Pinch collar hold a boat load of concerns on a whole seprate level from a gentle leader. Pinch collars do not correct aggression it is a tool a means to and end. Aggresion in it true from is never fixed it is managed. Barking and growling is more lack of skill in the social department or fear and a pinch teaches them once and for all that your going to get hurt by it if you do something your owner feels is wrong.. Which is noramal doggy behaviour.
That said it true that if appiled once in the correct manner your not going to need it again but that once do a great deal of damage. Glad it worked.
Just like a gentle leader should be used for a short term while training the behaviour you do want.
You slap a gentle leader on a dog and think it is going to cure aggression without working a program it not and it will not stop pulling either without work.
JL
Here when it does not.
International Positive Dog Training Association
Title: Pinch (Prong) Collars
Body: Tool: Pinch or Prong Collar
Rating: Unacceptable due to high risk for misuse and/or abuse
Operant Sequence:
Positive Punishment - adding the pinch to decrease the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated. ie: pulling on the pinch collar to stop the dog from pulling on leash.
Negative Reinforcement - ending the pinch to increase the likelihood that the behaviour will be repeated. ie: ending the pinch to keep the dog in heel position (avoidance conditioning).
Use of Tool: Powerful Aversive
Proper Application: The pinch collar is opened by removing one link, then wrapped around the dog’s neck. It is then fastened by replacing the missing link. The collar should fit with the prongs facing the neck, snug enough for the prongs to lightly touch but not push into the skin. When the leash is pulled or tightens, the prongs push against the skin and muscles of the neck causing physical discomfort or pain. Unlike the choke chain and slip collar, the pinch collar has limited constriction. It takes minimal effort to create a powerful correction.
Parameters:
Timing of the correction must be exact for the dog to realize which behaviour will predict the correction.
The severity of the correction must match the dog’s level of sensitivity.
The dog must be taught the desired behaviour before being corrected for the undesirable behaviour.
Benefits:
Has limited constriction.
Takes little effort for handlers with limited strength.
Distributes even pressure around the neck.
Takes less skill to use than some other collars.
Drawbacks, Risks and Warnings:
Physical
The metal prongs allow for a high potential for causing pain and/or physical injury.
Has been known to cause irritation, wounds and infection.
If the collar is left on the dog when not supervised, the dog can become caught by the collar and can injure itself, cause de-gloving of the skin on the neck and head, cause strangulation and even death.
If two dogs are playing together, the dog’s jaw can become caught in the chain causing injury to one or both dogs.
If the dog hits the end of the leash, life line or retractable leash with any force it can cause injury.
If positioned too close to the ears, the correction will affect the sensitive nerve bundles just below the dog’s ears.
Behavioural
Pinch collars have been known to cause fear, submission, aggression, stress, depression and avoidance behaviours.
The anxiety caused by the correction can increase aggressive behaviour, the severity and frequency of aggressive episodes.
Psychological
Unwanted associations may be created if the dog pairs up the unpleasant experience with someone or something in the environment at the moment it is shocked. For example; if the dog is focused on a child when corrected, it may create an unpleasant association with children. This association can cause fear of the child which could lead to fear aggression.
The unpleasant experience can create fear and distrust of the handler.
The unpleasant experience can create fear and distrust of anyone or anything in the environment.
In order to effectively stop an unwanted behaviour with as few corrections as possible, the dog’s temperament and level of sensitivity must be known. Because there is no way to know how sensitive the dog is to the physical correction without correcting it, the risk of making a mistake is high. If you start too high and work your way down you can create fear and/or aggression, if you start too low and work your way up you can desensitize the dog to the correction and/or cause habituation; which is the ability to stop reacting to meaningless stimuli through repeat exposure. R1 When this happens you will require higher and higher levels of correction to stop the unwanted behaviour. Therefore, finding the correct intensity of correction risks causing pain, physical harm, damaging the dog’s temperament and/or creating new behaviour problems.
The unpleasant experience can cause stress, anxiety, and/or depression, leading to other behavior issues and/or the inability to learn.
Limitations:
Goals must be achieved with as few corrections as possible.
Excellent timing is essential for the dog to associate the correction with the unwanted behaviour.
Since it takes very little strength to deliver a severe correction, the risk for misuse and abuse is high.
Because human behaviour is often affected by emotions, there is a risk of bad judgement and/or timing on part of the handler.
The dog may not be able to feel the correction if there is too much hair between the prongs and the skin.
This tool can only be effective once the dog understands the desired response.
Links have been known to come loose resulting in an escaped dog.
Putting the collar on the dog requires strength and good vision.
If the collar is too loose, contact will be concentrated on one particular area which can result in too much pressure to one spot on the dog’s neck.
If the collar is too tight it can cause non-stop pain and/or discomfort.
The pinch collar can only be used during supervised training.
The size of the links must be appropriate to the size of the dog.
Viable Alternatives
A suitable, well-fitting head halter (ie: Gentle Leader)
Counter-conditioning
Obedience training
Systematic desensitization
Negative Punishment - Remove something pleasant to decrease a behaviour
Positive Punishment - Add something unpleasant to decrease a behaviour (Extremely Limited - ie; "Ah Ah" - must not cause fear or pain)
Negative Reinforcement - Remove something unpleasant to increase a behaviour (Extremely Limited - ie; "Ah Ah" - must not cause fear or pain)
Positive Reinforcement - Add something pleasant to increase a behaviour
Interrupt and redirect
Create a reliable “on-off” switch to put the behaviour on cue
Creating other acceptable outlets for the unwanted behaviour
Environmental management to prevent the unwanted behaviour from occurring
References:
R1 - “Habituation” - Excel-lerated Learning, Pamela J Reid Ph.D., James & Kenneth Publishers 1996 Page 37-38