Ok so I had to come here because only husky owners would understand. Earlier today I posted a status on fb asking if anybody had a choke collar they no longer use so I could borrow it for Beau. I read forums on here about it, how only when used "PROPERLY" they were effective. I thought I'd give it a shot. APPARENTLY I am now a horrible person because I want to try it out. People are going on about how I must not be doing something right and to use a choke collar on a dog is "horrible." One woman went on about how control harnesses worked "GREAT" for her lab. I'm sorry, but my dog is not a lab. He is a 45 lb beast with ridiculous strength! lol This is what I wrote in response..

"We have tried everything. Regular harnesses make him feel empowered so he pulls harder. We tried training him while walking by offering treats but once he is outside he could care less about food. We got a no-pull harness too. It worked for about a week until he got used to the feeling and continued to pull (he is incredibly strong..). We then got him a gentle leader head collar which causes the dogs head to pull back to the side if he pulls. He got used to that too! It prevented him from pulling for about a week and once again he became used to it to the point that he pulled so hard one time it rubbed his fur clean off around his muzzle. Apparently his sled dog instincts to pull override his need for "comfort". Beau is not even full grown and a mere 45 lbs, and has already gotten to the point where today he literally pulled me off my feet to get to another dog. I always thought choke collars were somewhat cruel but frankly its a matter of whether or not I want my dog pulling himself free and running away (which he would surely do if he had a chance due to his husky independence). I know a few husky owners who recommend the choke collars only if used PROPERLY. Trust me, I didn't like the sound of it either but Beau would run for it and never look back if he got loose. The moment I decided this was this morning when some moron decided to throw out raw chicken in the grass out front our apartment and because I couldn't pull Beau back hard enough, he pulled me until he got to it and ate it. Frozen, raw, bacteria infested chicken."

By all means, please come walk my dog and see for yourself.

So what should I do here? Go ahead with the choke collar and tell people where to shove it? lol XD Or is there some secret trick I've yet to try? Ah that felt good to vent Haha, any advice would be fantastic!

i am not a fan of choke collars, but i am a fan of the pinch collar (ones with the prongs on the inside) they work much better then a choke, your list of things you have tried sounds like my list. the pinch collar needs to be fitted right so it does not slip down the neck but stays high, you do still need to work on leash manners with it on it it will never work, i think we have a thread with pics somewhere on here (anyone help out with that?)

You can try the choke collar and even a prong collar, but honestly he's just going to get used to it like the other things and continue to pull. I thought the prong collar was awesome on Siku, until she got used to it and would pull anyway! But that being said, if done right and you put enough time into it, a choke or prong collar can be a very usefull teaching tool. I really need to work on my two more. They still try to pull me over when we start for a walk. They think a walk should be a jog and no slower!

I don't really have an opinion on the choke collar, but I do have an opinion on those who judge husky owners without knowing anything about the breed. I once had a neighbor that said, to my face, that my dog must not love me or he wouldn't want to run away. Dumba**! Good luck with whatever you decide to try. Keimo still pulls sometimes, but not nearly as bad as he used to.

Sitka has always had a choke collar since I adopted him when he was 10 months old. He probably needed it for the first 4 months but since then he's been a delight to walk with. My mother has terrible back and spine problems and just generally has a hard time walking and the choke collar is more of a reinforcement to make sure that he's mindful of his walker than to really correct his actions anymore.

People may look at me occassionally in disgust, but my dog is always better on a leash than theirs.

SaraB wrote:

.. They still try to pull me over when we start for a walk. They think a walk should be a jog and no slower!

Haha! So true. When Beau was still a pup my husband would take him running.. now it's like he thinks leash = RUN! Which honestly looking back I wish I could have had more time to work with his training but then again he wasn't my dog. It's not a problem for my husband because he's the one who runs with Beau. Today Beau saw another husky that was showing signs of aggression (Beau is oblivious) and it was like a slow tug-of-war that I was gradually losing. Again, the other person did nothing but watch as his dog tried to bite mine -_- (some people!) I completely understand why shelters, rescues, and breeders are so picky. There are a good amount of people who really shouldn't be allowed to own animals.

