by D. Hogan

Created on: February 16, 2009

The real answer to this debate lies in differentiating between a training apparatus and an everyday collar. So often people look to an apparatus as a physical means to control a mental issue. In other words they put a pinch or choke collar on the dog to control it. Control of your dog can be achieved in only one way TRAINING. Now the use of these two items are both humane and productive when used in the correct manner. The real concern is educating the people to use them properly as a training tool not as something that will cure behavior problems. Simple scientific research will show that dogs all learn the same way. As far as learning a new behavior three things must occur:

1. FORCE- The trainer must do something to bring about the action or behavior they are attempting to create. This could be done by luring or manipulating with a treat or by physical manipulation through hands on contact or through the use of an apparatus such as a training collar. Either way from a dogs prospective it is "FORCE".

2. OCCURRENCE- The desired action or behavior occurs.

3. REWARD- This can be as simple as the dog being allowed to relax or rest, could be food, or simple vocal and physical praise, ect. MOST IMPORTANT this must occur with 1/2 second of the OCCURENCE or it may be difficult for the dog to link the two and thus confuse the dog and take much longer for it to learn.

This is a brief explanation of what ethological research has proven to be an absolute fact not simply an opinion. Every time your dog learns something this protocol occurs- PERIOD! Once the dog learns (teaching) then through a process of "Consistent Repetition" of this occurance/reward process, somewhere between 200 and 600 times, it will become a conditioned response and the dog can be considered trained. Since this is a conditioned response it will eventually extinguish if not used often enough.

In actuality any apparatus or technique can be abused. I personally have rehabilitated many dogs that are confused and basically mentally abused by the misuse of treats in a training process. Banning something such as a choke chain would be similar to banning the common car because of the damage it can cause. What should be banned is the ignorance so often displayed in training and interacting with our best friends, the dog. Also the ignorance exposed by passing or accepting opinion as indisputable fact.

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