Choke vs. Poke - and Everything Else

Numerous types of collars have been made for dogs throughout the years - mainly for training purposes. How do you know which is best for you and your dog? How should they be used properly? What are the dangers with certain variations in collars? All of these questions need to be answered before the purchase of any collar to ensure the safety and health of your dog.

The majority of dog owners use a regular flat buckle collar, especially once their dog learns to walk well on a leash. Other types of collars include: choker collars (choke chains), which many people are familiar with; pinch collars (prong collars), which are newer and becoming more popular; harnesses, which go around the dogs chest; and probably the newest training collar is the head halter or head collar (brand name: Gentle Leader), which goes around the nose and back of the head.

The largest problem among dog owners is they don’t know how to use these collars properly and don’t realize they are not made to be everyday-use collars (with the exception of a buckle collar and sometimes harnesses). They are made for training purposes, meaning that once your dog knows basic commands such as “sit” and “stay”, these collars assist in enforcing these commands until good habits are formed while on a leash.

Yahoo Answers member, “Dee Dawg” says, “The dog still needs to be trained. The tool [training collar] is only used to administer correction, and before corrections can be effectively administered, the dog must know what the handler wants it to do….A correction should only be issued when the dog ignores or refuses a command that it knows. Then the correction is effective.

These collars are not meant to punish your dog by choking/pinching when your dog pulls away from something or for you to hold it back. If they don’t know the basic “leave it” or “stay” they will have no idea what you want from them just because you’re choking them.

“Kip’s Mom”, a member on Yahoo Answers, says, “When used properly, NO collar is cruel. When used improperly, EVERY collar is cruel.”

When used improperly, a choker collar does exactly as its name suggests. It chokes the dog, which in the severest of circumstances can cut off air circulation or even collapse the dog’s trachea, causing permanent damage. Prong collars can also cause damage, but not as severely as a choke collar if used improperly. As a caution, the prongs can also bend or snap over time, which can cause serious injury by gouging or cutting the dogs neck. Even the head halter - which given its name Gentle Leader, sounds a lot more pleasant than the previous collars – can cause injury if used improperly. Although you’re not choking or pinching your dog, the way this collar sits on your dogs head, if pulled harshly or in the wrong direction, it has potential to cause injury to the neck or spine. However, when used correctly, these are probably the most humane and beneficial of all the collars I have listed.

“BMTHESPIAN”, a user on Yahoo Answers, says, “I personally refused to use them [head halters] because when a dog pulls it forces the neck around, putting undue stress on the neck. As I have a breed that is prone to cervical vertebral instability (wobblers) I'm not willing to take that risk.”

The last type of collar is the harness. It rarely causes injury but isn’t very advantageous as it gives the dog the full force of their body to pull on the leash. (Actually, I remember when I was a child my parents bought one for my Golden Retriever. It didn’t help whatsoever.)

BMTHESPIAN says, “Harnesses put the force against the strongest part of the dog and actually encourage pulling and do little to actually train a dog.”

Although I mentioned earlier that most of these collars should only be used for training, I will tell you that I use a Gentle Leader almost every day with my German shepherd mix, Charliey. I would say I have a good reason for doing so, however; because my dog actually only weighs 30 lbs less than I do. Since a Gentle Leader goes around her nose and back of head, she doesn’t have the force to be able to pull me off my feet. If I used a buckle collar every time I took her outside near the lake behind my apartment, I guarantee once she saw a Canada goose I would end up on my butt being dragged through the dirt trying to hold on to her for dear life. Personally, I’d rather keep my clothes clean and not have my skin ripped off from being dragged, so I use her Gentle Leader a great deal of the time. The trick is…I know how to use it properly.

If you're not sure what some of these dog collars look like, check out this website. They even have more types than what all I talked about here.

COLLARS

Peaceful Pit Bulls

It's probably safe to say that the most controversial dog breed that exists is the American Staffordshire Terrier, aka the Pit Bull.

Over the years, the breed has received a bad rap from being kings of the dog fighting world. But is that their fault or humans? I'd put money on it being the fault of humans any day.

