Obedience Training

Choke Collars
Creeping
Down-stay Collars
No Bark
No Chew

Related
Collars
Part two

Date: 7-Aug-1996
Contributor: Sparkie@andelain.demon.co.uk.
Publication: Posted on the Pet Server group.
Homesite: http://www.andelain.demon.co.uk
The content has been updated since the original posting.
Last changed on Sunday, 21 Jan 2001 22:17:51 -0000

To be respected as a Master, your dog should be obedient. Sure, you can muzzle it to make it keep its mouth shut or tie its knees to its elbows to keep it on the ground, but the dog should be able to behave like a good dog without those devices.

The following pointers are used in obedience schools and can be applied to human dogs. Of course, keep in mind that these directions were designed for biological dogs, so adapt them to your particular dog's needs and don't take them too literally!

also see Obedience Training - Part two

Mastering the Animal ^

Choke Collars

Even if the dog is bigger than its Master, the Master should always be able to dominate the animal. For this, there are special steel collars that aggressive dogs should always wear. The collar is a special pronged choke collar with a tightening belt and leather noose that the owner pulls, should the dog attack.

By turning and pulling on the noose, the Master brings the dog down on its back, in a vulnerable position. The prongs can be sharpened for added effect.

Normal choke chains can also be very effective if the dog needs some instant correction. Just pull on the leash upwards with a strong jerk. The prongs will dig into the dog's throat thus stopping it from doing whatever it shouldn't be doing.

Creeping

Creeping is a very good exercise for your dog as it will tire it very quickly, should it start to refuse to obey orders or perform some other rebellious act.

To get the dog to creep, first place a spiked (choke) collar on it and put it on a short leash. Tell the dog to get down on its stomach and then order it to creep. If the dog tries to raise on its paws, which it probably will since it's easier for it, push it back down with your boot square on its neck and whip its back a few times while jerking on the leash. The goal is to have the dog crawl with its chest touching the ground.

Whenever the dog acts up, have it creep for ten minutes or so. The exercise is so tiring that it will want to curl up and sleep for the next few hours.

Down-stay Collars

These collars are designed to force the dog to stay in a down position, on its belly with its hands near its neck. The collar is made of leather with spikes inwards. The spikes usually rest on the throat, but they may be turned to cover the neck. In addition, two leather cuffs are riveted to the collar. The dog's paws are placed in the cuffs against its throat so that if it tries to pull them down (to get up for instance), the spikes on its neck bite into its flesh.

The spikes are beneath the collar, so you can leave your dog lying for a couple of hours with the device on, and nobody should notice them. They'll just see a well-behaved dog. However, it is a good idea to also (tightly) muzzle the dog if it's been bad. You can leave it thus strapped for a day or so if need be. Just take the muzzle off to feed it.

Preventing the Dog from Barking

Muzzles

Dogs that bark all day long can be a real nuisance. The best way to keep the dog's mouth shut is to muzzle it. Unfortunately, the muzzle on human dogs is not long enough to hold it effectively closed. However, most muzzles or head harnesses have a strap that goes under the chin and up over the head. If you tighten this strap very severely, the dog will not be able to open its mouth. It will hurt, for sure, but it will be effectively silenced.

Bark Trainers

Bark trainers are electric collars that deliver a shock to the dog when it starts to bark. A sensor in the collar rests on the dog's throat and triggers the electric impulses as soon as the dog uses its vocal chords.

Bark eliminators give the dog a shock whenever it barks, at an intensity pre-set by the Master. Bark diminishers, on the other hand, deliver impulses of varying intensities. The current is mild if the dog starts to bark and gradually increases until it stops its yapping.

These devices work well enough with human dogs, although the dog will not experience a shock if it whispers. On the other hand, it will be punished if it coughs!

Preventing the Dog from Chewing.

Often when dogs are bored (or when they are not fed properly), they chew on anything they find, be it old boots, newspapers, furniture, you name it. Since keeping your dog muzzled all the time may not be practical (you may need to use its mouth), use the following method to chastise it.

Pick up whatever it chewed on and place the object in its mouth, as far in as possible (without choking it to death!). Then, make sure the object stays in place by wrapping some tape around it and the dog's head. Be sure to include the chin so that the dog cannot spit the object out. Leave the object in for a couple of hours.

If the object is too big to stuff in the dog's mouth, try to find something that tastes like the object the dog chewed on. For instance, if it chewed on furniture, find a piece of wood.

Repeat the gagging process for at least a week, whether or not the dog chews on stuff again. This way you'll be sure it won't do it again.