For many people who own canines, how to put a choke collar on a dog is one of the things that they hope to get correctly always.
But not everyone knows how to carry this out properly. Choke collars are excellent as a training tool.
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7 Steps To Put A Choke Collar On A Dog
The following are the steps to take:
1. Select The Right Choke Collar
The best choke collars are designed in a way that they softly grip the loose skin on the neck of the dog.
This way, the dog can get the subtle message that it is not good to pull or lash about.
Also, the correct choke collar is one that will never injure or rupture the skin of your dog. With the right choke collar in your hand, stand in front of the dog and face it with the collar.
2. Position The Choke Collar
While standing and facing your dog, form a letter ‘P’ with the choke collar. You can easily do this with the fingers of one hand.
3. Sitting Position
It is important that you have your dog sit and face you while all this is being done.
4. Putting It On
After that, put it over the muzzle of the dog then across the head until you reach the neck.
5. The P-Shape In Place
Maintain the ‘P’ shape as you slide the choke collar down the dog. This is also made with the assumption that you walk your dog on your left side.
6. Check The Arrangement
Once the choke collar is in place properly, the chain will pull right through the ring. This is important as during the training if the dog happens to be on the right, switching over to the left will be hassle-free.
If the collar forms twists and circles all over the place then you are not doing it correctly and will have to start again.
7. Feel It
Now that the choke collar is properly in place, you should tug at it gently just to feel it.
The choke collar should be able to move without friction in a straight line across the ring and release swiftly when corrections are made. With all these steps, you are good to go.
Once the collar is in place, there are some other things to know just to ensure that the collar is used correctly and appropriately at all times.
First, it is often advised for good reasons that because the choke collar is meant for training, it should never be used in a long-term mode.
The choke collar is just that, a choke collar, and not the main dog collar. For that reason, it should not be employed with taking your dog out for typical walks or other social activities.
Ideally, the choke collar should not be on your dog for more than sixty minutes at a go.
If you continue to use the choke collar longer than sixty minutes at a time, then it can cause some other problems for you and your dog.
There will be irritation and pain in the neck of the dog but that is not even all there is to it.
If you let your dog get used to the choke collar as the main walking collar, they soon connect the choke collar with the sensation of pain.
What this means is that the dog will eventually learn to link pulling with pain and that is not a good development at all.
Dogs often pull when they come across other people or pets. So, in a way, the dog will begin to link humans and other dogs with pain thus leading to some disturbing changes in the behavior of the dog.
Why It Is Important To Put A Choke Collar Properly
Choke collars are not used on dogs for decorations. They are used mainly for training the dog. When the choke collars are used correctly, they are released without force once the training session or correction has been done.
If this is not done, the choke collar may not release on time and at that point, the dog tends to associate the choke collar with pain and hardship. That is one situation you do not want to find yourself or your beloved pet.
It is very important that you put the choke collar properly on the dog. Failure to do so means the choke collars will be practically useless or even cause pain to the dog.
Choke collars are not fancy attire items for dogs or permanent collars and are meant to be used correctly.
Useful Tips When Using Choke Collar On A Dog
1. Training Device
Choke collars are basically for training and are not meant to be used on the dog every single hour of the day.
2. Choke Does Not Mean Choking
Even though they are referred to as choke collars, their purpose is not meant to be for choking or making life hell for the dog.
They are actually meant to be used to get the attention of the dog when training it.
3. Remove Following The Same Routine
When the training session is over and the time comes to remove the choke collar, follow the same routine.
What that means is that whenever it is time to get the choke collar off, have the dog sitting and facing you as you also get the choke collar off. With time, your dog is going to get used to these routines.
4. Learn To Use It Correctly
It is one thing to purchase a choke collar, it is another thing entirely to know how to make good use of it.
As you are buying a choke collar, also make sure that you know how to use it perfectly.
A choke collar has to be used in precise ways so as to ensure they are not just effective but also safe for the dog throughout the period of training.
5. Use Moderate Pressure
To correct your dog, always use short but strong tugs then release swiftly.
Do not apply too much pressure and do not keep the tug longer than necessary.
6. Place It Correctly
The ideal location for the choke collar after you have put it on the dog is for it to rest below the jaw and behind the ears.
If the choke collar goes lower than this, then it will not get you the desired results, in addition to causing unnecessary discomfort for the dog.
7. Clipping Properly
Do not make the mistake of clipping the collar under the jaw of the dog or even on the right or left side of the neck at all.
The section of the collar that fixes on the leash should always be directed upwards behind the ears of the dog. This is a very important point to note.
8. Remove Prongs If Necessary
In a case where the choke collar is not fitting well and is too loose, the next step that can be taken is to take out one of the prongs.
9. Do Not Use On Puppies
Choke collars are for grownup dogs and never for puppies. The choke collars are created for bigger but unruly dogs that need to be trained with the leash.
Puppies do not have the stamina to cope with a choke collar. Under no circumstances should you consider using a choke collar on puppies. You will end up causing more damage than doing any good.
Importance Of Choke Collars
Having talked about how to put a choke collar on a dog, there are those who may want to know more about the importance of this particular item. A choke collar is an integral part of the training process that is given to a dog over time. The essence of the choke collar is to train your dog into realizing the fact that pulling is not going to be tolerated.
By using the collar for regular walks, your dog is not going to get the message that pulling is bad. The dog will only get the lesson that pulling while having the choke collar on is not going to be accepted.
For those who may want to know more precisely about this, there are professional dog trainers who are always more than ready to assist owners on how to go about their choke collars.
More Hints On Picking The Right Choke Collar
It is very understandable that many owners are concerned about inflicting pain on their canine buddies.
But this can be sorted as long as the correct type of choke collar is used. This is going to minimize the probability of inflicting any kind of pain on the dog when it is being used.
Collar Size
Apart from the design of the dog choke, another factor that must be considered when selecting the ideal choke collar is the size.
For this reason, it is crucial that you are aware of the weight of your dog before choosing a collar.
Choosing the wrong size is most likely going to harm your dog by inflicting pain unnecessarily. It is best that the purchase of choke collar is purchased from a professional dog trainer.
Collar With Prongs
Avoid the temptation to buy choke collars that are sold at neighborhood stores. This is because they are not well-customized and often come with sharp prongs.
These sharp prongs are hated by dogs for very obvious reasons. These prongs make training more difficult as they end up inflicting injuries during the training.
Some handlers or owners wonder why their dogs become very aggressive during training not knowing that it is because of the sharp-pronged choke collars they are making use of.
Rubber-Tipped Choke Collars
Still talking of how to select the right choke collar, it is good to avoid all choke collars that have their ends fixed with rubber.
This is because there is always going to be friction between the rubber and the hair of the dog thus leading to more pain. Rubber is not the same thing as soft as most people think, avoid it.
Iron or other metallic choke collar is better in this regard as it slides easily against a dog’s skin with no pain at all.