Tools: The Choke Chain

Recently, it was brought to my attention that I do not have a 'tools' article about the Choke Chain.  I have purposely avoided talking too much about this little piece of equipment, because of my personal feelings towards its application in uneducated hands.  That's not fair to you, dear Reader.  

While not my 'go to' usually, these simple little collars have been around forever.  They are met with almost as much controversy as the electronic correction collars, or the prong collar. They get lumped together with all the other "adverse" training tools, but they do still have a place in the training world.  As with any tool, one must familiarize themselves with the proper use and application of said tool, if one expects to be pleased with the end result.  And as with any tool, misuse can result in injury.

The basic rule to remember here, is the smaller the chain-link, the more it can hurt.  Obviously, if this is your tool of choice, be reasonable in your link choices; a 120 lb dog should not be on a chain that is too fine to hold him, nor should that little Chihuahua be rockin' big gold links for control.....no matter how cool he looks in it.

As you can see in this illustration, allowing too much pressure on a young dog's throat, no matter what kind of collar you use can cause some damage.

Please do not choke chain a young or fragile dog.  Most canines throats/trachea and cervical spines are not developed or strong enough to take a strong 'snap' or 'pop' correction, before the age of 6 months.  Breeds that are prone to spine issues, such as Dachshunds, or French Bulldogs, should most likely not be trained with this tool.  If you already have one on your dog, and all you hear is that "hnghngh--hack/cough" sound as your dog Still pulls you, it is being used incorrectly, and you are building scar tissue in his throat. Or worse, you are headed for a condition known as "Collapsing Trachea," or deficiencies and complications with your dog's thyroid glands.  Please note, these conditions can also be caused by genetics, or other factors as well; in no way do I 'blame the chain' for all throat damage or conditions.

Do Not tie your dog out in a choke chain!  If he gets it caught or hung up on something, he can strangle and die.  If you must use a tie-out, a Martingale with a quick release is a much safer option--Here's a link to our article on them, if you want more information on this wonderful little tool: http://rosedogtraining.blogspot.com/2014/06/tools-you-should-use-martingale-collar.html

If you have decided the choke chain is the way to go:  Let's make sure you at least know the basic How To of Fit and Function.

To properly fit a choke chain, measure your dog's skull at its widest point, and then add 2".  This will give you enough clearance for most ears, but not so much extra chain, that you'd find yourself with too much extra chain at the end of your leash when attached.  We want the chain's action to be quick:  Too much extra chain can slow this down, and decrease the effectiveness of the correction.  Should you have a breed with Huge ears (think Bloodhound), adding 3 inches to your measurement will be More than enough.

The chain should fit high on the neck, directly behind the dogs ears, and just under his jaw, where it meets his throat.  His trachea is closest to the surface at this point, which means your correction will be most uncomfortable here, thus making it most effective.  

If the dog is to walk on your left side, the chain should look like a letter "P" when you put it on him.

For a dog on your Left, the chain should form a letter "P"

 If you walk your dog on the right, the chain should look like a letter "Q".  

If you walk your dog on your Right, place the chain on the dog so it resembles a "Q."

While this may not seem too important, it actually can change the way the action of the chain responds when you snap it.  

Should the chain be either too long, or is not placed/used high on the neck, the correction becomes less impactful.  The lower on the neck the chain slips, the more your dog's trachea is protected by muscle and fur, and dewlaps...This means that you will also have to 'pop' him with more force to get his attention.  

A choke chain that rides low on the neck Will eventually be acceptable, but by the time you are allowing that, your dog should have been trained with proper placement (high behind the ears), and no longer needs a "real" correction to respond or respect the leash.  At that point, the dog is responding to the lightest jiggle of the collar, and he knows that sound (the chain slipping against itself) is a precursor to a 'pop' or 'snap' correction, and will correct himself, way before you need to actually snap him.

A chain that is too long, or placed incorrectly, can snag and pinch ear flaps, or loose skin when suddenly yanked, or 'popped.'  

Have you ever watched a dog show?    

Think about how those handlers hold the leash when they are showing the dog off as they jog around the ring.  That tiny little cord, or delicate chain is right up on that neck, keeping that dog's head off the ground, and those toes on their tips....Using a choke chain at first, will feel like you are trying to do a dog show.