It took me about a month and a half of constant work with neo to get him to behave on the leash. I only use a prong collar when we go to the park or petsmart. On our walks everyone he would pull I would stop. When he gave me slack, we would go. It was very frustrating at first. But worth it when he started walking nice. Yes prong collars are good, as a tool, not a constant thing. We have good walks now, and only use the prong for certain situations. You have to be constant or it wont work. During training, I would not let Brad take him for walks because he would let him pull instead of making him act right. It is sooooo worth it in the end!

Keimo&Izzi wrote:

I once had a neighbor that said, to my face, that my dog must not love me or he wouldn't want to run away. Dumba**!

Oh my gosh.. yea that's why when I posted about Beau not paying attention to me I really emphasized that I love my dog and spend lots of time with him! lol Huskies are just very different. I guess other breeds the running away/independence might be a sign of the dog not liking you? Ironically after I posted yesterday about Beau not liking attention from me, today when I was lying down he curled up next to me :3 Haha I was so excited! I love my fluffy boy.

They really are the sweetest! The attention thing is probably just a faze. Like I said before, my boy always wipes off my kisses.

i<3neo wrote:

It took me about a month and a half of constant work with neo to get him to behave on the leash. I only use a prong collar when we go to the park or petsmart. On our walks everyone he would pull I would stop. When he gave me slack, we would go. It was very frustrating at first. But worth it when he started walking nice. Yes prong collars are good, as a tool, not a constant thing. We have good walks now, and only use the prong for certain situations. You have to be constant or it wont work. During training, I would not let Brad take him for walks because he would let him pull instead of making him act right. It is sooooo worth it in the end!

Good advice! Yes I imagine it will be incredibly frustrating, and confusing for Beau at first. But it's gotten to the point where I am scared he is going to get free and take off. That would be awful if he was lost, I couldn't even imagine!

I've been through the same thing with my two. I've used a choke collar on my two and it has helped a lot! I only started using them on Indy after he was 40 lbs and he is a lot better on the leash as to before I started using the choke collar. I was always against them until I got my first husky lol. If used right they're not harmful and can be an effective tool. Just be careful with them because it can cause damages to your dog and they also break the fur around the neck when it tightens. I don't currently use one on Indy because he's good enough on walks that I can use his collar or harness, but we're still training. He's not perfect and still pulls at moments, but I know it would be a lot worse had I not used the choke collar.

I also use them because it seems to be the only thing they can't escape! Until I get the Web Master harness from Ruffwear to try, I'll always keep a choke collar on hand just in case of escapes!

I was going to say did you try a martingale yet. I don't like choke collars either and would only use one out of desperation. The danger is that they can hurt themselves, and/or get used to it and keep pulling anyway. A martingale is like a half-choke and so the nice thing about it is that the dog has some control - if it stops pulling, then the collar loosens. The other thing about a martingale is that it's harder for a dog to slip its collar than with a regular collar, because if they try to slip it then it tightens.

You get different types of martingale. Some are all fabric, some have a length of chain; we use the one with the chain.

How are you getting on with teaching not to pull? This is the most maddening thing to teach as it can take a while. Ghost picked it up quickly but our other dog is still learning (mostly he's okay but he still pulls to meet some dogs and people). He's 66lbs and strong so it's not been fun teaching him!

We've done it by stopping and standing still every time he pulls. I don't say anything but just wait until he steps backwards, and then we set off again. It's really really tiresome at the beginning but it does eventually work. If that isn't enough (e.g. if he is pulling to meet a dog) then I say 'let's go' and turn him around to go in the other direction until he stops pulling.

Teaching 'heel' is another way of tackling it.

