does anyone have experience using the dominant dog collar? I am thinking about getting one for my crazy puller / dog reactive dog (assuming her neck is not too small). Has anyone used this on a dog aggressive dog, and gotten good results? I just want my dog to stop screaming at every dog we walk by.

other issue is, i have a dog walker come and walk her on the week days, should i have him walk her on the dominant collar too, or should i just do it myself, i'm kind of worried he might not do it right, and i don't like the idea of someone else "training" her when i am not around....

what do you all think?

Watch the video to the attatched link: http://leerburg.com/746.htm

It'll tell you how to measure your dogs neck for the collar.

I think that walking with the DD collar would be fine. If you have to have someone walk your dog, make sure that you show them how to use the collar first. Have them watch the video too, that way you both know how it works and how it's supposed to fit.

I woudl use the DD collar instead of a prong collar with a dog aggressive dog, the prongs can make a dog react even more. So going with the DD collar is best in your case.

Jenn,

It sounds like you have two issues here: one is pulling, the other is "screaming" (do you mean barking? Lunging?) at other dogs. I suggest you tackle them separately. A properly fitted prong collar works very well for pulling, but you will get even better results if you combine it with marking and rewarding the response you want to a command like "Easy'' or "With me" - whatever communicates to the dog that you want a relaxed walk on a slack leash.

I have used a dominant dog collar when training foster dogs that would lunge and bark at other dogs when walking. I attach a second leash to the DD collar, (the other leash is on a flat collar or prong colllar). I walk with the second leash slack, and if the dog starts to behave like an idiot when another dog approaches I just use this second leash to calmly lift the front feet off the ground while firmly saying "NO". As soon as the dog calms down I put the feet back down again and keep moving forward. Usually it only takes doing this a couple of times before the dog starts to figure it out.

I would not use a DD collar for correcting pulling - it is not designed for that - and I would not let anyone else use a DD collar on my dog either. Too much potential for abuse in the hands of someone who didn't know how to use it properly. I suggest letting the dog walker use a prong collar but training with the DD collar yourself. You need to spend some time walking the dog yourself to work on this.

Hope this helps.

 Quote: sarah ward

Jenn,

the other is "screaming" (do you mean barking? Lunging?) at other dogs.

haha no, i do mean screaming! i wish it were just barking. she sounds like she is being tortured or something. it's a loud shriek that causes everyone on the block to stop and stare! she will lunge too. although i've been trying to "block" her body and kind of back her up into a sit, while pulling up on the collar. i do feel like it's been getting more intense lately though. it's totally unbelievably obnoxious.

with the walking, i have been pulling her martingale up high on her neck and using a treat held up near my stomach and the "watch" command. i can actually walk a few blocks with her like this (assuming there aren't too many squirrels around, and if there are dogs, then forget it).

the past couple days i have been putting the martingale high up on her neck, and lifting her off the ground if she starts to react, just to see what happens and if a collar like this would help at all, and i am not sure it would. she loses air, but her screaming turns into gurgling /choking sounds, and i am not sure she is "getting it". Is it possible something like this could just make it worse? I know things like, for instance the halti i have tried, have made it worse or more aggravating for her. i hate to hear her struggling too. however my only other option at this point is to continue treat training, which is really not working out well either. i am so bummed, because i am out of ideas, and just want to fix this so badly!

just a question for clarity:

is this the terrier and by lift off the ground, you mean her feet not the whole dog, right?

Jenn,

Is this one of the wide type martingales? In which case, lifting her up with it may be more like a general throttling, applying pressure over a wide area, hence her reaction. The DD collar is very narrow and just shuts off air. It also is fitted high up under the jaw, not where a martingale type collar would sit. You may still get some gagging and choking noises from the dog when you use it. My new adopted dog (who was a wild boy when I got him in January) is a real drama queen, and using a DD collar on him resulted in major shrieking and gagging (highly embarrassing in public) but he worked it out very fast.

I'm not surprised that the halti made things worse. They are useless on all but very soft and compliant dogs, and just annoy the heck out of other dogs.

What breed/age/size is the dog?

 Quote: Jo Harker

just a question for clarity:

is this the terrier and by lift off the ground, you mean her feet not the whole dog, right?

Hi Jo

Yes she is a toy fox terrier, and I only lift her front feet off the ground.

 Quote: sarah ward

Jenn,

Is this one of the wide type martingales? In which case, lifting her up with it may be more like a general throttling, applying pressure over a wide area, hence her reaction. The DD collar is very narrow and just shuts off air. It also is fitted high up under the jaw, not where a martingale type collar would sit. You may still get some gagging and choking noises from the dog when you use it. My new adopted dog (who was a wild boy when I got him in January) is a real drama queen, and using a DD collar on him resulted in major shrieking and gagging (highly embarrassing in public) but he worked it out very fast.

I'm not surprised that the halti made things worse. They are useless on all but very soft and compliant dogs, and just annoy the heck out of other dogs.

What breed/age/size is the dog?

Hi

actually yes it is a very wide martingale. how long did you need to use the dd collar on yours before he "got it"? did you have to continue using it, or are you able to walk him on a normal collar now without him reacting?

Mine is a 4yo toy fox terrier about 12 pounds...

Ahh...terriers! My wild boy is an Airedale x GSD mix and his brain is a very interesting combination of GSD smarts and total Airedale "bring it on" attitude. He is turning out to be a great dog, but a constant training challenge with that tough and stubborn terrier mentality.

Firmness, patience, and persistence - you have to outlast 'em! I would seriously give the DD collar a try and be prepared to put up with the theatrics that seem to be a terrier specialty.

Jenn,
I was able to stop using the DD collar when walking him after about a week. For four months now he has been doing well walking with just a prong collar in all kinds of situations - downtown crowds, lots of other dogs - and I hope we can transition to a flat collar soon. I also used the DD collar to correct some obnoxious behavior when I first got him - grabbing and shaking my wrist, for example (not totally his fault - one of his several previous owners had "played" with him by putting on a welding glove and encouraging him to bite it). Redirection did not work and this was beyond puppy biting, but the DD collar really helped get his attention and calm him down. Now I occasionally see his open jaws moving towards my arm when he gets excited, I just look him in the eye and say "NO" and the jaws close and go away.