Walking our furry friends is one of the best things we can do for them, especially the vigorous breeds that need a constant outlet for pent-up energy. In fact, both dog and owner benefit from walks as the exercise is fun and relaxing. With that said, your dog’s safety should be your priority when you are out on your daily walks, and this begins with a leash attached to a canine collar or harness properly fitted. Ultimately, a choke chain-style collar is the best pick if you want to enjoy your walks.
To enjoy your outdoor exercise, choke chain-style collars will have to come to play if you want to get your fur-buddy on its best behavior. Get enlightened on the best way to attach a leash to a choke chain among several other things.
Table of Contents
What We Mean By Dog Choke Chain Style Collar And Its Benefits
Also referred to as a choke collar, a choke chain is a simple device comprising a chain and a couple of big rings attached to each end. The choke chain must be properly set before slipping it over your furry’s head and attaching it to a leash.
The choke chain has some major benefits;
1. It aids a dog parent to keep his pet’s head up. Besides, by using the chain, you will be able to have the dog’s attention focused on you while you walk together.
2. The choke chain also comes in handy when the need to deliver a quick correction arises. Your pooch may have displayed an unpalatable behavior or maybe it decided to break out in a run and exit the “heel” position.
3. When it comes to training, the chain can be leveraged to stop your dog from dragging you all over the place, and also aids them to walk properly when on a leash. You can also use it to train your pup to respond to several other commands.
Using The Choke Chain Style Collar Properly
First, we must establish the fact that the choke chain cannot strangle or choke a pup when you use it properly. The device is quite simple and easy to use, but we still have pet parents who don’t understand what to do with a length of chain sporting a couple of rings at either end. Remember, it is meant to be a loop, and the terminal rings are not supposed to pass through each other, so how do we construct a loop with it?
Initially, it might seem like a tricky puzzle, but it is quite simple if you just follow the under-listed steps.
- Nip the length of the choke chain.
- The doubled portion of the chain gets pulled all the way through the ring.
- The pinched part gets pushed through each of the rings.
- the resultant loop will then be placed around your furbaby’s head, with the free end of it (the part that will be attached to the leash) on top of its neck.
NOTE: Before going ahead to place the loop around your pup’s head, you will first decide on the side you want the dog to walk. The free portion of the collar must lie across the upper portion of the pup’s neck pointing towards you. This is to ensure that whenever tension is released on the leash, the restraining ring kicks in by sliding back down the chain, and re-open the collar.
When properly used, chain collars are very safe, providing adopters with the opportunity to initiate a quick squeezing sensation on their dog’s neck, which serves as a most effective corrective technique.
The choke chain-style collar works through body mechanics and leverage, and as they sit on top of the base of your canine friend’s skull, it draws the dog’s attention to you whenever a slight pressure is applied. The essence of applying a quick jerk is to tighten the chain and return it back to its loose state within a split second. The chain causes nothing but a mild attention-getting discomfort, but you will get your dog to behave when you need it.
Where To Attach A Leash To A Choke Chain Style Collar
Now, where exactly do you attach the leash to a choke chain? This is quite simple. As you know, you must first make a “p” with the choke chain before putting it on your four-legged companion. Do it in such a way that the straight side of the “P” stays on top of your pooch’s neck with the loop portion over its head. With that said, it is the straight part of the “p” that will then lead to the leash directly from the topmost part of the pup’s neck.
When To Use A Choke Chain Style Collar And How Long
The best time to use a choke chain on your furry buddy is when you are in training sessions. Apart from making your pooch obey the commands as they come, it also makes things easier for the parent or whoever is undertaking the training session. Also, note that the choke chain style collar works perfectly for daily walks with your canine friend, however, we must ensure that the chain is correctly fitted to avoid damage to the dog’s neck; besides, it can also choke the pup if wrongly done.
To answer the question of how long to leave the choke chain style collar on your furry companion, we must remember that the device was only constructed for walks and training sessions, and we must keep it for just those purposes. You will be exposing your pet to serious risk if you leave the pup unsupervised with the choke chain. A dog’s natural instinct when snagged is to pull; this will only make the collar tighten and you don’t need to be told what happens next.
Read Also: Extinct Dog Breeds: 15 Dog Breeds That Have Gone Into Extinction
Is A Choke Chain Style Collar Bad For A Dog?
According to reports, the choke chain style collar can cause a lot of physical damage to your dog, but then, when you opt for the simple flat collar, serious and sometimes fatal damage can still result from constantly applying pressure on the pup’s neck and continually jerking on the leash. The hurting goes both ways, when you pull and when the dog pulls.
The worst part of using the choke chain style collar is that it may lead to choking and your furbaby may get strangled in the process. However, the chain has its advantages, most importantly to make the dog obey commands and keep it focused on you. Your best bet is to get your pooch acclimatized to the chain by making it wear the device regularly but for short periods of time. Encourage it to accept the choke chain through the use of treats and positive reinforcements.
Now, how safe is the choke chain-style collar on a puppy? As we all know, the trachea of a puppy is still tender and may suffer serious damage if exposed to this kind of device. Besides, puppies are not expected to commence classes until they attain a certain stage when their trachea won’t be so vulnerable and can withstand the pressure of the chains.