so im taking baden out to potty at 5 this morning and im just walking back and this lady wanted to say hi to baden so i let her and she letting him give her kisses and what not and then she noticed the slip collar on his neck and changed her attitude immediately and shot me a look and asked why "that torture device was around his neck" and kept saying how i could kill him and cause long term damage etc. now i only use the choke or slip collar when i take him out to potty real fast. it slips on and i know he cant slip out of it other wise i use just a regular collar. i had to defend my self to this lady trying to explain this and she just kept repeating herself even though i told her i know how to use it properly and finally she said that she usually trys to report "people like me" who use these unnecessary devices on their dogs. i mean really?? i have never heard such ignorance from someone. it wasnt like i was dragging him around town choking him. it was like she was trying to say i dont love my dog but using this type of collar even though its just to take him out to potty.

is it really that bad? from now on i guess ill take the extra few seconds to snap his collar on. ugh sorry rant is over -__- 

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None of her business, I say. I would have said "I use it so he doesn't slip his collar and get away" or something and turned and walked away. I have a one-piece slip lead that I do use on occasion, especially if someone has to get out in a hurry or we are going to a place where a loose dog would be a catastrophe.

Just put her out of your mind.

Obviously the lady's approach was inappropriate, particularly at 5AM, however it is true that choke collars have the potential to do a lot of damage to dogs and have killed many as well.  Anyone using a choke collar will tell you they are using it properly.  Sadly this is not true and most do not know how to use it.  When I taught obedience group classes, it was not until the fourth week of class that I allowed my students to use the choke collar in their home practice sessions (but not for  just walking).  It took that long for people to really learn how to use this tool humanely and safely. In the three weeks prior, I watched each one carefully as they learned its proper use and had several discussions about how, when and what to do and why/why not.  If you think, as many do, that's an overkill, put a choker around your child's neck and hand over the control of that child to any well meaning stanger for a fe days.  Tell me then you will sleep well at night! 

I am not implying that your use of the choker on Baden was wrong, only that the issue itself has merit.

First, it's really none of her business.  One may not approve of certain collars (like the prong collars, shock, etc) but if they don't know the dog's history, then zip it. 

 

A choke collar, if properly used, is okay.  However, there are too many cases of people putting the collar on incorrectly; consequently, when the collar is pulled, it doesn't release, which leads to choking the dog.  I don't use the collar for that reason - it's too easy to accidentally put it on the wrong way.  Plus, if the collar gets caught on something and I'm not around, well, it could have devastating results. 

 

If you're confident that you're correctly using the slip collar, then it's your call to keep using it.  If you'd like another option, take a look at the martingale collar - it's a blend of a regular collar and a slip collar.  My corgis are really bad at planting their feet when they want to sniff out something, investigate, etc. so they were constantly slipping out of their regular collars whenever I tried to pull them away from whatever it was that they shouldn't be doing.  Ever since I've been using the martingale, we've been happy campers.  

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martingale_(collar))  

 

I agree with E that you might want to use a martingale. I use the ones without a chain(just my preference). I use them when I just want to "make sure" or places like vacation. Even a quick early morning walk would be a good time. I also use them on new pups and rescues...better safe than sorry.

I don't use choke collars  but have used prong collars for Sage (per our AKC instructors encouragement).

None of that womans business:(

this lady ruined my whole morning :/ i just couldnt believe she would fly off the handle like that. i usually have baden use a martingale collar (i do like them) but just to quickly take him out i slipped the choke collar on without thinking but i guess to avoid this i will just use his collar.

heres the martingale collar i use on baden

Anna, while that may well be true, no one should be haranguing someone about their dogs' neckware at 5am, especially if the advice is unsolicited.

If one sees something that can only be construed as abuse (someone kicking their dog in the ribs, someone hanging their dog) then yes, morality requires us to step in.

But if there is a possibility someone MIGHT be using a tool incorrectly, it's certainly not up to a stranger to stand there and give a lecture.

No, it is not that bad. I think they can be used in horrible ways, but they have their place. For instance, after we switched her food to fast, I was woken up by Kaylee at ~3:30am one morning for a much needed bathroom break and a choker collar was quicker than anything else, esp. in the dark. I was able to save our carpet that way.

I think the woman you met does not have any place in critiquing you. I'd move passed the experience.

exactly my thoughts. its dark so they can get spooked when its dark out and a slip collar just slips on real fast and they cant slip out of it like a normal buckle collar

One of my neighbors works at Petco. If it makes you feel any better I get regular updates about the multitude of sins I commit as a pet owner. It's a wonder my dog is still alive! I don't know anything about the collar you use, but I think it says a lot about you as a caring pet owner to look into it to be safe. Sully gets skin breakdown which the vet attributed to grass pollen. My neighbor insists it is her food. It could be either, both, or neither, but the implication is that I am neglectful for not using the super high priced brand she recommended. The brands I tried are not low cost by any means, and they were very highly rated, but that matters not to his lady.

Some of the other things I do wrong are bathing her too often, not walking her enough (because3x times per day (because she cannot see us from her window unless we are just below her!) and not giving her herbal supplements the lady offered so my poor dog supposedly has so much pain in her hips that she refuses to walk. This lady doesn't realize that Sully is trained to wait until the humans go out of doors before she proceeds, not that she is in too much pain to move :-D . The lady in my neighborhood means well, and she does really care about Sully. I usually just say, "Thanks! I'll look into that." because her opinion doesn't matter that much. I take the good with the bad. She may even be right about the baths and such, but worse things can happen to a dog. I am sure Sully and I will eventually figure it all out. I have a close friend who does the same thing. Loves to give advice about EVERYTHING. Guess you have to consider the source. That is why I use this forum. I want to get credible feedback from people who really understand the breed.

lol i guess some feel they just need to push their opinions  on others. i hope u can get her allergies under control as that is so hard when u are not sure what they are allergic to. everyone has their opinions on dog food as well, some think blue buffalo is the greatest dog food in the world while others feed iams. i feed baden a good food but not a brand thats going to break my bank. 

I agree with Beth that it was none of her business.  They are not torture devices when used properly.  I met a young woman in PetSmart...I had stopped to meet her dog.  She had no idea how to even turn the straight line chain into an acutal collar to put on the dog. *thud*  She asked if I knew how...I showed her and showed her how to properly put the collar on.  She wanted one because he pulls too much on walks.  I did all I could in suggesting she go to obedience classes, gave the name of the training club I have worked with for over 30 years and kept pushing that obedience training would be so good for both of them really pushing the bonding experience.  The pup was a border collie...high energy, I so hope she took my advice.

I had to use a prong collar only once, it was with my female Irish Wolfhound.  She wanted to do nothing but play with the other dogs in class.  They have such strong necks that a regular training collar was not getting her attention but it didn't take long before I no longer had to use it.  And she ended up showing at local trials just beautifully.

Linda, I also used the prong for my dear sweet Sage!  The collar helps them "correct themselves"...Sage would just "wander" and this kept her "on task"...she now is the perfect dog on a leash but I also used the Martingale for a couple years as a "I'm working" collar. We would put this on before a Therapy Dog visit and remove it when inside...now we only use if we are on a trip and unsure of things so it's for their protection as well as any of my others. Dogs can slip collars and I've heard terrible stories of dogs getting loose:( Especially rescues who have bolted and run...

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