Dog Training My Way

Originally posted by Lois Schwarz on February 06, 2006.



I hope the following letter gets back to the person who is so
against the use of the choke chain and who never did civilly write me at my
email address to elaborate on my reasons for my use of such a
tool. But who believes in her heart that choke chains around a dogs neck is
inhumane.

the following is a letter from one of my friends:

Well, I don't think you have to respond to it. I don't think she will
bother me anymore. It was just the idea..

Instead of openly writing a civil and tactful letter with her viewpoint on
the list so you could discuss it with her, she writes to a person on the e-group
behind your back. I am not on the ShilohZone so if it came up in their
conversation I don't know why I had to be sent a letter. Of coarse she
probably got my email off of the Shepalute egroup since I have posted on
it and thought I would bennifit from her wisdom since you had posted that
dog training thing.

If she were to bring it out in open discussion I would site numerous
instances in which I personally have used a choke chain with good success and I
have had wonderfully trained dogs with that system.

Also, you even said in your training thing the many ways you get puppies to
do stuff before you even mentioned a choke chain.

Yes, I am wasting my breath...or rather fingers.

Judy



Here is my response only because you asked my dear
and I love and respect the person you are.


The choke chain
collar

As in all professions there are
tools of the trade. Everyone in any profession understands the reason for the
tools of the trade. If you are not a professional (which means you make
a living at doing a certain service) then you may not understand that sentence.

When an electrician with 40
year experience in the field of electricity tells you that the ohm meter makes
his job (of checking the continuity of the electrical current running through a
20 gage wiring system) better, you would tend to believe
him.

Yet when a dog trainer of over
40 years tells you that the chain, choke collar is the best starting tool of
his profession in which makes his job easier, why then does everyone feel
compelled to question his knowledge?

What do you believe is
happening when someone criticizes this professional dog trainer and makes such
a statement as choke chains are cruel?
Then other persons without the experience (and time in the field) chime
in and say, yah that must be so! Then in the end you have a group of outspoken
people who think they know something, why, because they all agree? (Sounds like
politicians)


The professional trainer shakes
her head and says nothing, not out of intimidation but out of the knowledge that
those folks do not know what they are talking about and besides that, this
professional trainer doesn't care if they use a halty lead that may take them
a year to gently guide their pet into a humane walk on a leash or not,. Big
deal. You will not get an argument out of me. Its like,, I eat meat but I dont
argue, urge and spout off to all non-meat eaters that they must eat meat! And
every one knows how in your face vegetarians can get while trying to convert
the meat eaters. Same difference and most of those folks all belong to the same
club the SPCA or equivalent.

Any way, some gal (who
understands the proper use of a choke chain) then writes this professional
trainer and says, Hey, why dont you write that dude back? Since you are the
professional, you must have some profound words?

Yea, here it is, "When you
are tired of trying the halty leash, go find a real professional dog handler and
spit out the money for her expertise. Then she can pay her bills."

Why should I care how long it
takes you to train your pet humanely? I dont And if it pleases you and makes
you feel that you are so much better and that you love animals so much more than
me, what do I care? Frankly I dont, but I do care about the lady who asks me to
respond so here it is:


Any kind of collar can become
an instrument of torture in the hands of the wrong person! In the hands of
someone who doesn't know the proper use of the choke collar!

In this professionals opinion,
slip collars of webbing, nylon, or chain are actually the most humane of
training devices! When properly used these tools of the trade apply
pressure to the thickest, toughest and most insensitive muscle in the dogs body
and then only when the dog needs to be corrected or reminded. Dogs that are
properly trained on the choke collar all walk freely without any pressure
whatsoever on any part of their body, and they walk this way because they
have learned that the owner has rules that require this of them.

If you are not an owner who
requires a dog to walk beside you in what I call the game of heeling or
walking beside me freely, then I couldn't care less if your dog pulls you down
the street or if your dog is emotionally intimidated by the slightest pressure
to his only smelling facility his nose. No dog that I have ever encountered in
my life would rather I put a light weight halty leash around his olfactory nerve
endings rather than around his neck. The nose is the most sensitive area in the
dogs body so that emotional torture (not physical torture) is being applied to
that poor animal and I personally feel sorry for any dog that has an owner that
could be so insensitive. These nerve endings lead to the underserface of the
brain. Not only are you interfering with the nerve endings and oxygen to the
dogs brain, but you are applying pressure to the dogs sinuses. Sinusitis
results in headaches and a great increase in secretion of mucus and swelling of
the mucous membranes, oh,,,,, and there is more if you would just do your
homework, it is not up to me to inform you. I inform people I like and or folks
that pay me.

So what you have is a
difference of opinion between whom?

People need to find out what is
so for them and that is called freedom of choice. But unlike the person who
spouts of inhumanity against all those who use choke chains, I do not feel the
need to put my fellow man down and to try and argue my point just because the
other person doesn't think like I do.

And for all of you who will say
then why did you write such a long piece against those who feel choke chains
are cruel? No need to discuss this
with anyone who didn't comprehend what was just written. No one will be able to
discuss any matter to anyone who cannot comprehend what was just said. Go back
and re-read to find the answer cause if you e-mail me to ask me that question, I
will not answer you.

No one can argue with a person
who is ignorant, and why try? I stopped trying to discuss any thing with persons
who just wish to argue and force their opinions upon others so that they can be
right! Arguing with such
individuals just puts the person arguing back in the same position as the arguer
so when you do not hear me come back, its because there is really no need and
it is a waste of my time.

Lois