What types of training collars do you all use/work best with doodle hair?

[Heather & Jake]

I'm currently using a gentle leader with Jake who is 9 months old, but I want to transition him off of it.  It has done wonders since we started using it around 5 months old, as before he would pull so hard he was walking only on his back legs!  Now he walks the same on a flat collar as he does on the gentle leader, which is okay (no pulling) until he sees a distraction and then he forgets everything.  It does not matter which collar he is on, he does not do a true heel.  He walks next to us with his front legs by our knees rather than his nose which always has to be a few inches out in front.  We are working on this.  The gentle leader is easier to control when he sees distractions (squirrels/bikers/runners/dogs) and I feel better not hearing him choke himself trying to get to them.  I tried a chain training collar but it got all tangled in his waves and had to be pulled out of his hair.  Has anyone tried martingale collars or have any other suggestions on which collars are best for training that wont get stuck in the hair?  My goal is to get him trained well enough to walk on a flat collar at all times.

[Carol Brand]

Prong collar.    You can try using a dowel to keep him from forging.  This from a training site:

 

Another training tool that some folks like to use is a small training stick. This can be a 2-3 foot wooden dowel. When heeling your dog, use the stick to guide him in closer to you if he starts drifting. If he starts forging, hold the stick in front of his chest, and guide him back. If he starts lagging, guide him forward at his rump. If he doesn’t sit straight, use the stick to gently position him where you want him. Remember to keep an upright posture and hold the stick in an inconspicuous manner. Use the stick to gently nudge the dog, don’t poke him or strike him.

[Heather & Jake]

Any preferred brand?  I know not all prong collars are created equal.  We actually used to use a golf cub in that way when he was a little puppy before the gentle leader :) Needless to say it didn't work.  He tried to go around it, push his head under it, and run to our other side and get all tangled up... ended up having to swing it like a pendulum which made for a very tired arm!  Maybe we can try it again now that he is older.

[Adina P]

I use a chain slip collar for all ("choke chain") obedience training and would do so regardless of breed or coat.  If it was a real problem I'd be willing to clip the neck hair a bit shorter so it wasn't an issue. Sometimes the quality of the chain influences how much of a fur pulling problem it is.  Herm Sprenger is the best brand for both choke chains and prongs.

 

In any case, I'd say it is the method/technique that will make a tool work rather than the tool itself.  Have you any recommended training classes near you?  It helps SO much to work under the guidance of a professional because even when we THINK we are doing things correctly, quite often we are not and having the expert eye of a pro guiding you can make a huge difference!

[Heather & Jake]

Thanks for the brand name!  And yes, he finished his 1st obedience top of the class...  he's a show off there and acts absolutely perfect of course :)  We start his 2nd level class latter this week so I was thinking about getting him a new collar before that.  It is not personal one-on-one but there are only 4 of us in the class with a professional trainer.

[Carol Brand]

Adina is right.... Sprenger.  Oh and the smaller the prong the better.  Most people I see make the mistake of getting prongs that are too large.  You may have to buy additional prongs to fit your dog.

[Adina P]

Yup I have the smallest size for my 90 lb doode and I just bought several batches of extra prongs.

[Adina P]

Doesn't the trainer have a recommendation or plan for weaning off the gentle leader?  I always say "follow your trainer's advice" because they are the ones familiar with their method/technique you are learning.  Do you practice in other places besides class?  What distractions do you practice with?  Most dogs do fine in class but it doesn't 'stlck' outside of class (parks, house, walks) because they aren't taken there for the SOLE purpose of work...it's more of a 'oh wow I didn't expect him to react like that to that squirrel!' rather than going there to work around squirrels with a plan of action.  I'm more of a stickler about training so I don't even take my 'in training' dogs places EXCEPT for training (with the exception of vet visits, grooming).  So all park excursions are for training.  All trips downtown are training trips.  All walks are really just training sessions, etc.  Doesn't mean you can't go on casual walks too but they have to be done with the knowledge that you MIGHT need to train on the walk or be prepared to train or correct bad behavior.  Just my opinion.

[Jennifer & Kai]

I used the GL also and it worked wonders...then used the prong collar....trainer suggested and that was her method. he did great on it but had to get off so we could learn to walk with a flat collar.  My guy is 15 months and we just transitioned to a martingale collar because we were taking the CGC test and GL were not allowed...so I started working with a flat collar a couple of months ago...he is doing really great now..He still wants to go after squirrels but I taught him leave it and it works...also distracting him when he is focused on a squirrel is what I do also...I would carry a treat and hold in my hand and not let him have it, just lick as we go by...works everytime...and now I I don't have to do that but will still use the leave it command..Jumping was an issue also when he saw a squirrel and I would make him sit and look at me....then give him the "OK, let's go", command and continue to walk.

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

I use a 'choke chain' on both doodles and their hair doesn't get tangled.  I can't figure out why that would happen if the chain was the right length and size. This is them celebrating receiving their CGC's.You can see Clancy's choke collar here but Ned also has one on and as you can see they both have longer coats with very different compositions.  I do agree with others that you should consult your trainer for his/her collar preference. If I had someone who could show me the correct way to fit and use a prong collar, I would use it for training Ned (the little one) to get over some of his bad habits and I would use one on my Springer.

[F, Calla & Luca]

Here you go Nancy. I use ones I ordered with easy closures.

http://leerburg.com/fit-prong.htm

[Nancy, Ned, Clancy, and Charlie]

Thank you F.

[Jane, Guinness and Murphy]

As others have said, I would definitely wait until your first training class to gain input from this trainer on what type of collar he'd like you to work with for this next leg of obedience training.  I used a Gentle Leader with Murphy (and sometimes still do in very highly distracted areas).  Once he got really good at heeling I transitioned him to just a thin slip lead, which was allowed for his CGC.  This is what I use most of the time now with him, and it works well.  For me it was also perfect for our transition to off leash work, because it's so light.  At first he dragged it, and he barely knew it was there.  If he got even slightly ahead of me, I stepped on it which gave him a "correction" and he realized he was "out of position".  As with a choke collar the real key to the slip lead is the placement on the neck and the timing of corrections.  Murph is now at the point where he needs very few corrections, and just a quick tug will bring him back to focus.  I'm definitely not against prong collars, and they have worked really well for lots of people.  I also think choke chains can be very effective....this is what I used to initially train the "heel".  So, it's whatever works the best for your dog and trainer.  These are only tools.  Please keep us posted on how your training progresses.