Should You Correct A Puppy With A Pinch Collar?

Written by Adam G. Katz


Hi, Adam!

My husband and I recently purchased a white German Shepherd. She is 12 weeks old today and quite a handful. Sometimes she can be so sweet, but other times she is actually quite vicious. Well, I don't know if vicious isrepparttar right word, but when I tell her “No!” she just gets more agitated and lunges at me with her teeth bared. I got a small pinch collar since she's a puppy but I have a question as to how it should fit. When I take 2 prongs out it is snug against her neck and I worry about it being too tight. When I only take 1 prong out, it sort of slides down her neck a little bit and she constantly scratches at it and it circles around her neck and doesn't stay put. Which isrepparttar 125713 right fit? She is really a handful and I thinkrepparttar 125714 pinch collar is a great tool, but I want to make sure it fits right so as not to cause her any discomfort. You say inrepparttar 125715 book that you should be able to slide half a finger in there, but I guess I am just confused as to how you should judgerepparttar 125716 fit. Please help! I'm afraid my time is running out to get her to start obeying me. She doesn't see me asrepparttar 125717 Alpha dog quite yet and it is very frustrating to be with her for long periods of time. When I say "Duchess, come" she only comes when she feels like it. Withrepparttar 125718 pinch collar, what isrepparttar 125719 best way to make sure she comes each time I call her? I don't want to go around yanking on her neck, but atrepparttar 125720 same time she needs to respect me. Any tips you can give me on making sure she sees me asrepparttar 125721 boss would be very helpful! Thanks, Cassidy

Dear Cassidy: When I refer to “half a finger space” in regard torepparttar 125722 proper fitting ofrepparttar 125723 pinch collar, what I mean is: - Ifrepparttar 125724 average person’s finger is ½ inch wide, then there should be aproximately ¼ inch of space betweenrepparttar 125725 end ofrepparttar 125726 prong andrepparttar 125727 skin ofrepparttar 125728 dog’s neck. So, why don’t I just say, “1/4 inch of space”? Because it’s easier to judge by sticking your finger beneathrepparttar 125729 prong than it is to break out your old high school ruler. Many of you (newsletter subscribers) are no doubt wondering why I would recommend a pinch collar for a puppy. And my answer is: I’m not. At least not for most puppies. But there are some puppies who will not respond to a simple diversion or verbal, “No.” They will bite and cause puncture wounds on your legs and arms if they are not corrected for this behavior. So, if you've triedrepparttar 125730 other methods for dealing with “puppy nipping” that I’ve outlined inrepparttar 125731 book, then you’ll need to progress to a small pinch collar. (Also described inrepparttar 125732 book.)

Will My Mother-in-Law's "Too Easy" House Rules Undo My Dog's Training?

Written by Adam G. Katz


Dear Adam:

My family and I want to add our thanks-- to allrepparttar other thanks you constantly receive. You have produced a book that is SOOO easy to read, understand, follow, and with great analogies.

I have readrepparttar 125712 book front to back. My concern will pertain to page 141, "Psychological Mistreatment Through Isolation."

Here it goes....

Onrepparttar 125713 weekdays, I will get up inrepparttar 125714 morning anywhere between 0530 to 0600 (sometimes earlier, between 0500 to 0530). I will let my (now 6 months old) Jack Russell out ofrepparttar 125715 crate, got out for his morning business, play, a lot of petting and rubbing, and with some training. I userepparttar 125716 ball on a rope you suggested. I thought this would create aggression problems, until I readrepparttar 125717 book. Feeding time, I will dorepparttar 125718 down-stay command, for 30 sec or so, then ask him to go in torepparttar 125719 crate, and another stay command, for about 30 sec. Then I feed him inside his crate. After this, it's back outside for his other business. Then play some more withrepparttar 125720 ball on a rope, some fetching, and more fun training. I practicerepparttar 125721 stay command like you said, where I will temp him. He is getting better with my release command of "OK". [Editor's note: Don't use "OK" for a release command. Use something that isn't so easily confused with our everyday vernacular... such as, "Take A Break" or "Free!"] He will not move until I say "OK". I want to make sure I get in as much detail as possible.

At 0700 I have to crate him. Until I get home at 1700. When he is out at about 1700, it's feeding time and then some training again as above, and a lot of touching (petting and rubbing). I know that's 10 hours inrepparttar 125722 crate, however, when he's out, my family and I play like crazy with him for about 2-3 hrs, by 2100 he's looking up atrepparttar 125723 couch and my wife, waiting forrepparttar 125724 "up" command so he can rest with her. I know, I know, I read about not going to their level. When this happens I go torepparttar 125725 chair, away from them. Then he will sleep throughrepparttar 125726 whole night in his crate.

I haverepparttar 125727 option to have him to go to my in-laws forrepparttar 125728 day. They own two dogs, a Golden Lab (2 years), and a Jack Russell (7 months). Both are NOT well trained. The Lab barks at everything. The Jack Russell constantly nips at my dog's hind legs, snarls, and bites and never stops. My mother in-law does not correct either dog. My biggest concern is that my dog will pick allrepparttar 125729 bad habits, because I am not there to correct him. My dog did not bark until he stayed with them for about a week or so. Also, 9 times out of 10 he will throw up in his crate, to and from my in-laws. So I decided to stick to my schedule, to crate him at home. The weekends however, he is out and playing with us.

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