Best walk of his life! - Page 2

Okay, maybe I am old school, but biting ears?  Why would you want to put your face down near your dogs face, and then bite him?  You are just asking for a bite on your own ear (actually, most likely on your cheek, mouth or nose).  Your dogs reflexes are quicker than yours.  Plus the fact that dogs roll in feces and the like.

While I'm at it.  Does EVERYONE use a prong collar now?  Sure, it will work, but it is lazy and excessively painful, especially in the hands of a novice.

 A simple jerk of a leash on a normal choke collar will suffice. with the appropriate command of NO or whatever you use, (I'm not a big fan of choke collars either but most people need something to get their point across).  I have ten dogs that obey me, and they were trained with commands, repetition and "looks", and a few leash corrections.  NO prong collars, no shock collars, no hitting with rocks or sticks, etc.  Training dogs for Schutzund or protection of course is a different matter as you sometimes need to pinch them, etc, but we are talking here about taking a dog for a WALK without it barking at or going after other dogs.  This conversation is not about training working dogs.

Seems like so many like to take shortcuts, regardless of the consequences to others.  Driving too fast, taking pills to eat less to lose weight, etc, instead of training their dog to do what dogs have been trained to do for thousands of years, without choke collars or electric shock collars.  I guess I am just an old softy.  Okay, let'er rip :)

Do Right, I was beginning to think I was the only softee around here.  I agree with you 100% on the use of prong and shock collars.

And Shepherd Woman, I was told about the biting technique a very long time ago by the breeder of my second shepherd. I had called him in desperation as the puppy he sold me (then 5 months) wouldn't quit chewing on my hands. And yes, I bought the pup dozens of chew toys and did everything I could think of to get him interested in other activities, but nothing worked. The breeder recommended I bite his muzzle, not hard enough to injure him, but hard enough to make it count, as you didn't want to have to do it more than once. And the breeder did mention that the effect would be similar to what the mother would do to the pup if he kept chewing on her. Have to admit, I couldn't bring myself to bite the pup, but thought of an alternative that worked just as well. The next time he started chewing on my hands I pinched him. Not too hard, but hard enough that the pup instantly stopped chewing on me.  Tough to describe the surprised look on the pup's face, but he never chewed on me again. I'm guessing the pup was biting me as a sign of affection but didn't realize how much his needle teeth were hurting. A few days later when I was sitting on the coach watching tv he sprawled across the tops of my shoulders and started licking my ears. I didn't mind at all and for the next 10 years this became almost a daily ritual until he was finally too old. Much better than bleeding hands.

I can see where it work on the right dog however, I pity the poor fool that does this to the wrong dog!

I too have heard this used in the past but, it just seems that there are so many other ways to get your point across (safer ways). 

I've used the bite method with my fingers vs teeth on the muzzle with great affect in the past. 

I believe the secret lies in knowing your dogs and paying attention to their behaviors from the earliest point on as to the dominance issues, and taking them firmly in hand from the get go, never letting them take that dominant position in the first place.  I also think a lot of people do not see dominance issues as dominance when they first appear in puppies.  It's always cute to see that 3 or 4 month old puppy standing up for himself with other dogs, growling at strangers, etc.  "Wow, this pup won't take anything off anyone."  But, when he then feels he owns that position over you and everyone else, there's a problem.   

I also believe in the alpha roll if needed.

Some of you might know, things weren't always nice and sweet between Naya and I. She was so bad as a little squirt I thought I was gonna go mad. Finally she did it...We were walking and out of the blue, she jumped up and bit me on the side of my stomach. That was it, I grabbed her front two paws, rolled her over on her back, sat on her stomach, and remembering something I had read about Huskies and training, bit her right on her nose. She never acted up again and today we are closer than ever. She has never bitten me since, unless of course we are playing, in which case she MOUTHS, but never bites like she did that day. She yelped like a banshee and that was that. I've never been more in love with a dog, and my story was hopefully what you were looking for...a good result of nibbling on your doggie.

I've only bit one other dog, and that also corrected all behavior and I'll do it again if I have to, it was a quick bite mind you, and the dogs were younger, and weren't high enough drive to bite me back otherwise we'd have a problem!

Before I'd bite a dog, think if they'd bite you back first! 

I am a novice myself.....but I would like to suggest any novice reading this ...please do not try this with your dog.  It is a recipe for disaster. 

There are MANY different levels of training you can go through before you flip the dog over and jump on top of it or bite its ear.

A prong works the same way...the way it is designed it compresses all the way around the neck somewhat like another dogs mouth would...it doesnt just hit one part of the neck.  I have also heard the prong called a "mothers tooth".   There is no need to put your face in your dogs face. 

I dont think using a prong is lazy...just effecient.  I tried using the basic fur saver to walk my dog...she pulled like a freight train.  My trainer suggested putting the prong on her and when she started to pull to say no and stop.   She learned in less than five minutes.  No hard corrections just stopped and said no.  She walks very well on a leash now.  When she sees the prong come out she gets excited because she knows it training time.

 A prong is just a tool...put a chain saw in an idiots or untrained persons hands and you will see the damage that can be done.

Most people say not to get in the middle of a dog fight and break it up....so the last thing I would do is put my face next to a dogs that is getting ready to fight.

If the dog already feels it is dominant over you who is to say that it wont test the waters again some time.  It may work the first time...but later down the road the dog may want to get its positon back and it may be the moment you gave your teeth on its ear or you have it on its back looking in its face.

I say better safe than sorry.   

My G.S. rescue was tied to a chain for the first 3 years of his life, and got used to pulling against the chain. He's got a fairly high pain threshold, too, because the a**hole who owned him at first put a chain around his neck. He didn't realized it was hurting the dog until it was actually embedded in the flesh.

Anyway, I bought a prong collar even before I brought the dog home, and it worked just great. I had him walking on the leash (for the FIRST TIME EVER IN HIS LIFE) just like a lamb in a couple of sessions.

I don't use the prong much any more, but on the weekend, we were at a tracking training seminar, and my hands started to get REALLY sore from him pulling on the leash when he got excited. I finally decided to put the prong on him, and he settled right down as soon as he felt it around his neck. No need for a correction, no need to raise my voice! 

You have to realize this dog weighs between 70 and 80 lbs., and pulled so hard on his 2 1/2 inch wide leather collar when he was in his old home that he actualy stretched the leather!

 I also had a female shepherd who was hard to handle as a youngster. She BROKE two choke chains before she was a year old! I should have got a prong for her, but I didn't know about them back then! Instead, I just got her a very high quality choker, and made sure the rings on the ends of it were firmly welded closed!

 Like anything else, the prong is a tool, and it can be used properly, or misused. Once your dog has gotten used to what you expect of him on the leash, you may no longer need it. Most of the time, I just walk him in a leather collar.