Out of 21 people surveyed, 11 said that Pit Bulls are misrepresented and shouldn't be punished for reputation alone; eight said it depended on the situation, and only two people saw the breed as a complete threat.

Yahoo Answers user "Nighty" says, "I think Pit Bulls are only as dangerous as their owner makes them. By nature I feel they are not inherently vicious dogs. They simply have been bred to be fierce."

The majority of people surveyed obviously seem to accept Pit Bulls as a tolerable member of dog society. Then why are they banned from so many counties and cities throughout the U.S.? Perhaps I got the rare end of people surveyed or possibly one idiot with a lot of power and money had an issue with Pits and got their way by having the breed restricted or banned. Some cities and counties have made Pit Bulls illegal to own or breed altogether.

Kathleen Abt, a kennel assistant at the Clermont County Humane Society of Ohio, says, "Punish the deed not the breed...I see so many well-behaved Pits come into the shelter, usually strays. And only the owner can claim them out. Since Ohio law says any Pit Bull or bully breed is not adoptable.

*According to www.animallawcoalition.com a bill to completely ban Pit Bulls from Ohio failed.*

If laws are passed to ban these animals it can make the situation worse. More dogs are being euthanized, more money is being spent to do so, and outlawing the ownership of the breed doesn't always mean an improvement in safety. Other breeds are going to fill the gap and become replacements for Pit Bulls, especially when it comes to idiots wanting money for fighting dogs.

"Poppy," a member of Yahoo Answers, says, "Banning almost never works. It just makes things happen under the radar, therefore, making things more dangerous."

Pit Bulls are being targeted unjustly. Many breeds such as the Chow Chow or the well-known "bully breeds" such as Bull Terriers and Bull Dogs also have a high potential to be dangerous if not raised properly. That's what a great deal of this controversy comes down to - raising a dog. If you're socializing a puppy from its earliest days with humans and dogs, taking him to the dog park and training classes, more likely than not you're going to have a good chance at raising a well-mannered and friendly dog. It's when dogs get neglected, aren't fed regularly, are rewarded for aggressive behavior and even left to self-mutilate in a cage that things can go very wrong. Even to a lesser extent, not socializing a puppy and allowing them to terrorize at a young age can turn them into a nightmare. That's with any breed. Although Pit Bulls are often rescued from the worst of circumstances, such as in the Michael Vick case, they still have a chance of turning around. In the Vick case alone, a majority of the 53 Pit Bulls he used for fighting were able to be adopted out to families or turned into therapy dogs. THERAPY DOGS. Think about that for a second. That must mean there's a glimmer of hope.

When it comes to personalty, I take nurture over nature in the case of Pit Bulls. Many people would agree. Others would say they're personality (aka aggressive tendencies) comes from nature. Okay, but let me put this thought in your head. Have you ever seen an "angel child" with the rudest parents ever, or a church-going family with teenagers who drink and do drugs? I know I have. In my experience with Pit Bulls, I've only met the sweethearts of the breed, but I'm not ignorant in knowing that isn't always the case. The breed has one flaw that makes them different from all other breeds, when it comes to nature versus nurture, and that's their extremely strong jaw. This is the trait that makes them born killers if trained to do so. Most people don't even know the breed well enough to know this fact about them or they mistake them as having a locking jaw. People believe what they hear. So if word on the street says Pit Bulls are mean then they must be. Right? Ha! Educate yourself people.

Ponkigal, a Yahoo Answers user, says, "Although I've never owned this breed, they're already banned from different states because of their aggressiveness, and most of them have been trained to attack or kill. I don't believe this breed is a born killer, but most are taught as such."

Not to knock this person, but not a single U.S. state has banned Pit Bulls. Yes, cities and counties, but not an entire state. Bills have been proposed, but because of lovers of the breed, they haven't been passed.

Pit Bulls, like many breeds, are extremely loyal dogs, meaning they will do pretty much anything for their owner. This has to be taken very seriously when it comes to raising a puppy. They can be raised to fight and kill, raised to protect, or raised to love and snuggle. From the very extreme ends, they will do what they are taught and praised for.

