collar ?

2938 Views 31 Replies 16 Participants Last post by JayJay, Oct 30, 2007

Soccergk1987

Discussion Starter · Oct 30, 2007

so i have noticed when i look at peoples pics of the doggies that most of their dogs have harnesses on... should boxers be in harnesses... i never see boxers w/ choke collars on... what is everyones opinion on collars

1 - 20 of 32 Posts

Mom2BoNLaila

· #2 · Oct 30, 2007

I just use a regular collar, however I have been looking at the Martingale collars. They seem to be very good. I don't have any experience with harnesses. They seem like they would work pretty well and not choke the dog.

A choker chain/collar to me is cruel. IMO. I could never put one on BO. It just seems like it would be very uncomfortable and possibly cause damage to the throat. I'm not an expert on any of this though and I'm sure there are people on here who know a lot more about this than I do.

Soccergk1987

Discussion Starter · #3 · Oct 30, 2007

i wouldnt use a choker till he was older, but with my lab and rottweiler we used chokers and pinch collars... they were suggested during training and especially being that the dogs are so big, they would react better to the choke.

I wouldnt use it till he was older though

Mom2BoNLaila

· #4 · Oct 30, 2007

I think it is all personal choice really. Hope you get some good advice from the people on here that really know what they are talking about, because all I can do is make personal opinions and guesses.

Mastray

· #5 · Oct 30, 2007

We use a regular leather buckle collar on Odin. For training and walking we use a gentle leader... WORKS WONDERS on PULLING. Harnesses aren't suppose to be good with the boxer breed because it assists them in PULLING... it plays into their strength. Though I know there are a few people on here that have their boxers in them. I'm looking at martingales too. I want to order one from Shaka Dog Collars but I don't have the money right now. So I'm just waiting...

Mom2BoNLaila

· #6 · Oct 30, 2007

How much do the Shaka collars run?

Zhanna

· #7 · Oct 30, 2007

Our Shaka collar was $18 + shipping.

It is 1 1/2 inches wide. Martingale/side closure combo. It is wonderful!

sharonL

· #8 · Oct 30, 2007

I use a regular collar as well. When Fiona was learning to walk on a leash without pulling ahead I used a gentle leader, but we seldom use it any longer.

tootsie

· #9 · Oct 30, 2007

Chokers and pinch collars should never be worn unless you are doing training. That is probably why you don't see too many pics of them on the dogs. They are not a 24/7 collar.
What collar to use when training is a very personal decision. You have to find the best method that works with your dog.

sully

· #10 · Oct 30, 2007

For a puppy, I would just start out with a regular nylon collar and try to get them used to being on a leash. No need to invest in some pricey collar to start out with. As they get older you will be able to tell if they are going to pull or be tough to control and then you will have a better idea of what type of collar you need. Because of a boxers strength, a harness is probably not your first choice. I would try a martingale before that. I just got one because Oggie was pulling and choking himself on the regular nylon. The martingale is a lot better at not choking him, but he still pulls and still chokes a bit. It is easier to correct him though and we are working on it.

HannaBanana

· #11 · Oct 30, 2007

Here is my opinion.....

How do you want your dog to walk??? For me, I want to be able to walk my dog on a flat bucket collar and a lead. I want them to not pull, and to have a nice walk in heel position.

Sounds easy right - however its ALOT of work!!!

With Hanna we noticed her pulling. We took her to training class and she still would pull. We got a harness (easy walker) and she stopped pulling. However, anytime we walked her we had this erector set of a harness on her with a collar. So it defeats my original way of how I want them to walk. So now we are ditching the harness, (even thought it worked) and are putting more time and effort into her walking on a leash with a flat buckle. We use a collar that has part chain, and we are the only ones allowed to use and train her with it. Then once she understands what we want, she will go back to regular flat buckle. She needs to learn how to walk. We took the easy way out and used equiptment to teach her how to walk rather than getting off our butts and putting the time and effort into training her how we want her to walk.

So now with Kash, we will not be using any harness, but he will be trained how to walk on flat collar and lead. More effort and time will go into this, but we cannot "blame" them for pulling. Its our fault.

"Train, not blame"

That's our philosophy on the harness thing. It worked great, and recommend, but for what we want our of our dogs, it did not provide the purpose.

Good Luck!!!

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AbbyandBrady

· #12 · Oct 30, 2007

We use martingales for both of ours...not for the training issue but because both are capable of backing out of their collars if they get spooked or something, which is dangerous obviously. Backing out I was told is common for boxers bc of the size/shape of their head. Not typical for cocker spaniels, but he is actually really good at it. The martingales allow you to leave the collar lose, but they cannot back out bc as they start to back out, it tightens enough to prevent it.

southerngirls

· #13 · Oct 30, 2007

Personally i advise against a harness, it plays to a boxers pulling power and could potentially (depending on the dog) create a bigger issue while walking then help the situation. Reese had a big time pulling problem and we used the Gentle Leader, we corrected the problem and have worked endless hours with recall. now she is off leash when going to the bathroom, and when we walk she only pulls if she sees a cat that she wants to "play with" or if she sees a person. We still us the gl from time to time just to help reinforce good walking. I do formally believe it needs to be used as a training tool to better the dogs performance while walking-the gl is not a fix-it-all tool.

FREDOSMOM

· #14 · Oct 30, 2007

Our vet recommended the gentle leader and it seems to work great. I have to admit I have been lazy in the training department lately though. I really have to get back on track there.

Bubbaboy

· #15 · Oct 30, 2007

Luther is about 63 lbs and loves to walk. I use a pinch collar with him when I know I am going to be around lots of people. He really does well with it and it does not hurt him. When i do my nightly 2 mile walk with him, I have a regular flat collar on him. I have noticed a BIG difference in him with the pinch collar.

Just my .02

BubbaBoy

Soccergk1987

Discussion Starter · #16 · Oct 30, 2007

idk if it is that dungy isnt used to his collar or what, but he basically walks on three legs cause he is using one of his back legs to scratch at it... is that normal lol... none of my other dogs had a problem w/ collars... it isnt tight on him either

southerngirls

· #17 · Oct 30, 2007

Reese did that why she was getting used to her collar. It will pass with time

JayJay

· #18 · Oct 30, 2007

First I have two questions:

What is a martingale? I don

Michelle

· #19 · Oct 30, 2007

Our trainer that we have reccommened that we get a pinch coller. Ty was a "puller" when we would walk him. Now we use the pinch coller for training and it works wonders. It does not hurt him at all. It's great for training. He also has a regular collar that we use for an everyday collar.

JayJay

· #20 · Oct 30, 2007

It does not hurt him at all.

Who says that?

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