Dog Collars And Leashes Martingale

By admin, January 13, 2010 1:03 pm

GOOD COLLAR/ HARNESS FOR two dogs?

I have a beagle and a beagle/ Jack Russell that constantly pull and sniff all the time. Walking them is annoying and at times I am embarrassed by their behavior and how I constantly have to stop them to pull the leash from under them or untangle myself. IT’S A MESS! I have tried a choke collar and I HATE IT !!! My Beagle did not do good with it at all. I tried the easy harness and it was horrible! It made my dogs skin red/pink from under her arms ( it wasn’t even tight). I have heard of the martingale collar but not sure if it works like a choke collar. I would like something that doesn’t inflict pain on my babies and allows our walks to be enjoyable. I have looked into the gentle leader but have read it can cause head injuries so i don’t want to use that at all. Any Recommendations Please?

actually, choke chains are pretty painful. we used one on our dog, it was pretty effective. but then we tried it on our own legs — we also tried a “pinch collar” or prong collar. popping the choke chain had us dancing around trying to wear off the stinging pain, while with the prong we could just stand there and shrug off the discomfort.
and still, the prong is even more effective. the chain eventually seemed a little like nagging, but the prong has him behaving quite well. with the choke chain, we would administer corrections with light, quick pops. with the prong, he corrects himself because by leaning into it, he feels the discomfort and chooses not to do that again because he doesn’t like it.
i advise you to try it out if all else fails.
an important part of any choke collar is only using it if you need it, and using it PROPERLY. it’s very important you fit it correctly, and ideally you can have an expert or trainer show you. i’d really like to refer you to this site, which mentions a study done..

http://www.cobankopegi.com/prong.html

“100 dogs were in the study. 50 used choke and 50 used prong.
The dogs were studied for their entire lives. As dogs died, autopsies were performed.
Of the 50 which had chokes, 48 had injuries to the neck, trachea, or back. 2 of those were determined to be genetic. The other 46 were caused by trauma.
Of the 50 which had prongs, 2 had injuries in the neck area, 1 was determined to be genetic. 1 was caused by trauma.”

i just want to make sure you know that choke chains can actually inflict pain and cause injuries too. (:

anyway. the easy walk harness: have you tried sewing fleece to the part that goes under the armpits? it can chafe otherwise, as you’ve seen. it’s also important that it’s the correct size.
it didn’t perform any miracles for us. i just love to use it because it makes me feel safe — i have a mastiff, so if he took off running, i’d be DOOMED. wearing the harness, as long as i am planted on my feet (i walk very deliberately and steadily), he can’t really do that. with the d-ring in the front, if he were to suddenly take off, he would most likely end up his side. (i know several mastiffs who have had their feet pulled out right under them, which is a *MUCH* better fate than running into traffic!!)
(thankfully, though, our mastiff is beautifully behaved for such a young dog — only nine months. he’s fantastic on walks. we use both the harness and prong — the harness is insurance in case he wants to pull me off MY feet or in case the prong breaks. absolutely no pressure is put on the prong unless he’s putting tension in the leash, we’re loose leash walkers of sorts.
but these only have a training effect on some dogs. some dogs will suddenly behave very well, while others don’t care. mine does not care. so since you don’t need insurance from being pulled off your feet and the harness has shown itself not to work, i’d give up on that idea.)

gentle leader: i agree, please don’t use these unless it is as a last resort. they can be pretty miraculous and make a dog behave like an angel.. unless said dog lunges, or the leash is snapped or something. why don’t you try putting a harness on YOUR head and having the leash popped or something? hello whiplash! i know i wouldn’t like being led by my FACE. many dogs also dislike the feel of them, and it can take a lot of work until they are comfortable in them. these leaders can be GREAT, wonderful tools in the hands of someone very careful and experienced, though, and if you really know how to use one and are confident your dog won’t hurt himself, fantastic!

http://www.rottweiler.net/forums/463699-post16.html

also, have you tried using a short leash that doesn’t allow them to pull away or get tangled?

anyway, however, THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO IS TRAIN!!! seriously, you can train a dog to be perfect on a leash WITHOUT relying solely on products like these. have faith and you can do it!!

http://www.ddfl.org/behavior/commands/loose-leash.pdf

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/looseleashwalking.htm

http://www.clickersolutions.com/articles/2001/lltotal.htm

so please, first, try to train them. i know it’ll seem impossible! but you CAN do it, although it might take awhile and lots of effort if they’re really in the habit of pulling. this is the BEST way to get them under control, and you’ll be proud to show them off on walks!

Alpha Dog: Martingale Collar Starter Video