Hi and welcome to the forum. My trainer also recommended a pinch collar for Tucker because he would pull on the choke chain collar. Tucker responds well with the pinch and I no longer have a problem with him pulling. Have your trainer teach you how to properly use the pinch and you should have no problems. IMHO, if used correctly, the pinch collar is a safe and effective training tool.
Hello! I'm New to Dobie Talk!
Hey guys,
I've just recently joined the site! I actually found the site because I google all sorts of questions I have about my dobie and this site is always the first one to pop up on the results! I have a 10 month old red male Doberman named Toffee! He is my first Dobie (first "big" dog, period!) and he is such a joy! Right now, we are taking an obedience/therapy dog class once a week for an hour! He is doing really well, but I am still having trouble with him lunging and pulling at the leash. I've ordered a Herm Sprenger pinch collar, as advised by our class instructor, but am unsure about using it. It hasn't come in yet so I've been researching it and even though it is supposed to be safe, I am still wary. Has anyone else used a pinch collar with their Dobie? Would you recommend it? Anyway, I'm so excited to join the site and start talking with other Dobie owners!
Jessica
I've just recently joined the site! I actually found the site because I google all sorts of questions I have about my dobie and this site is always the first one to pop up on the results! I have a 10 month old red male Doberman named Toffee! He is my first Dobie (first "big" dog, period!) and he is such a joy! Right now, we are taking an obedience/therapy dog class once a week for an hour! He is doing really well, but I am still having trouble with him lunging and pulling at the leash. I've ordered a Herm Sprenger pinch collar, as advised by our class instructor, but am unsure about using it. It hasn't come in yet so I've been researching it and even though it is supposed to be safe, I am still wary. Has anyone else used a pinch collar with their Dobie? Would you recommend it? Anyway, I'm so excited to join the site and start talking with other Dobie owners!
Jessica
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
Welcome from CT! Is Toffee pulling and lunging at the other dogs, or just trying to pull you somewhere opposite to where you want to go in young exuberance? If the former, I would personally stay away from using a prong collar, since it could potentially highten his reaction. We tried using a prong on our boy, Zeus, but found that it would actually exacerbate his explosion; he is VERY reactive to other dogs. Instead, we use a Wiggles Wags No-Pull Harness No Pull Harness | Designer Dog Collars | Wiggles Wags & Whiskers, worked on getting "heel" down, which helped immensely, and continue to work on his dog reactivity by using the "Look At That" game and being sure to keep him below threshold. However, let me say right off the bat that I am not a trainer by any means, and you should follow the direction of whichever professional you are working/comfortable with.
If you are interested, I would suggest the following three books which I found to be extremely helpful:
1. Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt,
2. Relaxation Protocol by Dr. Karen Overall (here is a .PDF version of it http://www.dogdaysnw.com/doc/OverallRelaxationProtocol.pdf ) and
3. Calming Signals in Dogs by Turid Rugaas (here is also a video where she discussed how to she deals with a dog that pullsTurid Rugaas - What do I do when my dog pulls - DVD Trailer - YouTube)
Toffee is still young, so if you can find the right approach so that he understands what you would want him to do, and in a way that he enjoys doing it, you shouldn't have a problem. There is a lot of great information here on DT, and plenty of very experienced, helpful people. Be sure to ask lots of questions!
One last thing - we need pics of your boy, ASAP!
Best of luck, and please keep us posted.
If you are interested, I would suggest the following three books which I found to be extremely helpful:
1. Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt,
2. Relaxation Protocol by Dr. Karen Overall (here is a .PDF version of it http://www.dogdaysnw.com/doc/OverallRelaxationProtocol.pdf ) and
3. Calming Signals in Dogs by Turid Rugaas (here is also a video where she discussed how to she deals with a dog that pullsTurid Rugaas - What do I do when my dog pulls - DVD Trailer - YouTube)
Toffee is still young, so if you can find the right approach so that he understands what you would want him to do, and in a way that he enjoys doing it, you shouldn't have a problem. There is a lot of great information here on DT, and plenty of very experienced, helpful people. Be sure to ask lots of questions!
One last thing - we need pics of your boy, ASAP!
Best of luck, and please keep us posted.
1 - 8 of 8 Posts
