Are choke collars cruel? Am I hurting my dog? Is there a way to use a choke collar without hurting my dog? Do I need to stop using choke collars? Well, don’t judge a book from its cover. We know what you heard about choke collars and we are here today to clear things out for you.
Choke collars and prong collars are both designed to punish dogs for pulling by making him/her uncomfortable around his/her neck. So, yes, it is not the most decent way to train your dog if used wrong. However, choke collars are extremely popular with many dog owners and trainers, because it is the fastest and most effective training tool, especially when it comes to large dogs.
Before we dig deeper in out today’s topic, I need to inform you that we are going to know all about the choke collars today because we already talked about the Prong Collar in the previous article, so if you have any questions about the Prong Collar please don’t hesitate to check the Are Prong Collars Cruel? article.
I am fully aware that there is a lot of people out there who disagree with the idea of chocking a dog under the name of training him/her, and I do it! I am totally against causing any harm to any creature. However, you really need to understand how the choke collars work before you judge it.
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How the chock collars work?
The chock collars are kind of like a thick silver chain around your dog’s neck, without any prongs unlike the prong/pinch collar, but it works like the prong collar. So, the chock collar’s mission is to train your dog to not pull you while walking and hurt your arm.
However, it is not pinching your dog in the neck like the prong collar, it works differently. It is connected to the leash and is directly connected to how hard your dog’s pull, so when your dog pulls tightly the chock collar puts a little pressure on his/her neck and relaxes back once your dog loosen the tension he/she caused by pulling.
And that way, your dog understands, by time, that he/she controls how tight the choke collar is going to be according to how much he/she pulls, and that will teach him/her to not pull while walking with you no matter what he/she sees, and no matter what triggers him/her to pull.
Can I use choke collars on any dog?
Well, choke collars can be really helpful with big and aggressive dogs, you know, these huge dogs that you cannot control easily, and if they pulled your arm while you are walking on the street will hurt your arm and will freak everyone else out, even if you know he/she is very friendly, but other people and animals don’t know that!
So, yes, these are the kind of dogs you can use choke collars on, and not for the whole day, and that is very important information to know about choke collars; you can’t force your dog to wear them all day, it is should only be used during the training time.
Other than that, you don’t need to use it for little dogs, you can but you shouldn’t, because you don’t need to, there is no point in using choke collars on little harmful dogs.
Also, a worth mentioning note, you need to stop using choke collars on stubborn dogs because they can cause themselves real damage. Yes, dogs have personalities, and some of them will not stop until he/she gets what he/she wants even if this means that he/she chokes him/herself to death.
Therefore, if you found that your dog is not obeying the rules, and he/she will not stop pulling even while you are using choke collars, just stop using it and ask for professional help.
When it is about time to choose a choke collar on your dog?
Some people start using choke and prong collars as a way of punishing the poor dog for everything he/she does, which is not right and not accepted. These tools are made for a purpose, and can only be used in these two cases:
- In case of too much pulling.
- In case of too much aggression.
In case of too much pulling:
Once you felt that your dog started to be out of control with that pulling thing, and that started to affect his/her and your safety; because he might scare someone else, or something grabs his/her attention on the other side of the road, which can cause a real bad accident to him/her or you.
In that case, you need to think of getting your dog a choke collar.
In case of too much aggression.
This is another case you need to think of getting your dog a choke collar because a very aggressive dog means a lot of aggressive reactions while you are on the street around Children, other people, and other animals too. It means that anything can set him/her off and make him/her out of control.
Therefore, you might need to think of getting your dog a choke collar to stay away from any trouble.
Also, you can find out more about choke collars by listening to this video, by a dog trainer.
Can choke collars hurt my dog?
Choke collars can hurt your dog so bad if it is used the wrong way, or used by a not caring and loveable dog owner. Therefore, you need to make sure that you know what you need to learn before you get your dog that choke collar, and also that you asked your dog’s professional veterinarian and he/she agreed that your dog needs a choke collar.
One of the most important things you need to know before you get your dog a choke collar is how to position the choke collar on your dog’s neck. Because, you need to make sure that the choke collar is on the higher spot on your dog’s neck, after the ear, because if you positioned it in the lowest spot it loses its purpose.
Another worth mentioning note is that you need to make sure that the choke collar is not so tight that it is choking your dog already even before he/she starts pulling. You need to get your dog the right size.
Moreover, you need to understand that choke collars are not 24/7 collars. You can’t let your dog wear it all day long. Choke collars should be around your dog’s neck only during the training time.
What is the best choke collar for my dog?
When it comes to the choke collars, there are plenty of options you can choose from them the best one for your dog. However, if you are looking for a recommendation, I do recommend the Easy Adjustable Dog Collar and Training Choker , and that because of a number of reasons:
- It is made of stainless steel which means that is a solid material that can help you control a medium to large dog.
- It comes in different sizes, so whatever your dog’s neck size is, you can get him/her one.
- It fits all seasons, so you will not have to change it whenever the weather changes.
- Also, what makes it really special, is that it can be customized engraved; so, you will not just train your dog to not pull while walking with you, you will also feel even safer because you know that, even if he/she ran, he/she got his/her name, address, and your phone number on his/her choke collar. And that limits the chances of losing your dog
- Last, but not least. Its price is unbelievably affordable!
However, if you are looking for more options, feel free to check our amazing, up-to-date 2020 list for the most affordable and recommended collars from here.
Now you have all that you need to know about choke collars, its pros, and cons, and what are the best choke collars you can get for your amazing four-legged friend.
For more questions, please don’t hesitate to ask whatever that comes in your mind, and we will reply to you directly, or in the upcoming part of the article, the related questions part.
Related Questions:
Can I train my dog to not pull without using a choke collar?
As a short answer, yes you can train your dog to not pull without using a choke collar. However, it will take a lot of time and effort to make him/her understand that he/she should not pull while walking with you.
Choke collars and prong collars are collars that are designed especially to help your dog follow the rules, understand the lesson faster and in an easier process. There will always be a wa
You will, eventually, see results. Maybe not as fast as the results you will see while using choke collars, but you will see results for sure!
