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Comment by Margie A Hayes on June 29, 2011 at 8:47pm

Thanks, that's what I thought. To me the plain collar has its drawbacks because of her pulling. I have tried to give a quick release when she stops pulling and reward her. I'm also trying to do lots of changing direction, stopping, and mixing her routine up. I hope as she matures she will calm down.

Comment by Jane on June 29, 2011 at 1:29pm

A martingale shouldn't cause any more damage to the throat than a regular collar would. It should be adjusted so that when it's pulled tight it is very close to the dog's neck, but not so tight that it would choke him. Honestly I've seen dogs at our playgroup with full time regular buckle collars that are tighter than my dog's martingales are when pulled. I

Comment by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on June 28, 2011 at 11:53pm

Your welcome :)

Comment by Margie A Hayes on June 28, 2011 at 9:47pm

Thanks Rebecca.

Comment by Rebecca Marie O'Bryan on June 28, 2011 at 8:19pm

To be honest I don't think a martingale collar wont do much. After some time of pulling on it could cause damage to the throat. I would try the easy walk harness before tying that. I know its hard for her to pull u but it will pass the more u r consistent with it. Never ever ever ever use a prong collar on a puppy. That will damage the throat and since u r trying to socialize her that will make her see things in a negative light since it causes pain. Im a dog trainer at Petco so if u need any more help just ask, I'm always happy to help

Comment by Margie A Hayes on June 28, 2011 at 6:19pm

Thanks Everyone, I will not use a prong collar and will look at the sites mentioned to order. The funny thing about Holly is that praise and treats are great when it's only the two of us, but with distracions like people (especially kids) and other dogs; she couldn't care less about either.

She just finished puppy kindergarten class and she was in heaven! For my part, I was along for the ride or the pull. She came with her Sporn No Pull Harness that is suppose to stop pulling and whatever it does to make a dog not want to pull; she chose mind over matter and pulled. The last weeks of class she had all the pups wanted to play with her and she ignored the instructor and the treats. Instead she and the boxer next to me were laying on the floor playing. Some of the times he would use his legs like arms and wrap around her and pull her into him. Holly didn't make clas valedictorian, but rather the class clown. At least life is never boing.

Comment by Kari & Quin on June 28, 2011 at 2:55pm

I wrote my blog post before I read your post. But the only difference between a regular collar and a martingale is that you slip a martingale over their head and it only tights to the preset tightness that you have set when the dog pulls or tries to back out of the collar other wise it is loose around their neck, and a regular collar is tight all the time.  I think the walking thing gets better with age.  Quin is 1 1/2 and we are just now getting it.  I don't meet people or other dogs very often on our walks either so I will have to go somewhere and walk with her to fully be confident that she can walk while there are distractions.  But I think that marking the correct behavior is key either with a clicker or by saying YES and then treat.   At Quins age I just said yes and didn't treat although I gave her praise.

Comment by Jane on June 28, 2011 at 2:14pm

I buy all my collars on etsy. This is the seller I usually use, she's very nice and the collars are very well made: http://www.etsy.com/shop/TheModDog  The martingale will not stop pulling by itself though. It's not really much different than a regular collar except it keeps them from backing out of it, and tightens up a bit more when they pull. It shouldn't be so tight as to choke the dog though.

 

Honestly I tried every method in the book to get Henry to stop pulling when he was younger, and really the most influential thing for him seemed to be age/maturity. He settled down considerably on his own once he was about 1.5 years old, and I had pretty much given up hope of him walking nicely so I know it wasn't my training lol. With Luke I use a combination of standing still if he's pulling too much (I do allow some pulling, but not ripping my arm off) and giving treats when he offers the behavior I want (walking near me without pulling). It is somewhat effective but we're still working on it. 

 

And I definitely wouldn't use a prong collar on a puppy.

Comment by Michelle on June 28, 2011 at 1:28pm

If you are looking for a cute fashion statement Martingale try......collargirl.com....I have no affiliation with this site they just have some cute collars!!!  good luck.....^,,^

Comment by Margie A Hayes on June 28, 2011 at 12:55pm

Thanks so much for the advice. Any particular brand of Martingales that you like? For some reason I got the impression that martingales were more for a dog that pull out of their collar. I have stayed away from the prong as I thought not right for a puppy. One obedience instructor does all the dogs in her class in prong collars and I decided to find some where else and this was for puppy kindergarten class!

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