Choke Chains

I'v never used one and never will but i'v been around and heard the horror stories that are a direct link to these contraptions. (Choke chain) its all in the name they choke. If used incorrectly they will not losen and like the sad stories dog drop while being walked and they don't get back up, the chain link in the choke chain can get stuck and stay tight around the dogs neck next thing you know your dog is on the floor and there is no going back for your imcompitance. Choke chains should never be used when theres another dog around or when the dog is alone dogs tend to play the other dogs gets its tooth stuck in the link and your dog is choked to death.over correcting because you know nothing about training can leave your dog with dier problem anything from nerve supplies being cut which can lead to any number of things blindness being the main one. your dog for ever having breathing difficulty from damage to its windpipe causing scar tissue to block the air way leading to death. I know they are now illegal in the UK but i know of many owners who use them there are safer things to use, if you must insist on not reading a book on dog training and chocking your dog you do not deserve to own a dog.

yea but i think uve just said it all "if used incorrectly". I have used a half choke with a staff x mastiff at the rescue centre and i have to say it was fine. The thing with them is you have to be really sure u can use them properly or your right they can be very dangerous!
x

i would never use one, i wouldn't want around my neck so i wouldn't put one around my dogs

Firstly, they are NOT illegal in the UK!

I use a half- check for Dempsey because he can slip out of a collar. It WON'T strangle or choke him & it's NEVER left on indoors. Please don't be so inflammatory, MissRogue - your comments are sweeping & inacurate.

I would NOT use a check (the correct word for it) chain on a dog, because I know how to train without one. However, used correctly they do work and are not cruel. If you don't know how to use one, don't use it.

Have to agree with Caryll here. I personally hate check chains and wont use them but they're not illegal and, like Blaze and Caryll say, if they're used correctly by someone who knows how to use them, they can be effective and not dangerous. Miss Rogue, I do not advocate the use of them, but wouldn't presume to tell other people they dont deserve to own a dog if they don't look up other methods and choose to use a check chain, its not our place to make remarks like that.

I dont know much about them but half check chains, and full checks are used in our police force and for most "gladiator" breeds here whist at dog training.
If you choose not to use one that is great... if you do... please use it correcrtly... a check chain isnt used to "choke".. it is the noise that is the correction..

I wont use a choke chain especially on a stafford they are a breed onto themselves but im sure used correctly they are good for some breeds of dog.

gem wrote:I wont use a choke chain especially on a stafford they are a breed onto themselves but im sure used correctly they are good for some breeds of dog.

Gem I dont understand?

Mel Skora wrote:

gem wrote:I wont use a choke chain especially on a stafford they are a breed onto themselves but im sure used correctly they are good for some breeds of dog.

Gem I dont understand?

They are extremely powerful both on the front and the rear and balanced stafford walks with drive, im not saying you cant use a choke cause you can but the stafford is forward going and being choked will not phase them if in the driving thinking for there size and weight they are very powerful and very robust.

Using a check chain nicknamed choke chain because they have infact choked dogs is cruel and extremely dangerous if used incorrectly so no i am not saying that everyone who uses one is in the wrong just those who don't know what they are doing and choose not to know what they are doing then no they do not deserve to own a dog.A half chain is nothing like a full chain so why that is being brought up i do not know, I know the half chains are safe and designed not to choke the dog because they have material around the neck/windpipe but the full chains do not they are thin and put presure on the windpipe causing seriouse problems. thats having a tight leather strap on your wrist compared with an elastic band which one will cause more damage the chain/elastic band.

Mel Skora wrote:a check chain isnt used to "choke".. it is the noise that is the correction..

That isn't quite true. The noise has nothing to do with it. It should be a short, sharp jerk which tightens the chain quickly, and as soon as the pressure is released, if the chain is on properly, it loosens again.

It's the way training was always done years ago (it's how I started off in training, it was the accepted way), but we've moved on from there & training is done mainly on a reward & encouragement basis now.

i used to use them on my 2 when they were younger,for a littile while...
then just grow out of it....i never really needed them as my 2 were very good to train....so in the end i just put them in the bin,had no use for them...

if used properly then no problem....

if used not properly then you can have problems...

MissRogue wrote: Using a check chain nicknamed choke chain because they have infact choked dogs is cruel and extremely dangerous if used incorrectly so no i am not saying that everyone who uses one is in the wrong just those who don't know what they are doing and choose not to know what they are doing then no they do not deserve to own a dog.A half chain is nothing like a full chain so why that is being brought up i do not know, I know the half chains are safe and designed not to choke the dog because they have material around the neck/windpipe but the full chains do not they are thin and put presure on the windpipe causing seriouse problems. thats having a tight leather strap on your wrist compared with an elastic band which one will cause more damage the chain/elastic band.

