Choke collar lenght?

Hi folks, I,m looking to replace my pups 20" choke collar which is becoming too small with a new one. My Labrador is 8 1/2 months old and has tapered off growing but not done. So I was wondering what size I should buy? Should I buy a loose fitting or tight fitting. I'm aware of how they work meaning they need to be loose enough to operate correctly. Is there a general rule for length of slack? His original 20" collar is a slide fit over his head and I estimate his neck to be 18-19 inches.
I noticed in Mike Lardy's TRT basic training DVD he uses a fairly loose choke collar. However he's Mike Lardy and his pups probably don't need a collar :scream:
Also would a thicker chain say 1/2" be more beifcial then a thiner one say 5/16"?

Thanks for you time.

how much do you rely on the actual choking? e.g. once in a while during training or constantly when the dog is on the leash.
have you thought about an e-collar instead? I would think at 8.5 month, weight would not be an issue and depending on the training so far the majority of dogs should have gained a basic understanding of what is requested of them.

I rely on the choker for the occasional correction while on lead... my pup is fully e collar conditioned and at this stage of training I use both sources of pressure.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by G note

Hi folks, I,m looking to replace my pups 20" choke collar which is becoming too small with a new one. My Labrador is 8 1/2 months old and has tapered off growing but not done. So I was wondering what size I should buy? Should I buy a loose fitting or tight fitting. I'm aware of how they work meaning they need to be loose enough to operate correctly. Is there a general rule for length of slack? His original 20" collar is a slide fit over his head and I estimate his neck to be 18-19 inches.
I noticed in Mike Lardy's TRT basic training DVD he uses a fairly loose choke collar. However he's Mike Lardy and his pups probably don't need a collar :scream:
Also would a thicker chain say 1/2" be more beifcial then a thiner one say 5/16"?

Thanks for you time.

---

I've never used a choke chain /collar, but seems to me that a thicker one would be better. Can't a thin one damage the throat? For heeling training, I use a cane that occasionally slips over to the left and taps the pup on the nose. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by G note

Hi folks, I,m looking to replace my pups 20" choke collar which is becoming too small with a new one. My Labrador is 8 1/2 months old and has tapered off growing but not done. So I was wondering what size I should buy? Should I buy a loose fitting or tight fitting. I'm aware of how they work meaning they need to be loose enough to operate correctly. Is there a general rule for length of slack? His original 20" collar is a slide fit over his head and I estimate his neck to be 18-19 inches.
I noticed in Mike Lardy's TRT basic training DVD he uses a fairly loose choke collar. However he's Mike Lardy and his pups probably don't need a collar :scream:
Also would a thicker chain say 1/2" be more beifcial then a thiner one say 5/16"?

Thanks for you time.

---

http://leerburg.com/746.htm

No choke chains pinch collar you will get better responce with less corection and wont do any harm to your dog that may show up later in the dogs life I have a dog that I bought as a started dog she was 10 months old had alot of preasure put on her young and now at 12 has throat issues I swear were caused by heavy use of a choke chain during OB]

I second the pinch collar. Choke chains have shown to do damage to the larynx if a correction has been made too extreme. Some will criticize the prongs as being in human, but they are the same folks that condemn electric collars and in reality do not even own a dog!

Dick

You will get better results with this than a choke or pinch collar.

http://www.gundogsupply.com/wonleadbydel.html

Proper use of a choke collar should be a part of training in every young dog. Eventually the e-collar replaces a choke and lead.
I always have a choke on the dog when doing wagon wheel, whether the dog is young or old.
I see no reason for most people to use any other type of choke, if the use of a choke chain is understood.

I like the choke collar as well if used correctly and pinch collar. My Springer responded best to a pinch collar early on in her training and has transitioned to just a lead with a loop on the end. In fact I really no longer need a lead she walks beside me . My lab pup is pretty much at the same level.

choke collars are for a snap n release correction, if the dog is being choked or restrained with the choker, the choker is not being used correctly, the wonder lead Jake mention works great, its take a bit of time to get used to using one, but it is a big step above a regular choke collar

When I work on formal obedience in the local park or in a pet store where there are plenty of extrem distractions. I use a choke collar as they are intended to be used. The corrections I give are like a "nick". The dog knows the command but just needs to be corrected due to the environment's distractions.

So to answer the original question I added 3 inches to the neck size. Therefore I bought a 22" chain for his 19" neck.

