Re: Training and collars

[Linda Shipman <Linda.Shipman@chezor.alaska.com>]

In the puppy kindergarten classes we teach for our local club, we
only allow flat collars and six foot leads in class.  Developing puppies
have soft tracheas and too much pressure on it can injure it
permanently.

I know that in the classes Gina helps teach for her club, they
also do not allow pinch collars.

Even with those puppies that have weighed 90 pounds and pulled
the arms out of the sockets of their owners, we've managed to
train both the handler and the dog to walk together easily by the
end of the class....all on a flat collar.

After the dog is a year old, I *might* consider a pinch collar.
For instance, for a slight-framed, person in their sixties with a
dog over 100 pounds of muscled weight.  But I'm not thinking
of a golden here.  This is more for someone with one of the
guard or northern breeds (doberman, rottweiler, husky, etc).

I believe goldens can be trained to walk on lead without the
help of pinch or halter collars.

Gina and I talked on the phone for a short time this morning,
and she said she might be too busy to write on the listgroup for
the next couple of days, but would be back on as soon as she
could.

Linda
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Linda Shipman
Juneau, Alaska
Linda.Shipman@chezor.alaska.com
http://www.chezor.alaska.com
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