This does not mean that you are half-choking the dog all the time as you walk.  Allowing too much tension (be it from the dog pulling it tight all the time, or from your attempting to hold the dog back rather than properly correct him), can also cause blood vessels in the dogs eyes to break, or raise the pressure in the actual eyeball to such a degree that the eye may be damaged or lost entirely---I've seen it, it's not pretty; nor is it 'cheap' to fix when you take him to the vet.  This ocular injury can occur with hard-pullers on a collar of any kind, so if you are noticing your pup seems to have red eyes after a good pull (some people call it walking), you may want to reevaluate the tools you have chosen...Or try to alter the way in which you are using it.

So you've gotten the appropriate size choke chain, you've seen the 'dog show' walk, now what?  How to properly use this Tool?

Get with a good Teacher, and have them help.

If you want to go it alone, no problem, just keep in mind that while this tool is simple, it can be a real hassle to keep that chain where it belongs, and learn to issue proper corrections when necessary.  There are other inventive tools out there, to assist with collar placement, but to be perfectly frank, if you need this sort of device, you may want to either change tools, or learn proper technique.  The choke chain is not a tool that just does its job, without your help.  Dogs are amazingly adaptable, and they absolutely will drag you down the street, choking themselves silly...unless we use technique to teach them otherwise.

The correction you give a choke chain should be fast, firm, and only as strong as necessary for the dog.  Placing the chain on your own wrist/forearm and learning how to give a quick 'snap' before using it on the dog is a great way to get your mechanics together.  Remember, we aren't bringing emotions in to this.  This correction must become absolutely automatic; this collar can become a communication device to the dog.  The snap correction that a boisterous, bouncing, happy, but out of control dog will respond to, may be entirely too harsh and frankly, cruel to use on a fearful, shy dog. 

Stop waiting for the dog to make a huge mistake before attempting to correct it with the collar snap.  Begin in your house/apartment, where the distractions are at a minimum.  Using a well-fit choke chain, and preferably a leather  leash (they are better on your hands, and do not slip through them as easily as a nylon leash), start by teaching your pup that Following you is Much Better than attempting to lead you.

I like to use a tasty snack, or the dogs' favorite toy, as a reward for walking in the right spot next to my leg.   Make sure the you dole out that reward only when the dog is in the position you want--if you feed him when he is out in front of you, he will get the idea that is where you want him to walk.  I usually like to hold a snack next to my thigh, (or knee if I'm working with a shorter dog) and as I make a turn, if the pup is paying attention, he'll find it.  

If you feel like you have to say his name, make kisses sounds, or wave the snack in his face to get his attention...you are trying to bribe him.  We are quietly offering a tasty "find" right where I want him to walk.  I find it helps most dogs understand the difference between what I'm correcting, and what I actually want them to do.  It isn't fair to just throw a chain on a dog, and start popping him for behaviors he may have been building for years, without giving him a chance to understand what I'm asking for.  

Using some kind of reward in this fashion, can also help the dog recognize that we are still having a good time.  If learning is fun, they will want to do more of it.  If you are working with a more sensitive personality, you may find that a simple slip-lead, or a nylon choke collar will work--without overpowering and emotionally damaging your dog.

A slip-leash can offer a 'softer' version of the choke correction; a good choice for more sensitive dogs.  

 That being said, the following instructions will not include doling out food rewards...That is up to your discretion, but rewarding in that "paycheck" way, and not using it as a "bribe" is most important with this kind of tool.  Paying the dog, be it praise or a snack, when he does the right stuff, will cut down on how long this process can take.

Start by placing the dog on either your left, or your right side (doesn't matter which you choose, but please stick to it, once you've started with one).  Get the dog in position at your side. We are going to talk from here out, as though the dog is on my Left, for the sake of saving a few words.  

Dog at Left side. If you've taught him to Sit, start him in a Sit at your side. 

Step off with your left leg, saying something like "Let's go" or "Walk." We are Not, I repeat, Not teaching a military Heel here, so I will not label it as such.  We can talk about what a "Heel" actually is, but not right now.

As you step out, give the dog a slight 'pop' with the collar --remember, you are not trying to be too Big to start with. Your communication with the collar, should be a quick snap, as this should stop him from racing ahead. Remember, dog show leash. As he gets better at this, your correction will be more sideways, as he will be next to you.

Should dog leap out ahead of you immediately, issue a stronger 'pop' or 'snap' as you turn to go the other way.  The combination of your direction change, his forward motion, and the correction you issue from the leash/collar will magnify the correction.  This is why it is important to practice this skill where your dog will not be easily distracted, if at all possible.  Giving yourself and the dog a chance to experience smaller, less severe chain corrections, can lay a better foundation for when you are exposing him to bigger distractions.  

