Dog choker
 

:eek: i am afraid of allowing my husband to walk our yorkie (alone) he keeps saying "I am going to get a choker for her". I told him she is going a year and she has been living with us since Christmas Eve. We don't usually walk her all the time like we should but she does get some excerise in. When we walk her she wants to do her own thing. so my husband said the keep the lease short so she walkes beside me. I agree and don't mind doing that but she pulls alot because she wants to do what she wants to do and parks at people, other animals and birds. he feels getting a choker will tame her to walk beside us and stop her from barking at everyone and anything.

I say "NO" she is not a big dog like he is used to and this is my first pet I have owned but I would think that a choker will kill her instead of taming her to walk beside us and etc.

Please can you help me? Am I wrong about the choker? She she really have one?

Small dogs should never ever wear chokers. I think dog training is one of the things that owners need to agree on before getting a dog because it can just be a point of tension now. The easy answer is that you should not let anyone put a choker on your Yorkie. Their necks and tracheas are pretty fragile and it is not in your dog's best interest.

I say NO to the choker! .. With Yorkie's being a small breed they have weak tracheas. I was told not even to put a collar on Buster (my yorkie) because it could collapse his trachea. My boyfriend and I use a harness for Buster... we were told that is best for him.

Hope this helps!

You are absolutely right. In fact, yorkies should never ever be walked by the collar. They require a harness because the yorkie breed is prone to collapsed trachea. There are other ways to teach her to walk correctly. A harness that attaches the leash in the front could help. Every time she pulls, she will be turned around immediately. She won't get where she wants like that. Another thing, as soon as she starts pulling, turn around and walk in the opposite direction for a few steps. Then try heading in the original direction again. Point is, you have to teach her that pulling isn't going to get her where she wants to go. Walking nicely will.

A def. NO to the choker! However, your husbands idea of having her close to him is what my trainer did with Bandit and he's great on the leash now. We practiced walking, everytime we took a step Bandit had to be next to us and if he pulled we just stopped (sounds easy but it was VERY time consuming). We went in a million different directions and he always had to be by our side and had very little slack. Now he's great on the leash! Make sure you let her run around first before you try this!

Also there are harnesses that hook in front and give a squeeze and turn her around if she pulls. That might be something you want to consider. Good luck!
^I think it's called the easy walk harness

Tell your Husband small breed dogs are succeptible to getting collapsed trachea and a choker collar can definitely cause that so thats why its unwise. Tell him that you do understand that it can be a training aid with bigger dogs so you see where he may thiknk it wise When she barks stop walking and dont start back up untill she stops. She will see if she wants to go on walking it is best not to bark.

There is no need for a choker or collar when walking yorkies or other small breeds, as others have posted they can be damaging to the trachea.

The best $100 I have spent on my yorkies was a simple obedience class. The skills you learn, will enable you to teach your dog how to properly walk on a lead. I walk 5 small dogs (wearing harnesses) at a time on separate leads (without a coupler) with none of them pulling, and rarely even have a tangled lead.

Choke collars are terrible for both small dogs and big dogs, and I'd never use one on either. They've been known to cause severe damage, especially if you don't know what you're doing. But even so, I don't agree with them at all. You want your dog to walk beside you because she wants to and it's fun... not because you're forcing her to and choking her. You start choking me, yeah, I'm gonna do what you want me to do... but I'm not going to like you, or respect you, or want to do anything for you.

The Easy Walk harness is amazing, IMO. Some have difficulties with it but it's worked for a lot of people. It's a harness with the d-ring in the front so it re-directs them towards you. Just remember, there is no easy fix for anything! It takes time, patience, training, and most of all... establishing that bond between human and dog. Dogs aren't born knowing exactly what to do, nor are children, and with a child taking it's first steps... you're going to encourage them and be positive with it. Why not do that with a dog? Also remember that dogs can walk alot faster than us.... for them to walk at our pace is often hard for a lot of dogs, when they know they can move faster. We're teaching them to do something unnatural to them, and it'd be the equivalent of asking a human to walk only taking one step every 5 seconds.

Wow I would like to say Thank you all for your honestly and responses to my concern.

Ellie May
Thank you for your comment. I will let my husband know of this and I prey to god it never comes up again. Thank you for your suggestion. I believe the one thing we didn’t do thus far is discus about her training but the only issue we have with Shelldenae’ (my yorkie) is the walking issue.

