Many dog owners believe
that they should use a choke chain for their dog’s everyday
collar. While the choke collar can be effective in trained
hands, on the whole most dog trainers do not recommend it.
There are several reasons for this, including risk of injury
to the dog, accidental death of the dog, and the fact that
there are plenty of other, more humane, ways of restraining
a dog
.
The dog training collar choke chain can cause injury to your
dog, especially to the neck and esophageal area. The choke
collar is designed to provide a quick check and release form
of correction for your dog; however this is not how it is
most often used. If your dog insists on pulling hard against
being restrained, he will keep tightening the choke collar
around his neck. This causes him to gasp for air, panic and
pull even harder. This can cause damage to his esophagus and
windpipes. The collar will continue to tighten until the
pressure against it is released.
If the dog training collar choke chain is pulled too hard
too quickly, your dog’s neck can become injured. The
vertebrae can be pulled out of place or the muscles can be
strained. Many times these injuries go unnoticed, as animals
are good at hiding discomfort. It does, however, hurt the
dog, and may cause some long-term damage. Since these
injuries often go undetected until later problems emerge,
they are not often seen as a direct result from using a dog
training collar choke chain.
Another, more devastating, risk of using a dog training
collar choke chain can be the accidental death of your dog.
If your dog happens to catch the end ring of the chain on
something, the collar will start to tighten. Your dog will
naturally struggle to get free, thus tightening the chain
even more. Eventually, the chain will tighten to the point
of cutting off all air supply to the lungs, and your dog
will choke to death. There have been incidents of dogs
jumping a fence, only to get stuck by the collar on a piece
of the fence and are left hanging to die. It is a gruesome
picture, but it is all too real of a risk.
Many dog trainers refuse to use the choke chain, preferring
other restraints such as a harness or a traditional collar
that goes around the neck and connects with a buckle or a
clasp. The harness is growing in popularity, as it puts the
least amount of pressure on the dog’s neck. There are some
styles that resemble a horse halter in that a part of it
goes around the snout and another part around the neck. The
idea being that where the nose goes, the dog will follow.
Mother dogs will guide their young puppies by pushing on
their noses or necks. Trainers have observed this behavior
and tried to replicate that same communication with the new
halter styled harnesses.
Another reason trainers are hesitant to use the choke chain
is that they cannot control how the owner will use it once
the training session is over. An experienced dog trainer
will be able to use the choke chain the way it was intended
to be used. Even if the dog owner is trained the proper way,
there is no way to know if the owner will continue to use it
the way he was taught to use it. This potentially leads to
the misuse of the choke chain, thus endangering the health
of the dog.
Some dog owners feel that the choke chain is necessary if
their dog is a large breed or is thick necked. They feel
that it is the only way to control such a large dog. Dog
trainers will often disagree with this line of thinking.
There are many effective ways to train a dog, ways that are
more gentle and effective than the choke chain. If the looks
of a choke chain appeal to the dog owner, then the owner
should use a harness or other style of collar for restrain
purposes and leave the choke chain as an accessory item.
The choke chain has a few benefits, but it also carries many
risks with its regular use. Dog owners are advised to talk
to experienced dog trainers before purchasing a choke chain
for their dog.
