I just want to say that we've been in training for 3 months and there is not one thing we have done that would have required a choke/pinch/chain collar. It's all positive training, no negative (punishment or correction). Our trainer just asks for a regular nylon collar or these easy walk harnesses. We never tug on the collar for correction, which I believe is the point of the metal collars. In fact, we could probably do our whole class with the dogs OFF their leashes. They aren't going anywhere with us holding treats in our hands!
I know different trainers and owners have different philosophies, I just wanted to let you know that if you are this concerned you should look for a class similar to ours. The collar is a non-issue because it's not even used to control the dog, your words and hand signals are.
By the way, the way we have tried to get Loki not to pull is to have food with us so his attention is on us and not the kid on the bike or the bird flying by. When he does well and walks with slack in the leash he gets a treat! When he pulls, you can't EVER let him get what he wants or gain any ground. When they start to pull you just stand still. They learn that pulling gets them nothing. There's a few other tricks our trainer uses. That's something your trainer should be able to share with you too! |