Never use one. They went out with the incandescent bulb. :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ugo

Never use one. They went out with the incandescent bulb. :)

---

Police dog trainer I went to uses then right off the bat,no questions asked.Has trained dogs for every major police service around GTA.


http://www.crdogs.com/

Many years ago I took some obedience classes from a Golden Retriever breeder who only used a lead with a loop on the end. At the time I had a British show bloodline Golden Retriever who required this method of training and it worked. Years later I switched to a choke chain method and most recently prong collar to speed up the training process. My Springer is out of a high octane working bloodline required the prong collar training method. She has transitioned to the lead with a loop on the end. My lab is almost a yearling has transitioned from a choke chain collar to a string lead with a loop on the end LOL . I think if you had lots of time to train you could get away with not using a choke chain collar or prong collar like Ugo. I like the options depending on the dogs temperament .

I am just saying I don't use a choke collar - not because they don't work. I kid you not when I say I NEVER used one, so it's not a judgment call based on experience. I simply haven't needed one even with obstreperous larger breeds including a German shepherd/"wolf" (??) cross that refused to heel. And, if you said the word "No" this dog would get very nasty!! That beatch went for my hand twice during heel training when I said "No" (on purpose to see what would happen. The owner was right. :>)
Got the dog heeling nicely, coming, etc. Nice dog actually!
Two weeks afterwards the dog was hit by a car and died from her injuries. ...very sad.

I knew a guy that had a couple of husky/wolf cross in his dog team. They were very unpredictable and caused him allot of grief within the pack. I think it's great that you never used one and believe not using one should be the first attempt used to train a dog.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bdog

choke collars are for a snap n release correction, if the dog is being choked or restrained with the choker, the choker is not being used correctly, the wonder lead Jake mention works great, its take a bit of time to get used to using one, but it is a big step above a regular choke collar

---

Well said; I agree. Have never used a choke / prong collar and never will . Sure they work with little effort by the trainer needed , but imo there are better ways to train for heeling etc.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sharon

Well said; I agree. Have never used a choke / prong collar and never will . Sure they work with little effort by the trainer needed , but imo there are better ways to train for heeling etc.

---

Totally disagree with that and would most definitely depend on the breed, trainers experience and in depth study of most breeds. My working Siberians would dislocate both your shoulders in a matter of seconds and drag you down the trail. I do not think we have any dog whispers on this forum. lol

If a sled-bred dog didn't pull, I'd think there was something wrong with it. That said, I use a harness to indicate that my roading dogs can pull to their heart's content BUT a lead on their collar means something else. Again, just how I do it. Like to think a sled dog will also heel even if it does take a little more work but to be honest haven't worked with any.
I'd love to try my clicker on a sled-bred puppy - to teach "heel" I mean. Interesting........???

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Sharon

Well said; I agree. Have never used a choke / prong collar and never will . Sure they work with little effort by the trainer needed , but imo there are better ways to train for heeling etc.

---

Sharon do you recognize the trainer at CR in my post above?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ugo

If a sled-bred dog didn't pull, I'd think there was something wrong with it. That said, I use a harness to indicate that my roading dogs can pull to their heart's content BUT a lead on their collar means something else. Again, just how I do it. Like to think a sled dog will also heel even if it does take a little more work but to be honest haven't worked with any.
I'd love to try my clicker on a sled-bred puppy - to teach "heel" I mean. Interesting........???

---

I obedience trained my very first Siberian Husky 26 years ago. He was a cross between show lines and working lines. I enrolled him in an obedience class when he was 6 months old and did the basic training prior to that myself. He was the class star and used by the instructor to demonstrate an unwilling , difficult, stubborn intelligent dog. He was the instructors biggest challenge in her dog training career. He did learn to sit , stay, come , heel, stand and most importantly hold out the gangline while I hooked up my entire dog team.
He wasn't the best sled dog due to his poor structure (show line) but became very dependable as a leader. A choke collar was the only training tool that would work with some with careful correction. I know many that have obedience trained Siberian's for the show ring as well as agility . Most of these sibes are out of the more mellow show bloodlines and are a very different animal compared to the true working sibes.
I would think you could train a Siberian Husky Ugo using your method based on your experience. But I do guarantee it will take more time and patience to get you where you want to be.My labs and springer were a breeze to train compared to true working sibe. Never say never when it comes to training aids. Again it would depend on the breed, experience of the trainer and how much time your willing to waste before bad habits become ingrained in the dogs head.

When used properly the Delmar Smith command lead that I linked earlier will out perform any choke or prong collar and it is impossible to damage a dog with it. Breed doesn't matter, they are all just dogs and if you can read the dog you can have the dog heeling on lead in a workout or two.

Money back guarantee ? For $24.00 U.S it's worth a shot.

If you learn how to use one properly you will never use anything else.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Gilroy

Sharon do you recognize the trainer at CR in my post above?

---

No I don't know that gentlemen. I like his signature: ""There is no one way of training...the dog in front of you will dictate what method is needed for that individual dog"