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Occasionally the difference between training management and restraint/control is too quickly confused. Using commands and hand signals, with leads or food rewards, to entice desired action is training management and often uses positive reinforcement techniques. Using choke or ‘no-barking’ collars, electronic enclosures and comparable devices is for effective restraint/control and often uses negative reinforcement.

Constraint and the use of control devices isn’t unavoidably a negative factor. Dogs naturally have and look for a community hierarchy in which someone is the boss and in any human-dog pair the person has to take that position. Sometimes control tools are called for to establish that hierarchy. If not established, the result will be property destruction, potentially unhealthy state of affairs for other animals and humans, human disappointment and an erratic dog.

Correction collars were developed to give a hand in gaining the ability to manage. Dogs, like humans, are individuals. Some are by nature more assertive or slower to be trained. For ones that don’t react positively to a typical leather or nylon collar, a metal choke collar can provide for extra discouragement from tugging and jumping up.

The imminent drawback is that, used inadequately – all too simple to do – correction collars can have the opposite result to what you expected and may even be unsafe. Choke collars fit only one way and when suitably fitted should make allowance for a one to three fingers opening between the neck and the collar. Three for bigger dogs, one for smaller. Generally speaking a collar two inches longer than the length around the neck will be adequate.

If used poorly, correction collars can rub the skin – producing irritated areas that your dog will likely scratch and make worse. These collars can also accidentally depress the windpipe. An instantaneous pull-and-release does no harm, however. Its intention is to generate unpleasant pressure. But for dogs that aggressively challenge the lead this action is probably not enough. Generally, overuse of this type of collar is not approved of, notably for smaller dogs.

Prong collars are less menacing than they look, but – in this trainer’s view – have almost no positive properties. The only positive aspect of the construction is their restricted diameter – they can only choke down so far. Nevertheless, an animal with such a determined predisposition to pull that prongs don’t give him a second thought requires more than a quick fix consisting of choking and poking. That type of critter needs dedicated attention and behavior modification management.

Halter collars, which envelop the neck and the muzzle, but don’t stop panting or prohibit drinking and eating can give further constraint. The drawback is they don’t inhibit biting if that’s an issue. If biting is not a problem an everyday tether and collar, or maybe a chest halter might be preferable.

For assistance with those dogs that carry on in barking long after the purpose of barking is gone, consider an electronic No-barking collar. Barking is an ordinary and natural response to possible menacing events and is also used to signal distress and gain attention when one becomes isolated from the communal pack. But, for reasons we don’t completely understand, some animals bark continuously or at the drop of a hat.

Electronic collars that deter barking come in two main varieties: Shock producing collars and noise producing collars. Noise collars create a brief, uncomfortable noise that acts as a diversion and helps to prevent unrelenting barking.

Shock collars generate a quick but discomforting electronic shock that can be sustained during lengthy or recurring barking. Evenhanded and objective experimentation to discover their effectiveness divulge mixed conclusions – they work with some dogs and not others. On the other hand, as with prong collars, any dog in need of one would profit if, in addition, he had precise, professional training using behavior modification methods.

Now and then quick fixes are appealing and worthwhile… until they become replacements for more constructive (both to trainer and dog) long-term management. Making the effort to understand how to access your dog’s focused attention and cooperativeness without disproportionate reliance on control equipment is better. The usual effect is happier trainers and more well adjusted dogs.

Learn how to pick the right Dog Bedding for your dog. Do not allow Puppy Potty Training become a time consuming or frustrating affair.

Dogs have a natural proclivity to jump on people. How often they do this will vary with breed and personality. It’s been suggested that dogs jump up on people to get a better look at someone’s face — not to attack that person, but to interact with him or her. Dogs interact with each other this way, too. Especially if they’re of similar breeds, their faces are close to each other and they use their senses of smell and vision to explore.

Therefore, one way to get your dog to stop jumping is to remove his or her need to reach out to you. Instead, kneel down and “get on the dog’s level.” Let your dog explore your face safely, at the same time watching for too much assertiveness on the dog’s part. Most dogs won’t bite their owners this way, especially if the owner has assumed the “alpha” position, or leader of the pack position.

If you’ve just gotten an older dog and aren’t quite sure how it’s going to respond to you yet, take some precautions as you try this technique. Put a collar on your dog and then insert your thumb underneath the collar behind your dog’s neck; this will give you the ability to jerk the dog’s neck sideways if you need to.

If at all possible, jerk sideways, not backwards. A dog’s neck muscles are strong, but you can easily bruise your dog’s throat if you use a sharp backwards motion. Remember that you’re trying to teach your dog not to do this particular action and at the same time protect yourself, but you are not punishing your dog.

You can also practice off leash training to teach your dog not to jump. Wear some sturdy pants that will protect you and have your dog stand in front of you. You can, of course, train your dog to “sit” as a method to get him or her to stop jumping, but it’s not possible to get your dog to sit all the time. Most often, a dog jumps when he or she has been standing or running. Therefore, you need to start this exercise with your dog in a standing position.

Keep an eye out for your dog’s body tension to change, whereby he or she is about to jump. When you see this, order the dog to “sit.” If the dog still jumps, lift your leg slightly and gently nudge your dog’s chest with your knee or your thigh. While you do this, simultaneously, thrust your hand palm outward near the dog’s face, saying, “Off!” as you do so. (Don’t say “down,” since this is a separate behavior and requires a different word.)

Again, gentleness is important. Don’t push hard into the dog’s chest, and don’t push your hand into his or her face. Your knee action simply keeps the dog off you and puts it ever so slightly off-balance, while your “palm out” hand near his or her face obscures vision and discourages him or her from jumping again.

If you’re working with a partner, you can try leash training, especially if the dog still doesn’t get the idea that he or she shouldn’t jump. When the dog begins to jump, have your partner hold the leash and jerk sideways as you say, “Off!” Again, you, as the alpha leader, should be the one who’s saying, “Off!” and not your partner. The dog should obey and focus on you.

If you don’t have a partner, you can do this outside sometimes by wrapping a very long leash around a post or tree. However, this is less than ideal since the jerk will be from the back instead of to the side.

You can use positive reinforcement to teach your dog, too. In that case, take a favorite toy or treat in one hand, and when your dog begins to jump, hold the treat/toy above and slightly behind your dog’s head. This will distract your dog and slightly unbalance him or her. It also encourages the dog to sit, just when he or she wanted to jump.

Using repetition and being consistent are key when you want to train your dog not to jump, and as is true of any training. Be firm but patient, and most dogs will learn to suppress their natural urge to jump until you give them permission to do so.