# Choke type collar for thick-haired dog



## ria221 (Apr 9, 2008)

My dog is a long haired chow mix. I am working on training her with a choke type chain that will release. Problem: the chain gets all caught up in her hair. I've tried a few different ones and also a slip leash type and had the same problem. Any suggestions what will work for a thick-coat, long haired dog and if so, where can I get one of those collars? Thanks.


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## slydogges (Jan 6, 2008)

herm sprenger(sp?) makes one with larger links that are fur saver types. if you go to rayallen.com you can get them there. ray allen is a good company to get do equipment from. herm sprenger makes very good training collars.


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## Chris_Texas (Feb 21, 2008)

I prefer a german training collar or pinch collar rather than a choke. If you need to, run it a smidge loose and with the chain section up, which makes it release well.


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

Fur saver collar or the " snake chain" collar. Remember- a dog should never be left unattended with any choke collar on..


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## ria221 (Apr 9, 2008)

Choke collar for training purposes. I don't like pinch collars at all. Thanks for all the feedback.


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## BoxMeIn21 (Apr 10, 2007)

Motebi said:


> Instead of choking the dog, I would use a no-pull harness or a gentle leader. Much more effective and less painful for the dog.


Ditto and Ditto.


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## ria221 (Apr 9, 2008)

Thanks for all the input.


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## Danegirl2208 (Jul 6, 2006)

there is nothing wrong with correctly using a choke chain...I know of dogs who have gotten neck inguries from their owners yanking them back in a head collar! Not the head collars fault, but the owners lack of knowledge. Like any tool, the choke chain (and head collar, prong, ect) can be a great tool when used correctly.

Ria, try looking at leerburg.com they have a couple different types of fur-saver collars. It will cost you around 10 or 15 bucks.


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## slydogges (Jan 6, 2008)

I also use a prong, but herm sprenger is a very good company to get chokes and prongs from. prongs are actually much safer than a choke despite their appearance and its easier to correct with.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

motebi
Nobody said anything about right or wrong. Everybody uses whatever works properly for them. I use prong collars and have 15 more years of training than you do. I don't use choke collars but if people get results that's fine. I have used gentle leader on 2 dogs that needed it. You use a buckle collar that's great. I occasionally have used an e-collar on special dogs. The imbeciles that would abuse their dogs with different collars are probably not on this forum.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

Motebi, I appreciate your sentiment, but to call a prong collar a torture device *is* a bit much.  The reason these tools exist is because with some dogs they can be useful in managing a dog until training has had it's full effect. When they do work both dog and human can co-exist, and at the very least the dog can avoid seeing a euthanasia table as quickly as he might have otherwise. Yes it's an aversion, and yes it can be misused, but they also save doggie lives, and we can't throw these out simply because we care not to use the tool ourself. 

Not an argument...just a perspective to consider.


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## borzoimom (May 21, 2007)

even a buckle collar can be misused.. 
I had a snake chain collar for my long haired dogs. Its a quick release and worked well as I stated. I would use them on my borzois were it not for needing a martingale because of the narrow heads, and low ears which would allow it to slip off. This would not be the case with a chow..


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## ria221 (Apr 9, 2008)

Please stop arguing on my thread here. And I am not a first time dog owner. Maybe first time trainer. Normally, I've let my dogs be who they are. You both have valid points. Believe me, my dog is treated better than I am.


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## Two Labs Mom (Apr 10, 2008)

We've used the Sprenger prong collars with success on several of our dogs, long and short hair. We've only used them on dogs that pull and pull and pull, and in those instances a buckle collar can do more harm than good ... 

I think the very valid point being made is just that it has to be used *correctly* and unless a person is properly schooled in how to use it (as with any training device), it can do more harm than good. Every dog is different; we are training two dogs ourselves right now and one is doing great with the prong while the other does better with a gentle leader. We use the 'good' prong collars, not the sharp, nasty ones from pet stores. 

All any of us can do is find out what works best for our individual dogs and then learn proper training methods. Many of us here are not professional trainers but have learned a lot from them. Mine uses the prong and the gentle leader most often. Just my .02.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Curbside Prophet said:


> Motebi, I appreciate your sentiment, but to call a prong collar a torture device *is* a bit much.  The reason these tools exist is because with some dogs they can be useful in managing a dog until training has had it's full effect. When they do work both dog and human can co-exist, and at the very least the dog can avoid seeing a euthanasia table as quickly as he might have otherwise. Yes it's an aversion, and yes it can be misused, but they also save doggie lives, and we can't throw these out simply because we care not to use the tool ourself.
> 
> Not an argument...just a perspective to consider.


CP 
I just don't believe that he is listening. It appears to be a black/white situation with his mind-set. I didn't mean to start any type of collar training confrontation. Sorry ria221 you are right, it is your thread. I'm gone.


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## Curbside Prophet (Apr 28, 2006)

wvasko said:


> CP
> I just don't believe that he is listening. It appears to be a black/white situation with his mind-set.


wvasko, I've used prong collars, but I don't use them like most. I learned to use them from our on-site behaviorist at my local shelter. In order to justify using one on a dog, and with great detail, I had to explain how and why steps A-Y didn't work. When I argue the use of tools, I argue why steps A-Y are overlooked. There is a long term goal in the methodology that *does* keep dogs in homes. And that issue *is* very black and white.


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## Jenn (Apr 12, 2008)

I had a Pit bull that used to take ME for runs - not a lot of fun. I got a prong collar and within two days she was running at my side and has continued to do so for 10 years. Prong collars are amazing because the correction is immediate, extremely brief, and your dog won't gag non-stop like they do on choke collars. Also, when the dog is behaving, there should be no tension on the collar at all. They look intimidating but put it around your wrist and tug firmly - you will see that you would have to hang your dog on the collar for it to break the skin or cause any injury whatsoever. They are extremely humane when used properly. I liked it so much I got another one for my German Shorthaired Pointer pup who has run beside me now for 3 years - exceptional. My dogs sleep in bed with me and have the run of my house and farm. Believe me, there is nothing cruel about a prong collar. I can not stand choke collars as the battle never ends and the dog gags. Not fun for anyone.