I know how hard it is when they pull and I know plenty of people resort to a prong collar, but personally I think a martingale and some time spent training is a better option.

shaina&amp;indy wrote:

I also use them because it seems to be the only thing they can't escape! Until I get the Web Master harness from Ruffwear to try, I'll always keep a choke collar on hand just in case of escapes!

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One of the reasons why I still use the prong collars on my two. It's the only thing that I feel safe it. They can't slip out of it and it won't break. I just ordered the web master actually. Should be getting it in the next few days, but I don't know if I'll feel totally secure walking them in. Will probably use it more for biking. I'm just too paranoid!

SaraB wrote:

You can try the choke collar and even a prong collar, but honestly he's just going to get used to it like the other things and continue to pull. I thought the prong collar was awesome on Siku, until she got used to it and would pull anyway! But that being said, if done right and you put enough time into it, a choke or prong collar can be a very usefull teaching tool.

I agree they both a great teaching tool. Frankie's regular/daily collar is a choke. We trained with it and now he does great. I use it if I need it to correct, but also because he can't get out of it. He slips out of a regular collar like it's nothing. The only other collar I use is a martingale.
The bottom line is that if he doesn't learn not to pull you on your walks, these tools are useless. When Frankie has a moment and wants to pull.... He will do it whether he is in the choke or not.

The prong collars also have the martingale affect, so it is not constantly correcting the dog, only when you need it too .

MelissaI wrote:

shaina&indy wrote:

I also use them because it seems to be the only thing they can't escape! Until I get the Web Master harness from Ruffwear to try, I'll always keep a choke collar on hand just in case of escapes!

\

One of the reasons why I still use the prong collars on my two. It's the only thing that I feel safe it. They can't slip out of it and it won't break. I just ordered the web master actually. Should be getting it in the next few days, but I don't know if I'll feel totally secure walking them in. Will probably use it more for biking. I'm just too paranoid!

Exactly! I'm mainly going to use it for jogging and hikes. But I'll go the extra mile just to make sure Indy can't get loose and put him in his harness so he can't get out. That's actually what I do now, but I know he can get out of his current harness if he wiggles and twists enough... I'm way too paranoid. I've had both of my dogs back out of their collars and bolt unless I had the choke collar on. And I don't want to always use it, especially when we're running, because it can really hurt him. I actually plan on getting a braided nylon slip collar so I don't have to use the metal chain. We'll try that one out and I'll let you guys know how it works.

Twenty years ago when I took my first husky to puppy school, the instructor was encouraging the use of choke collars. We had a HORRENDOUS experience! After the poor dog barfed twice and passed out once, the instructor took me aside and introduced me to the prong collar. The beauty of the prong collar (that's funny, since it is a hideous-looking medival torture device-like thing!) is that the prong collar (and the martingale, as well) can never go infinitely small. If the collar can get so small it can harm the dogs neck or trachea, I believe it should not be used. The prong and the martingale are both good alternatives to the choke collar. I like the prong for these hard-headed huskies! At 14 months old, I am still walking Sabaka with a prong collar but my husband does not. I also put his harness on him too, because I have found that if we come upon a loose dog, he will still pull and jerk (and sometimes it is the fault of the other dog!) and I do not want to hurt his neck.

It's not always fun walking these pullers, is it!?! Good Luck!

I dunno, I personally am completely against choke and prong collars. In my opinion, since huskies are a breed that was bred to pull, they're always going to want to pull and could potentially hurt themselves by trying to pull. You simply have to train the dog to not pull. (Yeah... "simply" isn't quite simple!!!)

With Roxy I used the method described above, where when she pulls I stop. When she stops, I walk. Repeat. Yes it is soooo incredibly annoying and mind numbing, but now I don't have many issues with Roxy at all. I notice also the more I take her for "adventures", the better behaved she is. She is always a little wired in the beginning, but within a couple minutes she settles down.

