# Dog Trainer Suggests a Martingale Dog Collar



## AngelicMisfit13 (Apr 20, 2015)

I asked for advice from this person on my Facebook that is a dog trainer.

It was initially about to find out about her views on using pinch prong collars on small dogs since my cousin suggested I use one on my puppy for her pulling. Crazy idea, huh? Especially when his dog is a Rottweiler mix. Talk about apples and oranges. Lol. 

Well, the dog trainer was against it for any dog and suggested I try out a martingale dog collar...which is normally for sight hounds because of their head and neck ratio is pretty equal, making regular collars useless. She said it would help with her pulling.

What do you think?


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## susan davis (Mar 25, 2011)

If you want to stop pulling get a premier harness that fastens so that the clip for the leash is in front (chest). When the dog pulls, it is gently turned toward you. Having some tiny treats on hand so that when the dog pulls, you show him the treat, and eventually he'll learn to stay by your side.


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## Chiluv04 (Dec 19, 2013)

Always a harness. It is not safe to walk a dog by its neck. Buddy belt makes amazing step in harnesses. Also are you using a regular lead? Or retractable? This makes a difference also.


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## AngelicMisfit13 (Apr 20, 2015)

Chiluv04 said:


> Always a harness. It is not safe to walk a dog by its neck. Buddy belt makes amazing step in harnesses. Also are you using a regular lead? Or retractable? This makes a difference also.


Regular leash. She sorta paid attention once when I held a treat above her while walking. Otherwise, once she is outside...she starts trying to jet. Like she is in some pulling competition or something. Especially if there is someone around, she wants to immediately run to them. I pull her back and say heel but she just keeps going at it. Also every time I pull, she starts scratching herself around the harness area...like basically every time. Makes it hard to potty train her outside, cuz she is focused on finding things to munch on in the grass (or grass itself and its not for her to throw up but like something she seems to actually enjoy) or she is looking in the distance.


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## CuddlesMom (Feb 22, 2014)

I definitely wouldn't use a martingale on a Chihuahua. It still chokes the dog a little, even though it's not as bad as a regular choke collar. A regular collar can hurt a Chihuahua's trachea, never mind a martingale. Some people call them "humane choke collars." They definitely have their place, but not with small dogs like a Chi.

What may help with her instead of a pull correction is just reversing your direction, so that she is not rewarded by getting to where she wants (instead she goes the opposite way). It also helps teach her to pay more attention to you.

You can also try telling her to sit when she gets close to the end of the leash. When using pull or sit as a correction, it's very important to do it before she gets to the end. 

If you take her to a basic obedience class, they will teach you the proper way to teach her how to stop pulling on the leash, as well as many other beneficial things, and you'll be able to get her to pay more attention to you.

These are excellent to stop your dog from pulling. They work great with our 60 pound pit mix:
http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Harne...id=1431626419&sr=8-1&keywords=no+pull+harness


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## coco_little_bear (May 30, 2012)

I agree with Meoshia and Angela, chihuahuas have fragile throats/tracheas and collars can hurt them, especially this type of collar and especially with dogs that have a tendency to pull. 

I think it would be better to get the pulling under control through training. Something that worked with my Rocky (who used to pull a lot) was stopping every time he pulled (yeah that was exhausting at the start :lol. I waited for him to stop pulling, then asked him to heel (+ treat and praise when he did). Eventually stopping all the time must have gotten boring for him and he learned. lol


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## comanchesue (Apr 7, 2015)

The trainer at petco would stop and walk back a few steps whenever Kip gets ahead and once he's back in place he got a treat. I didn't follow through, I am quite sure Kip would be a runner if he got the chance, so when we walk, we wander where he wants. But, stopping and walking back a few steps was effective.


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