The last training session

Yes, I know, this post is seriously late. Danny had his last training session a couple of months ago actually. I've just been an absolute sloth getting round to posting it.

Right up to his second last lesson, Danny still wasn't quite getting the hang of walking. Lance had previously recommended the choke chain but our friend turned out to be immune to it. Appearantly his neck muscles are quite strong or something.

So, for the last lesson, Lance brought along with him a pinch collar. In a previous post, I said that I didn't like the sound of a choke chain, but if you're like me and think this sounds better, you haven't seen a pinch collar either.

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This is Danny's now-useless choke chain.

The idea is that when he does something wrong, you do a quick tug on the chain and release it. Most dogs would learn quickly because it cuts off their air supply for about a second. Danny didn't care.

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This is Danny's new pinch collar, also known as the prong collar.

Looks scary? Totally! I freaked out when I first saw it. Correction is also a quick tug, if not, the collar sits on his neck like an ordinary collar.

Terrifying as it looks, this collar is actually physically better for the dog than the choke chain, which can cause spinal damage if used incorrectly or too often.

And yes, the ends of the metal bits sticking out are blunt.


As hesitant as I was to using it, it worked. I still don't dare tug too hard, but even so, he seems to get the message. Walks with him are great now. I can even go jogging and he'll run nicely by my side.

He also ignores the neighbours' dogs. He still doesn't auto-sit when we stop (he's supposed to), but he just needs a light correction to do so.

And, you can see in this video, the scary metal bits, don't seem to bother him at all.





And, oh yes, that's my voice at the end of the video. Nooooooooo, I don't normally sound like that. It's just that dogs like high pitched, excited voices, so when praising him that's what I use.

FYI, when I scold him, I sound like the Exocist.