Do not allow your dog to get more than his head in front of you.  Every time he tries, 'pop' that collar and turn away from the dog.  That means, every time I 'pop' and turn, I am turning to my right, as the dog is on my left.  As they get better at this, you can incorporate the 'inside turn' (where I turn to my left, thus turning IN to the dog) and do some figure 8's and what have you.  When researching this technique, check out "How to Be Your Dog's Best Friend" by the Monks of New Skete; good stuff.

Walk around your furniture, up and down stairs, hallways, etc.  Keep in mind, your corrections need to become second nature--Dog not at side, dog gets correction.  Dog places tension on leash, dog gets correction.  Dog lagging behind, give more gentle, but still a correction for not moving their feet.  Dog attempts to jump on you, correct it--by pulling him sideways and off of your body. You've graduated from walking around the house, and you now want to try going outdoors with this, so dog leaps out the door--correct it, turn around, go back inside, and try again; and again, and again.  You are going for impulse control, so be patient.

***Please Note:  If your dog is 'failing' over and over and over again, correcting him harder and harder and harder will only damage the relationship you are trying to build.  This can have negative effects on his confidence.  Go back to something he's good at, and try a shorter, easier exercise.  Sometimes, it is Absolutely worth it, to stand still and correct gently.  In an environment with little to no distractions, using this small way to teach him how to avoid tension on the lead, can net you bigger success when you actually start walking around.  Meet your dog where he's at with this.  

Tension on the leash, and improper position, is what you are correcting.  You are creating bumpers with your corrections, essentially:  As long as the dog stays in his lane, i.e. directly next to your leg, he is doing the right thing.  So weather it's verbal praise (lots of encouragement here) or a combination of praise and snacks, he needs the balance of Good vs. Collar Correction, or you will find you have a dog that grows frustrated and dishes out more crap than necessary in this process.

Some dogs will react to being manhandled in this manner.  Either fearfully, or aggressively because this correction can and does hurt.  It's designed to.  But folks, there's a reason these tools are still so widely used.....they are cheap, easy to get, and it can work--sometimes Really well.  And having a professional show you how to do what I am trying to describe may be what you need.  Nothing wrong with that.  

If you've got a reactive dog on a choke chain, or a prong collar, and your "trainer" is allowing him to focus on the thing that stresses him out, while they tell you to issue stronger and stronger collar corrections, in the hope that it breaks his focus, I have bad news for you---It's going to create a stronger reaction from your dog.  It can, in some cases, actually increase the over-stimulation and make it even harder to get the dog to relax.....But that sounds like a whole other article :). 

Putting a bit more 'umpf' on it, as you turn to go the other way, however, is acceptable.  Remember: Looking at stuff is good (talk to your dog; encourage him), acting on stuff in not what you told him to do.  Those moments when they look at something, like another dog, or a person they aren't sure of, and they choose to react in an over-protect way, is when your 'pop' Absolutely Must become a 'pop' and Turn Away.

Breaking his focus on the thing he just barked/posted-up/lunged at, with a strong correction and a firm verbal "No!" as you turn him away, makes it easier for him to tell exactly What caused the correction, and the displeasure from You.

Only take him far enough away that you feel he can now focus on you, turn so he can see the 'thing' again, and resume whatever it was you were doing.

Body positioning is the biggest thing to remember here:  When he/she sits, placing yourself a bit in front of Dog, tells Dog that You are in control, and they can/should leet it go. This also makes it easier/more effective when you have to correct them for making mistakes.  Your rewards with praise/petting/snacks/etc immediately after a quick correction, then carries more weight, and its impact is something the dog seeks out.  They Need to work.  Showing them how is up to you.

If at first you don't succeed, don't keep ramping up the power behind the correction until the dog stops what he's doing.....Any animal will eventually stop what it's doing, if you hurt him bad enough.  We are not trying to hurt our dogs, just open a line of communication that both of us can understand.  When using this method properly, you will be surprised at just how many very small corrections you will use--These are meant to 'talk' to the dog, via his leash.  We don't scream and yell in a conversation; nor should you be using all your strength when you 'snap' that leash.

The How's and When's of using a choke chain to teach a Sit, Down, Wait or Stay are better done with a good Teacher, or with a great training book/video on the subject. The goal is to open clear communication between you and your dog, not simply to overpower him.  If you find yourself becoming angry, or overly frustrated using this tool, maybe it's time to reach out to someone and see if this is even the right method for you. 

For now, I will leave you with my as usual advice of Get in to a Class that suits you, hire a Teacher to come to your home, or research the proper way to apply this tool.  If this is the tool you have chosen for your training needs.  They take a bit of getting used to, but there is still a time and place, and a dog, for every tool.