BustersMom13
Thank you for your comment. I totally agree of the no choker. As Ellie and you said I had know clue about their tracheas. Thank you for letting me know. I have lots to learn. When I purchased her I was told not to put anything around her neck unless its clothing (fitted but not tight) and I use a harness for her so I am on the right track there.

DvlshAnglel985
Thank you for your comment. I use the harness that is on top of her neck/back area. I will look into getting the one harness that hooks in the front. I will definitely use your suggestion pertaining to walking her.

BranditSocks2
Thank you for your comment. I will definitely look into that tomorrow. Thanks for the name too. I sure hope I get lucky. I will try both you and DvlshAnglel985 suggestions! Wohoo! I am getting excited now sorry I sound like a nerd here but I can’t wait till our next walk to try my new techniques.

Chachi
Thank you for your comment. I will get my husband to read all of yours comment so he can fully understand. Thanks on the advise of her barking at people. I will try that.

Jencar98
Thank you for your comment. I will look into the training class right away.

Britster
Thank you for your comment. I never use a collar on Shelldenae’ ( my yorkie) so I got that one right. (thank goodness). I agree of what you said.

No problem. That's what this site is for.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

NEVER USE A CHOKER!! I don't even think they should be used on large dogs. In small dogs they are especially dangerous. Yorkies are prone to a condition called collapsed trachea. A choke collar can make this condition so much worse. ONLY use a harness, preferrably one that puts absolutely no pressure on the neck. The "EASY WALK HARNESS" is a good option for small dogs, as are step-in harnesses, as both put no pressure on the neck.

You are absolutely right and your husband is 100 percent WRONG. If you don't feel safe letting him walk her, take responsibility for her walks yourself.

No problem... Happy to help :)

You should try a gentle leader. Thats what I used, and a lot of trainers use. It works great. You can buy them at petsmart. It will come with a dvd telling you how to use it.:animal36

Lots of great advice!

I would like to add: I don't think an outside walk is the best place to teach walking by your side. Outside is so exciting! With Snoopy, we started in the house. I would get a treat and have him walk right beside me, and then give him a tiny bit of the treat. I used "walk with me!" in a happy voice. We practiced it outside of course, but the initial teaching was in the house.

I think someone here said the used peanut butter on a wooden spoon, so they didn't have to be bending over. :)

You obviously gotten some great advice on NOT using a choke collar. Chattiesmom has an easy walk harness. Here is the link to one of threads.

http://www.yorkietalk.com/forums/yor...elections.html

When I first got Bella, she was 16 months old. My husband would take her out in the early morning and use the leash on the collar. I had a feeling that's what he was doing, so I got up one morning and sure enough he was. He didn't know not to tho. Till I brought it to his attention. I even asked if she made a funny sound when he took her out. Yep, she had been pulling against her collar. So I explained what was going on. Not to, or there could be surgery in her future for a collapsed treachea. He stopped immediately.

I never used a choker on my binky either and always took special care to make sure her harness was fit well sitting on her breast bone...well that is what I called it when I was teaching my sister how to fit her harness for her maltese. They have so many pretty one's out there that she had more than one but her best two were from tirsch of bavaria that is what they used to call the company...and my husband bought her two and a fancy lead while he was still alive for our binky.....he even got a id heart shaped leather purse with a brass yorkie on it for her id...the harness had beautiful rhinestones and so di the lead...the only reason my binky had a collar is because my sister bought one for her with her name in crystal letters

Thank you everyone once again! ;)

I was wondering does anyone know where I can order inexpensive clothing and dog/yorkies supplies. Here in Bermuda is so EXPESIVE:eek::eek:! Just a simple T-shirt cost US$25.00 and a simple jacket cost US$55.00. Please I really need help here. Anywhere I can order a catalog for dog supplies and clothing??:confused::confused: Thanks

Vinniedoggy:
Thank you!

Jennydonnelly:
Thank you but unfortunately, I live in Bermuda (no petsmart here lol) but I can look around here in Bermuda first.

Snoopymom:
Thank you for your added advise. I will try this at home too. At the moment I have not given Shelldenae’ (my yorkie) any human related food. Her previous owner had not given her any either so I kept on that same trait. I choose to do this to me it easier for me; therefore, no peanut butter here…but thanks anyway.

Mom to Hot Rod:
Thanks for the link!

BellarousasMom:
Thank you.

Smyrfette:
Thank you.