When it comes to breeding and raising a Pit, Ponkigal says, "I think they [cities, counties] should have some kind of enforcement to make sure that those who own Pits have enough experience to be able to handle a strong breed and does not intend to engage the dog in criminal activities."

I like this idea, but it would be extremely hard to put into effect. People are always going around the law.

"The public has given this breed a bad name. And guess what? It's our fault when there is a bad Pit Bull. It's because someone started slacking," says Abt.

I can't sum it up any better than that. Pit Bulls got stuck with a bad reputation, when the majority of the time, the dog's mistakes and faults are due to human failures to raise a dog to public standards. The best we can do is open people's eyes to see the good side.

For more information on the breed, here's a list of websites.
ASPCA Info
The No Kill Nation
Pawsitive Pit Bulls

To Shave or Not to Shave

Summer is finally within sight, which means hotter weather and panting pups.

Each summer I have to deal with a doggy dilemma - my friends always tell me to shave my long haired German shepherd mix, who has hair that feels more like a Golden Retriever. I've heard both sides of the spectrum as to whether or not you should shave your dog in the summer months, but have settled on shaving being a poor decision.

Some people will say that the long hair is making your dog miserable, they can't sweat, and you therefore need to give them a trim to keep them cool. This is rarely the case. Although it sounds paradoxical at first, it can be harmful to take off the winter coat in summer months. Shaving them down means taking away their sun protection and leaving them exposed to the elements, which can cause sunburn, skin cancer, or even cause them to have a stroke. Skin is skin, whether it’s on a dog or a human.

A dog’s coat is also its insulation. Fur keeps the cold out in the winter and keeps the heat out in the summer, just like insulation in a house. The least severe problem with shaving can be the fur not growing back properly, which isn’t usually life-altering unless you have a show dog.

Besides mentioning sun protection and insulation, Yahoo Anwers member “BCs Do It With Intensity,” makes these points, “…Naked dogs equal easy targets for ticks, flies, mosquitoes, wasps, hornets, etc.” This member also says, “A shaved coat may not always grow back in the way it should, and could conceivably take years to grow back properly. In some cases, it never grows back (acquired alopecia). Every time a double-coated dog is shaved, the new coat can come in thicker than the time before. They shed for a reason, that's one of the ways they regulate their body temperature.”

After surveying a group of 17 people, I found that a majority knew about the health risks in shaving a dog; however, this would only make sense because those surveyed are well-informed dog owners. To my surprise, only three said they shave their dogs or think it’s okay to shave dogs for style. Eight people said that dogs should never be shaved, and six said they thought it was okay to shave for the comfort of the dog.

Although I’m pro-fur, there is one exception in my book - the Shih Tzu. I’m going to out myself right here as a hater of Shih Tzus and other extremely pampered dogs. The dogs themselves and the way owners treat them repulses me. That being said and having no relevance, most Shih Tzus I have encountered (which is a lot because I work at a pet hotel) either have a filthy long coat that has never been washed or they have been shaved in some awkward way that makes them look like an Ewok from Star Wars. Being that Shih Tzus aren’t usually the best jogging buddies and are usually safe from the sun’s rays inside in the air conditioning, I would vote for shaving an oily, grimy coat even though they would look like shaved rats.

“Shih Tzu Lover,” a Yahoo Answers user, says, “We don't shave our Shih Tzu for summer. I, personally, think a shaved Tzu looks terrible but if it benefited my dog I'd do it.”

Key words there are “if it benefited my dog.” Dog owners need to research what is actually beneficial versus what they believe is beneficial.

I receive a lot of harassment for leaving my dog’s coat on in the summer – usually from people who have no idea about the health aspects. I’ve been too concerned about what effects shaving would have on my dog and whether or not her coat would grow back normally for winter.

On the more vain side, I would probably shed a tear if my dog came out looking hideous as if it were my own hair that got chopped off.

Also, if you do decide to shave your dog and are going to be out in the sun with your four-legged friend try a PABA-free sunscreen on your dog’s skin.