What is your opinion on choke collars

[finalfantasyfreak1O1]

I really hate them.
My aunt has one for her dog that has these spike things on the inside so when he pulls it chokes him and hurts him.
He hates walks now because of how much it hurts him.
It makes me want to cry when i take him for a walk because he crys and whines so much.
What bugs me even more is that they put it on him when he is on the runner.
Im buying him a harness for Christmas.
My dog had one and they were much better and easier to train him with.
Her son is the only one that agrees with me.
He got grounded once for refuseing to use the choke collar.  

[Musical Doll]

I think it depends on the disposition and size of the dog, really.

If a dog is aggressive then it might be good to have a choke collar because if it's a strong dog and it sees something that it really doesn't like, what else is to keep it from darting off and taking you or whoever might be walking him with him?

I think for a docile dog, a normal collar is best. Of course, some dogs are incredibly hyper and have trouble keeping a normal collar around them (I've seen a dog even destroy its regular collar and make it pretty much useless). I bought him a choke collar and it worked for a little bit, until he outgrew it anyway. Thankfully he's got a relatively decent collar now and I'm strong enough to keep hold of him so that he doesn't drag me off (bullmastiff and a five feet tall girl is an odd/slightly dangerous for the latter combo).

For an average sized/playful/even-tempered dog, a harness would be ideal, I would think. Keeps it in control and you won't have to worry about them taking off all that easily.  

[finalfantasyfreak1O1]

He isnt even 1 yet he is still a puppy.
He really isnt that big.
He really isnt hard to walk.
He never needed it.
She just thinks that he needs one, but she has never walked him.
I just hope when i get the harness that he will want to acctually go for a walk.  

[Musical Doll]

Shame on your Aunt then. ):

If he's a good dog and all then just ignore what she says. Argue back since it's for the dogs welfare. If it's mistreated then it will remain frightened and if a choke collar scares it as much as you say it does then it may cause some lasting damage to the poor thing. It may result in instilling bad behavior in him and that's something that no animal lover or owner wishes to happen to their pet.

If you catch it early then you should be able to help him. When you get the harness it may or may not be difficult to take him out. He may just be scared of the choker and what it does. Since a harness is safe and he's never dealt with one before, it may be alright.  

[Meth on Meth]

I thought you meant the ones people wear.
I wear a spiked choker sometimes.

But what the hell? Who invented those? That's cruel.  

[Musical Doll]

It's used as a training tool. Quickly tugging on it should help teach a dog how to stay or heel when walking. I used the choke collar for the bullmastiff because he's so huge, it's necessary to try and attempt teaching him to NOT tug when he's being walked. He's rarely walked though, since his owners are lazy and are too stupid to known how to keep him from dragging them around. Didn't seem to help any though. xx Depends on the dog really. Some are susceptible to being trained by them and some aren't.

There are things more cruel though. ):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/ProngCollar_wb.jpg

The prongs are usually used inwards so they pinch the dog's loose skin around the neck. Supposed to prevent them from pulling by causing them some measure of discomfort. Rubber ends are supposed to be placed at the tips of the prongs but it's likely still bad.  

[Azusanga]

When used right, prongs (the ones with the spikes on the inside) and chokes are wonderful training aids. They should never be allowed on the dog full time, and she be used under close supervision, after a proper lesson on how to use them. I have two of them- one from my grandfather's now-deceased dog, and one for my own. I don't often use the choke since I need a proper lesson, but I'll use it if I'm using a collar that I don't know how sturdy it is. I'll attack the choke AND the regular collar together, so if the regular breaks while on a walk, my dog isn't running loose through the streets.  

[Azusanga]

SherlockDoll

It's used as a training tool. Quickly tugging on it should help teach a dog how to stay or heel when walking. I used the choke collar for the bullmastiff because he's so huge, it's necessary to try and attempt teaching him to NOT tug when he's being walked. He's rarely walked though, since his owners are lazy and are too stupid to known how to keep him from dragging them around. Didn't seem to help any though. xx Depends on the dog really. Some are susceptible to being trained by them and some aren't.