Also, have you tried to take Beau on walks where there aren't many other dogs, so there are less distractions? The less distractions the better, at least at first while trying to train. Roxy and I looooooove to go to Ijams for long walks. Also, Island Home park links to Ijams on the greenway and it's a nice, long haul that does a great job of burning off some energy (round trip about 4.5 miles, of course you can walk less or more depending on what you want to start with).

Personally I would never use the choke or prong collar, I feel like if I cannot control the dog on a harness or collar then I don't need to own that dog. I know that sounds harsh and rude and I am sorry, it is not meant that way I am not meaning to judge anyone else, that is just the way that I feel about it.

Prong collar all the way (when used correctly). Choke collars in my experience cut the hairs around the neck. I taught Kale to heel using a prong collar and he never pulls, even when i release him to loose lead on walks. He doesn't usually need any reminders, and he walks right by other dogs without pulling towards them or making a fuss. I also use the "on-by" command when going by dogs that are way out of control, and he usually just ignores them. It took a lot of work and walking past a lot of people and dogs to train him and get him where he is today, but it was definitely worth it. Depending on his mood before a walk, I either use a martingale collar, or the prong, and of course I use a harness when I was running him. I also have a Ruffwear pack that I sometimes put on him for some extra weight and to give him a job, which he loves. Personally, use what works for your pup. some dogs don't do well with one but will do great with another, test them out and use what works. I didn't want to be pulled down the street every time that I walked him, so i trained him to heel. He still can pull when biking and on hikes (especially when he sees squirrels or birds!) and he loves to pull when the situation allows it, but when I tell him to walk next to me, I expect it and he knows that it's the rules and he respects them beautifully. Leash training doesn't get rid of their instincts.

Prong collar, 100%

Use it correctly and use it to teach. Sizing and placement are extremely important.

Walk with prong all the time unless in their harnesses. They learn their limits and yes at times might still pull but they know enough not to harm themselves. More important is the owners end of the leash with a prong collar, steady pressure pull when you need cooperation never yank the leash.

Biko would choke himself horribly w/o the prong collar.

The only thing I use for training is a "choke collar". For the love of god, if the dog is choking you're doing it wrong. For me they are an invaluable tool that yields great results. You don't use it forever, just like any of the other training collars and harnesses. I still use it when in the forest as a backup should a harness clip break. But my dogs are all capable of walking politely on a standard plastic buckle nylon collar without a problem.

If you're at this point I suggest finding a trainer who uses that collar confidently. Not harshly or angrily, and not meekly or submissively. With the right setup and consistency, I would say 95% of dogs (yeah, even huskies) can be taught to walk comfortably (maybe not perfectly) on collar within 14 days.

In short: No, you're not bad for wanting to use one.

I recently started using a Martingale Collar. It seems to have the same effect as the choke collar- which I used and thought helped.

Wow thank you all for the advice! I had never heard of the martingale so I will look into that too. It looks like I will most likely try out the prong collar on him.. I just have this horrible image of him getting stabbed in the neck by that thing

Update:
This morning I went youtube crazy looking up leash training tricks plus a few Cesar Millan videos. There is actually a video of him rollerblading (first time w/o walking the dogs) THREE huskies. He got control of them but they still pulled. I don't know what his point was.. Anyway, I used what I learned on Beau. I opened the front door and just stood there. He bolted and became irritated when I wouldn't move. I wanted him to calm down before we walked. After about ten minutes passed of him whining and crying he finally sat down. I proceeded outside where he immediately pulled - I stopped. He cried and finally quit pulling. I began to walk, he pulled, I stopped. This continued for about an hour. He was crying so loud it was echoing through out our apartment complex. You'd swear he was being tortured! lol He kept looking up at me, "Woo, woo, woo, woo!" as if saying "What is wrong with you, let's move it lady!" He seemed to get more irritated than anything. He also attempted to pull out of his collar numerous times. So now, I am sporting lovely rope burns on my hand. *Sigh*.. I will let you all know how it goes when I get the prong!