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Pinch or prong collars
The collar on top is the micro-pinch, and is intended for use in small and toy breeds. It is not available in stores but can be special ordered from Sylvia's Tack Box (1-507-931-2292 or e-mail tacbox@iglide.net). The collar on the bottom is a 'small' pinch/prong collar and commonly available in most pet stores. The small size is for use in medium to large breeds and I use the small size for my 50# American Pit Bull Terriers and the micro-pinch on my 10 and 20# rat terriers.
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Look at the difference in the links
The link for the micro-pinch is no wider than a penny, while the link for the small pinch is about the size of a quarter. Some feel the pinch collar to be cruel - and no disputing that it looks like a medieval torture device! But the prongs are not sharpened, they are blunt, and they only 'pinch' when a correction is applied, ie a tug - not a jerk - that you can easily do by moving your wrist 2 to 6 inches. If you put the micro-pinch on your wrist (or the small pinch on your leg or thigh) and give a tug you will find the pressure it creates mimicks exactly the feel of teeth, ie the mouth of a more dominant dog administering a correction to a lower ranking pack member. The pinch collar is much safer than slip collars or 'choke chains' in that it takes very little jerking pressure to correct your dog and its much easier to use! Choke chains are very hard to learn to use properly and can damage a dog's windpipe/trachea or jerk the vertabrae in the neck out of alignment.
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Properly fitted pinch collar
Regardless of its size, the pinch collar is intended to be worn high on the neck. The pressure point that is aimed for is right behind the occiput, and also right at the top of the neck where the muscle is least thick, so corrections are easier felt and delivered.
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This collar is worn snug but not tight
If your dog can shake his neck and the collar slips down several inches, take one link out and try again. The collar should not slip more than an inch or so if you have it fitted correctly. I can walk my dogs with my carpal tunnel hands easily on pinch collars; I can walk a 50# pitbull litterally with the leash looped on my finger- no harsh jerking corrections required! (For more information on prong collars and their use see www.cobankopegi.com/prong.html)
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Gentle Leader headcollars
The GL comes in all kinds of sizes. I like a medim or large for a pitbull, and use a 'petite' size for small and toy dogs. Some GL's have locking clasps, some have the old fashioned buckle fastening, some have wide neck bands and narrow nose bands, and some have both narrow nose and neck bands. I prefer the old fashioned buckle fastener as the locking mechanism can slip, and for small dogs I prefer the petite style with both a narrow nose band and *narrow neck band*. Some small headed medium sized breeds work well with a narrow nose band and wide neck band, but small and toy breeds need a narrow neck band to reach the proper pressure point at the occiput; a wide neck band will not fit into the groove behind the occiput and reduce the effectiveness of the device.
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Properly fitted GL
The Gentle Leader is NOT a Halti head harness! The Gentle Leader is a scientifically designed tool that effects immediate behavior modification when placed on a dog. The GL fits SNUGLY - you will think its too tight when its fitted properly. A correct snug fit insures proper corrections and makes the tool effective; a loosely fitting GL is no beter than a Halti- make sure your GL is fitted properly! In this photo example Astro is modeling the Petite size which also fits much smaller dogs; this same petite GL also fits Astro's 20# mother Xena. (For info and more details on how the GL works visit their website: http://www.gentleleader.com/ and also visit www.sitstay.com/store/equip/gentleleader/shtml)
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Another view
Of a properly fitted GL. The leash is attached from the ring on the underside of the neck and when there is no tension on the leash no correction or direction is being given. The GL allows a dog to open its mouth, so it can eat, drink, chew and even bite while wearing a GL. For super dominant dogs with behavioral issues the GL may be left on 24/7. Use of the GL does not diminish your dogs confidence, rather it allows you to train your dog and reward him for desired behavior, which builds confidence and trust.
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Teaching/enforcing 'sit'...
Ruby observes as Astro is commanded to sit, and then given a correction. The ring is gently pulled upwards, nose is turned skywards, and the seat hits the ground as a matter of course!
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Good dog!
A bad picture of the completed 'sit' but a good shot of the back of the neck, and how the narrow neck band should rest in the groove right behind the occiput. If the neck band slips down within 15 minutes of being fitted on your dog, it should be tightened up one notch, or sucessively after several fittings, until it hardly slips while being worn. Many people make the mistake of cutting the extra neck band off once they have fitted their puppy; then the pup grows in to a full sized dog and the collar doesn't fit because there is no room to expand, so they must by a new collar. I would not make any cuts until my dog was an adult, and I would tack the extra length down with needle and thread to keep it out of the way until such time as a cut was warranted. Once your dog is done growing, once you have your adult size cut the end leaving a few inches to spare and then heat the end with a match to melt the end so it will not unravel.
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