MissRogue, I know that, but that isn't what you said in your original post. Yes, they can be dangerous, although I personally have never known one to get 'stuck' as such. You may well be right, but I've never known it. They are designed to 'slip' and if you have the knowledge to use them, they CAN be useful, but personally I wouldn't use them now, there are far better ways of training a dog to walk nicely on lead. They are also NOT illegal in this country or (as far as I am aware) any other country. You may be thinking of 'prong' collars, which MAY be illegal in some countries (not this one) - now THAT one I would NEVER use.

A lot of these 'horror stories' are just that - horror stories.

It's like a check chain, but it has metal prongs sticking out of the INSIDE of the chain! When the dog pulls, the prongs dig in.........

I guess you can see why I wouldn't use one..............

Well, it quickly subdues most dogs - not surprising - but at what cost? I don't want my dogs to be scared of their collars/leads, I want them to enjoy their walks safely & comfortably for me & them!

Prong collars are awful. Really cruel, horrible things. I'd have serious problems with anyone who used one of them, same as the electric shock collar, its just cruel and serves no purpose other than scaring the hell out of the poor dog.

True.

i dont understand why they make some of the things that they do for dogs and try and say it helps.......

not on your nelly....

coller and lead is all i use.... as the only time mine are on thew lead is from the walk from house to the park witch is about 5mins and then they can run free and metal.....lo0l

Janey wrote:Caryll. whats a 'prong' collar?? Never heard of one x

http://www.strictlypetsupplies.com/product_images/2009/nov/n/8b.jpg

just a pic of one of them..

Horrible, really horrible.

They are used by people who want to 'short cut' the training process. They want a submissive dog that will do things asked of it because it is scared of the owner/handler. What they fail to realise is that one day the dog may well realise it is stronger than the handler & will retaliate........then the dog gets labelled 'dangerous' and we all know what happens then.

Personally I dont use them and especially wouldnt on a stafford. Staffs have very delicate tracheas and soft skin underneath their necks which could be damaged by a choke chain.

In my opinion if you need to pull the dog that hard to get it's attention its not listening to you, and no amount of force is going to change this (patience is the only way!)! Other people do use them with sucess but I think it depends on how tolerant your dog is, a sesitive pooch will just get upset.

- BTW I was referring to check-chains and prong collars, all you should really need is a piece of thick leather around the dogs neck.

Wish I could use just a leather collar! Dempsey has this funny sort of way of flicking his head & the collar comes over his ears! That's why I use a half check.

Blue can do that. Goes forward then back with his head really quick and im stood there looking like i am walking my imaginary dog
Yet when I test the collar I can't pull it over his ears. How do they do that. Was gonna change his name to houdini. Nice one Caryll thought I was the only one who had that problem

I certinely would not use any of the named collors but maybe with a big highly aggressive dog I could see why there is a need as you do need to control an animal like that.

This is a "lazy" way of training your dog. It helps you, it doesnt fix the problem or require any work to encourage your dog not to pull and teach them to walk in the right way.

These should only be used by people who know what they are doing, because they can do damage in the wrong hands i.e not your average dog owner and you shouldnt be able to get them off places like ebay - its ridiculous. Only people who work with dogs professionally with proper training should be able to even think about getting one.

The prong collars have been known to make aggressive dogs even more aggressive say their at level 4 of aggressve while next to another dog the prong collar sticks in them and pinches them and the dog reacts as if in a fight and causing the level of aggressive to go higher and the dog will even turn on the owner because he is causing the pain.

I agree, would never use a choke chain but was becoming a little worried recently as Digby is so strong and I found it difficult to stop him pulling using a lead on his harness. Problem solved recently when I bought a new long reflective lead with with two clips on it, I now attatch one to his harness and the other to his collar, this works beautifuly and he no longer pulls and walks next to me really well.

Caryll - I know what you mean once a dog learns that they can back out of the collar your doomed! they always remmeber it and will try it all the time. Dempsey can't be that dopey then, my two havn't ever figured out that they can do that but my old dog used to try and dog it and he was extremely DA, we had to use a hald check on him too.

My old BSD was extermely DA. She had to wear a muzzle at some points (if i knew there were going to be dogs around) We also did a 3 week training course which went back to basics, when the course finished i was given a days training on how to use a check chain with her. I was so upset she was 'recommended' to wear one by the trainer. I used it for approx 3 weeks and couldnt keep doing it to her. So i used her normal collar plus a harness with a lead attatched to each which worked quite well. I would recommend if your dog pulls to get a 'Halti' which goes around the muzzle of the dog and you attath the lead to one side of it.
I would never use a full check chain again.

Collars sound to lose to me you should be able to place three fingers under the collar the jaw line of the dog is supposed to keep it on the dogs neck unless its too lose Cassie has a big neck and small head so the collar has to only be able to fit three fingers under the collar or it will slip off.

Dempsey will flick his head out of any collar, whether they're fitted right or not! He just seems to have developed a 'knack' for it. If I tightened them any further he wouldn't be able to breath! If he starts his nonsense now, I hold the lead close to the collar, but I hold it it below the level of his head so I'm actually stopping him from pulling his head out.