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The tools we use to train are what I call a personal choice. We are always looking for the next tool that works for your dog. Something that will help your dog understand what not to do. The tools range from a buckle collar, nylon leash, leather leash, choke chain, head collar, e-collar, and slip lead. These tools are used as training devices to help you get your dog to the behaviors you desire and then eventually transitioned off or you can leave on as if that’s the regular collar. There is no wrong way.
To be able to utilize the tools in a way that they’re an extension of you. You should use the tool or tools as a way to communicate to the dog to help get a certain behavior. The main philosophy of the tool should come from you. What are you comfortable with? Training a dog or an animal that cannot speak english nor rationalize what is happening to a point that they’re reactive. In theory to do this, you must block the bad behavior and get attention back on to you.
Before we get into the tools let’s just dive in and explain how the dog learns. Dogs learn through trial and error. Pleasurable and unpleasurable experiences. If the dog is with another dog, you will get variations of corrections without actually touching each other. Some light corrections can be with body language or a bump with the body, other more serious corrections will be with sound and body, and third a physical short team pain correction in the form of a bite. All of this is centered around one or two things. The first would be to just control, and the other will be out of some type of fear or insecurity. Once the dog is corrected and it stops what it did. If the correction was sufficed, it will not try that behavior the same way again. If not, it may try over and over. This can go into what ever tool you decide to use to help curb a behavior in the dog. Whether or not you allow the dog to correct it self or you handle the correction it is important enough that the dog gets the correction, or he/ she will be unreasonably corrected over and over. Dogs, when they correct each other usually only need one or two times to imprint that lesson onto the dog. A dog will seldom use a correction that will make the receiving dog loose confidence. The correction is done timely and effectively. The dog has a clear understanding what it did.
Now I want you to think of your world. Do we often give our dog a chance to read our language first? Do they know what we are saying? Is it consistent with the follow through? Dogs are highly adaptable and pick up our cues pretty quickly if we are conscious of what we are doing and are consistent with the message we are trying to convey.
When using constricting tools such as a slip lead, prong collar, and choke chain, it is highly important that the dog gets the message quickly or they will have a hard time with the tools. The tools are design to deliver a correction to the dog by constricting on the neck causing in one, to simulate a bite or the others to block the breathing path way to the dog. These tools if used improperly can cause some damage to the dog’s neck. The prong collar by far in this situation is the most effective and safest to use. The prong is the safest do it not being a full constrictive collar. It requires less force on your end do to the pressure prongs that are surrounding the dogs neck. This collar in the past has had a bad rap as being inhumane. When using this collar, it is to be know that you want to get the dogs attention, if no response then go in a different direction and as soon as the dog registers and comes willingly with no interest in the previous way then you mark that behavior. The biggest problems that I see with the prong collars are that they’re not fitted correctly. They should be someone what snug but loose on the neck of the dog.
The slip lead is a full constricting lead that basically ties into a loop for the dog’s neck and the choke chain as well. The slip lead will give you better timing than a choke. This is the type of tool that is considered not a training device for AKC. Mainly because they’re used in dog shows all of the time. This lead should stay super high on the dog’s neck to control the head. When using this tool, a proper correction or directing the dog is done by pulling up on the lead making the dog loose traction to pull and the air way being disrupted. This tool is very difficult to use and could cause harm to the dog’s neck. If used correctly can be and effective tool. To utilize this tool well the correction and teaching should be pretty much the same as the prong. You would want to try and get your dog’s attention if not attention is granted go a different direction and as soon as your dog commits to going your way mark the behavior and praise. You should always be rewarding the positive behaviors you would like to see or feel. Like a loose lead. Your dog paying you attention even for a split second is good and should be rewarded.
In my experience choke chains are very difficult to use and I would only consider them for in home use without a leash on the dog. I would just leave the choker part on and correct with the chain. Again, this tool is used the same as a slip or prong. You may have to use a pop of the leash. This is letting some give and then pulling back quickly as the dog is moving away from you creating a tight forceful correction. Timing for this tool is the biggest struggle. Since you have to anticipate the dog messing up more, it is hard to use a proper correction because when the dog messes up the corrections timing is usually off a second or two.
The E-collar. This tool is in a lot of heated debates in countries such as England and in parts of the United States. These tools usually will deliver a shock to the dog when it messes up or a beep when it does good. Usually though it will have a precursor to the shock as a peep or two beeps. This tool is designed around Pavlov’s method of learning. When the dog hears a certain beep or serious of beeps it knows what will be coming next. The problem with the e-collar is it’s centered around punishment. The act of adding a shock for messing up. The truth is they’re a great tool at teaching distance. A good reliable e-collar is key. Lots of the ones out there the timing remotely is not very good. This is causing a delay in the dog’s corrections. When purchasing this tool, it is wise to make sure you buy a decent one. If this tool is reliable and used effectively then your dog will learn super-fast. For this tool, I feel the tool should be used like a clicker at first. Should be used to reward the dog and help the dog have confidence that it’s doing the correct behavior. Once there’s a clear understanding and are starting to really proof the behaviors at distance and will need to add discipline to adjust the reward system I believe they’re pretty valuable.
There’s my take on some of the more common training tools out there. Whatever you use it is so important that before corrections are used to make sure your dog has a clear direction on how to complete the exercise or what behavior you are looking for.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the weekend!!