Page 4 of 4 FirstFirst ... 234
Results 31 to 34 of 34
  1. #31
    Puppy jonesdds's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Location
    Santa Barbara, CA and Park City, UT
    Posts
    3
    Thanked: 0
    I have a new pup, Bo, that is now 15 weeks old. Been hitting the training hard but not too much on leash yet. Starting to consider options for walking collars. Lot of interesting comments here. I was a prong user with our previous dog and it was a godsend as he was a puller. I always felt, however, that if I had done a better job early on, maybe it would not have been necessary. But, at the time, it was all I could make work for him and it worked well. Immediate mellowing and no pulling with walks, with very little correction needed.

    I'm considering the gentle leader this go around. I don't want to see it leaving a mark on the nose, wondered about this. But, I don't see a lot of response here on it's use. who's using it with positive results and what were your experiences with starting young pups on it? I agree that I would train on a flat collar but for those walks with dog confrontations, etc., I would prefer something I can correct with or better guide with.

  2. #32
    Senior Dog Charlotte K.'s Avatar
    Join Date
    May 2014
    Location
    somewhere out there
    Posts
    938
    Thanked: 581
    I don't like the Gentle Leader on a teething pup. That is too much force on a sore mouth and face.

    I like a buckle/snap flat collar. If he is too much or if he might slip that collar with a thick neck, I would go to a cloth martingale, also known as a humane choke or greyhound collar. It is a training collar, so it should NOT be left on except when you are attached to him with a lead.

    In a month or two, or ten, if he is pulling so much that you can't control it on a martingale, you might start with a prong on a dead ring configuration (both rings snapped). See the Suzanne Clothier article on how to use a prong safely.

    Good for you that you are determined to PREVENT a pulling problem. Granted, he will go through phases, but the earlier you train for a behavior, good or bad, the longer it will persist.

  3. #33
    House Broken HammerLover's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    New York State
    Posts
    249
    Thanked: 138
    Hammer was sent to a 4 week training boot camp 3 years ago where our trainer (we still work with and I actually work for) tried a choke chain and prong. Prong seemed to work better. If used correctly, prong collars won't injure your dog what so ever. They are meant for short yank corrections. They also last a very long time.
    Hidden Content
    Herding Hanson the Handsome~born 11/28/2018
    Hammer Head Shark~forever in my heart 1/13/2011-4/30/2018
    Hidden Content


  4. #34
    Real Retriever Moby and Barley's Mom's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2014
    Location
    Napa, California
    Posts
    433
    Thanked: 214
    Goodness! I cannot imagine a single person being on a Labrador Retriever forum who was not CRAZY in love with their labrador! Everyone has different methods and I try to reserve all judgement. I am about to try to reach my 3 1/2 month old to walk nicely on leash because our 13 year old never was - and pulls and sniffs constantly. He wears a harness because he pulled so hard he damaged his throat as a puppy so I have been trying a harness. (He was my husband's dog - and I knew him since he was 5) Barley (the puppy) just had his first obedience class and I talked about this with the trainer because for some reason he has always been terrified of the collar and especially the harness. He just backs away in fear. We took it off of him - and he did better. So - her opinion - and I understand this - is to train him with a flat collar and actually train him not to pull. I am hoping for the great amount of patience and time that I know this will take. Wish me luck because - who knows - I may need to use a prong one day or the harness or something else to keep myself and my puppy safe. My arm was actually pulled out of the socket when I took my mother's 85 pound lab rescue home for two weeks to work with him after he spent 6 weeks in the hospital from a negligent prior owner. Please wish me luck with my Barley! (I am going to need it!)

 



Not a Member of the Labrador Retriever Chat Forums Yet?
Register for Free and Share Your Labrador Retriever Photos

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •