What is your opinion on choke collars

[AriaStarSong]

Correctly used, and in the right hands, they're very effective and humane training tools. My best friend has a rott mix with some husky in him. I swear, he can't feel his neck. He'll run through the electric fence with the power turned all the way up and his only reaction is to flick his ears back. The pronged collar, used with prudence, was very effective for him in the beginning of his training. He doesn't need it anymore. The gentle-leader harness works even better though, because it actually prevents pulling by turning their head instead of just making it unpleasant to do so. He doesn't like his gentle leader, but since he's in training to be a therapy dog, he wears it when we take him public places like malls or stores.

It doesn't sound like your aunt's dog needs a pronged collar though.  

[ThornySinger]

I dislike harming any animal at any cost, not even spiders and bugs in the house. I don't know much about choke collars, but after hearing about them, I instantly hate them. If it is supposed to pierce the neck of the dog just to exercise, that is lame, no matter the dog's stubbornness or violence. If your aunt got a sudden pierce in the neck just to walk outside to house to get to her car, I doubt she would enjoy it. Maybe showing her sites about choke collars would help.  

[Christizzle]

SandWhisker

I dislike harming any animal at any cost, not even spiders and bugs in the house. I don't know much about choke collars, but after hearing about them, I instantly hate them. If it is supposed to pierce the neck of the dog just to exercise, that is lame, no matter the dog's stubbornness or violence. If your aunt got a sudden pierce in the neck just to walk outside to house to get to her car, I doubt she would enjoy it. Maybe showing her sites about choke collars would help.

I think you are confusing choke collars with pronged collars.  

[ThornySinger]

Christizzle

SandWhisker

I dislike harming any animal at any cost, not even spiders and bugs in the house. I don't know much about choke collars, but after hearing about them, I instantly hate them. If it is supposed to pierce the neck of the dog just to exercise, that is lame, no matter the dog's stubbornness or violence. If your aunt got a sudden pierce in the neck just to walk outside to house to get to her car, I doubt she would enjoy it. Maybe showing her sites about choke collars would help.

I think you are confusing choke collars with pronged collars.

I think I am too, after reading my post again. What was I thinking when posting that?

In any case, I don't think a small dog would need a choke collar as such that your aunt prefers...  

[Azusanga]

SandWhisker

I dislike harming any animal at any cost, not even spiders and bugs in the house. I don't know much about choke collars, but after hearing about them, I instantly hate them. If it is supposed to pierce the neck of the dog just to exercise, that is lame, no matter the dog's stubbornness or violence. If your aunt got a sudden pierce in the neck just to walk outside to house to get to her car, I doubt she would enjoy it. Maybe showing her sites about choke collars would help.

They don't pierce, they pinch. And they pinch when the dog pulls away from the leader of the pack, which is whoever is walking them. If you want your dog 40 feet in front of you, where if it suddenly goes running into the streets and is killed, fine. If you want your dog next to you through persistant training from a tool that you have learned from a proffesional how to use, fine. If you dont mind if your dog bites the face off of a little 4 year old boy who is going by, fine. But if you'd rather a quick correction means a lot less medical bills for YOU to pay due to being sued, and your dog being euthanised, whatever. Your life, not mine.  

[Melisserz]

I've used choker before, but only for walks. Though I did have a collie for a while, and he LOVED his choke chain, as soon as I would bring that thing out he'd get all wiggly and excited. All I had to do to put it on him was hold it out and he'd put his head in.

Pronged chokers are usually used in the wrong way by the wrong people. confused  

[Swervey]

OUCH! Spiked chokers...that sounds painful. I do use a choker for my dog, but I can attach it to the leash so it doesn't choke her. I use it cuz my dog will get in a fight with ANY dog she sees, and is big, even for a german shepherd, so it's hard to control her otherwise.  

[Intoxikace]

Wow; people really need to learn the difference between prong collars and choke chains. =/

Choke chains are alright for some dogs; they tug or whatever and they feel the light choke and stop tugging.
Other dogs though will keep tugging and tugging even though they are being choked make a disgusting hacking noise and keep doing it..

Prong collars are like choke chains since they tighten up but they have little metal nubs on the inside that poke the neck.
They are NOT sharpened. and they do NOT always poke the dogs neck.
When you put the collar on the dog it should be fairly loose obviously not loose enough to for the dog to slip out; but not tight enough to always be jabbing the dog.
Anyways; put collar on dog; dog walks around; dog tugs; feels the poke from the collar and stops pulling instantly since they don't like the poke; as soon as they stop the discomfort stops.
My mother has a hound dog that is ALWAYS trying to sniff out different things and walk ahead of her on walks so she needs to have a prong collar or else she'd be choking herself half the time.
This dog is around 6 or 7 years old now; has been using a prong collar since she was a puppy and she loves going out for walks with it.
She doesn't see the collar and whimper or anything it goes on; leash gets clipped on and she's happy.
Look; doesn't she look happy WITH the prong collar around her neck?

My mom works with dogs so she knows her crap; she grooms them, shows them, trains them.. so she isn't just like "oh my dogs fine" no her dog is HAPPY.. and doesn't choke herself while she is walking.

Did you know that most dogs that use choke chains throughout their whole have trachea damage?

So pretty much if your aunt seems like she is using it wrong.. since the dog should not be constantly poked.. and should not be scared.. it should be a once in a while thing that only happens when the dog pulls.. not while the dog is just walking there.. and why would she have it on her dog while he's tied out.. or even tied outside alone is beyond me. =/  

[flauterfli]

Throw away that collar =/
Most prong collars aren't made to really hurt doggies..
It may be a cheap, not-so-well made one, though..
or he has sensitive skin.
Either way, if he doesn't tug like crazy then obviously prong or choke collars are completely unnecessary for casual strolls.
My dog is docile and obedient when on the leash..
I use a normal collar on him. ;P  

[ll-Oxytocin-ll]

No matter how big or aggressive the dog is NO dog should be put in a choke collar,mainly because its just inhumane! would you put that on people? No. So then why put it on your dogs. There are better things out there like: a head harness (gives you more control over the dog) a muzzle with a body harness (the dog can't bite an dyou can still get control over them. My friend has a weimeraner (idk how to spell it right now) and they use a shock collar on the poor thing. Like just yesterday the dog teethed the 12 yr old girl and its not like she can't defend herself, he didn't even draw a scar, he just wants to play. (personally i don't think they should have a dog) Then she smacked him with her hand then as if that wasn't enough she smacks him twice with a flip-flop (you could literally hear the *Smack!*) then put him in his cage. They don't take him to the dog park anymore only once in a blue moon. The poor dog also only gets left outside to go pee and comeback in. So Choker chains I hate, but shock collars are just NOT necessary!!!! > sad  

[Christizzle]

XxSmexii_AngelxX

No matter how big or aggressive the dog is NO dog should be put in a choke collar,mainly because its just inhumane! would you put that on people? No. So then why put it on your dogs. There are better things out there like: a head harness (gives you more control over the dog) a muzzle with a body harness (the dog can't bite an dyou can still get control over them. My friend has a weimeraner (idk how to spell it right now) and they use a shock collar on the poor thing. Like just yesterday the dog teethed the 12 yr old girl and its not like she can't defend herself, he didn't even draw a scar, he just wants to play. (personally i don't think they should have a dog) Then she smacked him with her hand then as if that wasn't enough she smacks him twice with a flip-flop (you could literally hear the *Smack!*) then put him in his cage. They don't take him to the dog park anymore only once in a blue moon. The poor dog also only gets left outside to go pee and comeback in. So Choker chains I hate, but shock collars are just NOT necessary!!!! > sad

Really.. a body harness? That just enforces the pulling even more, especially with sledding breeds (huskies etc).
I'm fine seeing a dog get popped with the choke chain a couple of times and realize 'oh maybe I shouldn't pull' than to be pulling and choking themselves, while gasping for air in a regular leash and collar.
Sure the harness might work for some dogs, but what it comes down to is what works best for the particular dog. My border collies do really well with a slip lead, and I have used choke chains before. They do really well with slight pressure on their neck from the chain, because they're such a sensitive breed it doesn't take much. It's meant to be used as a training tool (temporarily while learning to walk on leash) and if you're an idiot and don't use it right then yes, it could become inhumane.

I do agree with you on shock collars.