Good luck!!!!


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## slydogges (Jan 6, 2008)

Jenn said:


> I had a Pit bull that used to take ME for runs - not a lot of fun. I got a prong collar and within two days she was running at my side and has continued to do so for 10 years. Prong collars are amazing because the correction is immediate, extremely brief, and your dog won't gag non-stop like they do on choke collars. Also, when the dog is behaving, there should be no tension on the collar at all. They look intimidating but put it around your wrist and tug firmly - you will see that you would have to hang your dog on the collar for it to break the skin or cause any injury whatsoever. They are extremely humane when used properly. I liked it so much I got another one for my German Shorthaired Pointer pup who has run beside me now for 3 years - exceptional. My dogs sleep in bed with me and have the run of my house and farm. Believe me, there is nothing cruel about a prong collar. I can not stand choke collars as the battle never ends and the dog gags. Not fun for anyone.
> 
> Good luck!!!!


good job.

I admit i did use a GL on my dog once because he pulled on the lead. paid 30 bucks for that little piece of nylon. It was extremely hard to get on. It is not a natural thing for a dog to have a contraption on a dog's face. He fought the thing the hole time. it rubbed his nose raw and even after a year still has a pink mark on the top of his muzle where it rubbed. It taught him nothing. It forced him to not pull. put back on a normal collar and he would pulll and pull. so 30 bucks wasted. 

so we went and got a prong. a couple corrections and he stopped acting like a lunatic. now he is no longer dog aggressive or pulls on the lead. He's even off all equipment now. the only reason he needs equipment now is because of when we go into a pet store or pet friendly place where we see all kinds of ill-behaved dogs.


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## Rowdy (Sep 2, 2007)

How about a martingale collar that's all nylon? The loop that's normally a chain is in the same nylon material as the rest of the collar. We have one on Cameron that's worked very well.


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## wvasko (Dec 15, 2007)

Rowdy said:


> How about a martingale collar that's all nylon? The loop that's normally a chain is in the same nylon material as the rest of the collar. We have one on Cameron that's worked very well.


I have used the all nylon and the nylon with chain closure and I prefer the chain closure as it release much quicker and there is also the audio of chain sound that can help cue dogs.


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## SMoore (Nov 9, 2007)

I think gentle leaders, no pull harnesses, e-collars, prong collars, choke chains, fur savers, etc... the list could go on forever they are all tools to train your dog and should be used for the training purpose only and once the training is finished throw the thing away. 

I also believe many people use gentle leaders and no pull harnesses to GET OUT of training the dog properly, same with pinch collars. 

You can mis treat a dog with a buckle collar just like you could with a no pull harness. I've put a no pull harness on my saint bernard and he lunged forward and ended up doing a forward roll sort of thing and flipped right over because he is so much heavier on top than his legs and chest (big floppy head) so in MY case that harness HURT him and I did nothing wrong. I had a very very experienced trainer tell me to use a prong and it has worked wonders. I just use his martingale collar outside now and he's fine.

I think the original poster already got their answer on several to choose from. I think coming to this thread and calling it a torture device is kind of harsh. You don't know this person nor do you know his training experience so I think we should just answer his question and be done with it. If he/she is coming here asking for advice then the dog is probably in good hands. 

Just my 2 cents..

I hate seeing training tools called torture devices. I've used prong collars and e-collars in one situation none of my dogs fear me or run away when I grab the training collar. In fact they run up and wiggle around until i get the thing on because it means we're going out to train and I make training FUN.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

borzoimom said:


> Fur saver collar or the " snake chain" collar. Remember- a dog should never be left unattended with any choke collar on..


I would go with a snake too... 

And a deshedding tool...Lol! The more coat you can get out on a daily basis, the easier any collar is going to work 

Good post SMoore...


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## poodleholic (Mar 15, 2007)

Choke type collars are, IMO, dangerous in the hands of most pet dog owners, but, so are Gentle Leaders, when used by inexperienced handlers who jerk on the leash to give "corrections," failing to understand how the GL works. I used to feel pinch collars were barbaric (right along with the choke chain collars), yet they're probably a lot less damaging in terms of injury to the dog than the other two can be when in the hands of an inexperienced handler. 

I train without collars, first, and then add the collar and leash. I've had fosters who were strong and who pulled. I've resorted to the Gentle Leader as an initial method of getting them out on a walk, but never before properly introducing the dog to the GL. 



> I admit i did use a GL on my dog once because he pulled on the lead. paid 30 bucks for that little piece of nylon. It was extremely hard to get on. It is not a natural thing for a dog to have a contraption on a dog's face. He fought the thing the hole time. it rubbed his nose raw and even after a year still has a pink mark on the top of his muzle where it rubbed. It taught him nothing. It forced him to not pull. put back on a normal collar and he would pulll and pull. so 30 bucks wasted.



Properly introduced, a dog won't fight the GL. Properly fitted and used by the handler, a GL would never rub the nose raw, because the strap fits very loosely across the nose. 

It's also not a natural thing for a horse to have a "contraption" on a horse's face, but, a halter allows a handler to be able to humanely control the horse. A GL is the same thing for a dog, and allows the handler to control the dog without doing anything but holding the lead attached to it. If a handler pulls back on the leash to 'correct' the dog (contraindicated with the GL), the nose strap will tighten, and when continued, would cause friction, resulting in a friction burn.


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