There are things more cruel though. ):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/ProngCollar_wb.jpg

The prongs are usually used inwards so they pinch the dog's loose skin around the neck. Supposed to prevent them from pulling by causing them some measure of discomfort. Rubber ends are supposed to be placed at the tips of the prongs but it's likely still bad.

Prongs are more often used on dogs with thick ruffs, like Rough Coated Collies, or dogs with thicker skin on their necks, like Labs or Bulldogs.  

[finalfantasyfreak1O1]

Satin_Slippers

SherlockDoll

It's used as a training tool. Quickly tugging on it should help teach a dog how to stay or heel when walking. I used the choke collar for the bullmastiff because he's so huge, it's necessary to try and attempt teaching him to NOT tug when he's being walked. He's rarely walked though, since his owners are lazy and are too stupid to known how to keep him from dragging them around. Didn't seem to help any though. xx Depends on the dog really. Some are susceptible to being trained by them and some aren't.

There are things more cruel though. ):

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/c/cf/ProngCollar_wb.jpg

The prongs are usually used inwards so they pinch the dog's loose skin around the neck. Supposed to prevent them from pulling by causing them some measure of discomfort. Rubber ends are supposed to be placed at the tips of the prongs but it's likely still bad.

Prongs are more often used on dogs with thick ruffs, like Rough Coated Collies, or dogs with thicker skin on their necks, like Labs or Bulldogs.

The ones on my aunts collar dont have any ruber things on the ends and his coat is thin so it hurts him.  

[Musical Doll]

Satin_Slippers

Prongs are more often used on dogs with thick ruffs, like Rough Coated Collies, or dogs with thicker skin on their necks, like Labs or Bulldogs.

Ah, I was unaware of that. Of course there are plenty of owners that are too stupid to realize things like that. While there are people who actually know what they're doing, there are others that will do things all willy nilly.

finalfantasyfreak1O1

The ones on my aunts collar dont have any ruber things on the ends and his coat is thin so it hurts him.

What breed IS your aunts dog anyway?

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/31/SlipCollar_wb.jpg

That's the collar I assumed you were using.  

[finalfantasyfreak1O1]

He is a stray my mom's boss found.
They think he is part ridge back but we arnt sure.
The vet couldnt find out either.  

[Citrus Hikaru]

I use a choke chain on one of my dogs during walks (my fat lab/pitbull) but it doesn't have any spikes on it.
I would never use spikes on the neck! ouchies...
It does come in handy on walks because he likes to pull hard sometimes. especially when there's another dog around  

[finalfantasyfreak1O1]

Im fine with regular choke collars because i know they dont hurt.
One of my parents friends has a lot of pitbulls (i love them they arnt mean like evryone thinks) and she said that choke collars are better to use on them for training.  

[Christizzle]

I am not a fan of pronged collars, but I do like the chain training collar (choke chain with no prongs).

I'll see if I can find a picture...

http://www.kennelgear.com/images2/prods/3qh8_zw330_600x600.jpg  

[whatagirlwants]

It depends on the dog. All training devices should be used for just that training. They should not be used all the time and never on a tie out or runner. My mom uses a head harness on her boxer it hasn't worked for her though because she's too stubborn but it has worked for a lot of calmer dogs of all sizes. I would approve of using a pronged collar on a large breed with a think coat such as a hybrid or st Barnard and only after attempting other methods. Chain chokers are great trainers for dogs who don't respond to the head harness or have squished in faces but aren't for every dog. If I put a choker on my now passed Boston he would've just choked himself to death. Chain chokers also shouldn't be the dogs permanent collar after the dog is behaving the choker one should switch them to a modified choker which doesn't choke the dog but makes the same sound, a reminder to stop pulling. After that one can switch to normal choker or keep the modified choker.
head harness
chain choker
modified choker 1
modified choker 2
pronged choker