for their dogs’ energy. 2. Staffordshire terriers have an inacurate reputation for being aggressive. Of course, this is the same as assuming one nationality of humans is aggressive. If you own a Staffordshire, some people will be afraid of your dog and you will be treated differently just for owning one. If your dog so much as growls at another dog, expect other dog owners to freak out even though the same behavior would be tolerated from a Yorkie, a golden retriever, a beagle or many other breeds. 3. Many laws ban “pitbulls,” especially apartment complexes and some cities. Be aware of the inconveniences and stereotypes you will have to deal with if you own a Staffordshire. 4. Staffordshires need to be properly socialized around other dogs and small animals. Because they were bred to fight dogs, they are fearless of other dogs and can be aggressive to other animals. 5. Because of their strength and size, Staffordshires can be difficult to handle. A pinch collar or Gentle Leader help with walking a Staff that pulls on the leash. If you would like to write a profile of your favorite breed, send me an email at Lindsay@thatmutt.com. I’ll use pictures of your dog and link to your site. I’m happy to feature any breed! Click here to see all the breed profiles that have been done. Below is Ace hanging out with the Staffordshire we fostered for a short time last fall. He thought she was great!
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