Properly fitting a Martingale Collar

[Sandy]

A trainer friend of mine gave me a martingale collar to try on Toby. I used it today, but I really didn't feel it made much difference. Maybe I've fitted it wrong. Does anyone know how to properly fit this type of collar? What I did was I adjusted the nylon part so that, if pulled, the chain could never pull completely together. Toby is either incredibly bull-headed, or very tolerant of this type of thing, because it honestly didn't make any difference in pulling at all. Of course, he IS 8 months old, and in the height of puppy adolescence....

[Kyoko]

Hi Sandy!
We use martingale collar at the shelter where I volunteer. When the collar is tighten ( pulled ), it should still leave about a little less than a inch or so between the two rings. It should not be any tighter than their neck when pulled.
We use it mainly because when the dog pulls, martingale collar prevent the collar from slipping off their head. With the regular collar, if they pull hard and shake their head, it can slip right off. Martingale collar fits to their neck circumference when pulled, and there is no way the head will get through.
I think it is helpful to use it when teaching the dog to walk on loose leash, but using it itself does not teach them not to pull....unfortunately...:(
Differences between martingale collar and the choke collar is that choke collar keeps tightening up when martingale collar does not. I read it somewhere that martingale collar with the small piece of chain for the connecting part helps the dog to hear the sound and know not to pull. But I never used that one, so I don't know about that one.
I hope this is helpful to you ~

[Adrianne Matzkin]

I also use a martingale - sounds like you have it fitted properly. Samantha walks nicely on a leash - but if she has it in her head to go and 'visit' someone, she will pull and start coughing. She knows better but she is still a puppy at 13 months. I just turn and walk the other direction but I can't stand the pulling on her neck.

Have you tried a 'gentle lead'? I used the halter type - she hated it at first but quickly got used to it. It didn't take long for her to learn that pulling was not an option. What I liked about it is that if she was doing something I needed to change, I was able to turn her head and move away from whatever it was without having to have her choke her and it was much easier on her neck. I was able to wean her off the GL - I use the martingale or a regular collar - depeding on where we are going. If it is a new situation, the martingale - just for the extra control.

You are right - Toby is just being a rebellious teenager! Have fun with her!!

[Doodle Kisses]

You fit it fine...but the martingale collar, in my opinion, is not a very effective collar to prevent pulling. It's most useful purpose is, as someone else mentioned, to prevent the dog from slipping out of the collar. But it really doesn't offer much in the way of either extra 'control' or 'correction' power if that is what you are looking for.

Choke chains do tighten up all the way...but used correctly they only tighten for a brief moment...rather than in a choking fashion.

[Stella]

To make you feel better (or not!!) Hartley didn't consistently stop pulling until he was over a year old!! So, just keep working at it. I saw him doing a very nice sit and some walk to heel with John earlier this afternoon! On a side note, maybe we should have had a martingale for Hartley while he was in his teenage phase, as he learnt to back up and shake his head and slip his collar off while he was throwing a tantrum - I learnt to develop very fast hands for grabbing him!!!

[Sandy]

We took Toby to an enclosed baseball diamond to practise some "Come" this afternoon, and he did very well. So....it appears he can obey when he feels like it. :) I guess the key is to just stick with it. Since I've seen how well Hartley does now, it will be worth it!

[Stella]

Oooh, where did you go????

[Sandy]

Ha - we dog lovers love our secret enclosed walking spots, don't we? :) We went to Waterworks park, which is off Middleton Street, I believe, across the river. One of the entrances, by the dugout, is chained shut, but the other is not. You'd have to drive over, but it wouldn't take more than ten minutes at the most. I can give you directions if you need them.

[Doodle Kisses]

Yay! It's not just about him feeling like it...it also has to do with the distractions you've used. Think of 10 things that Toby finds distracting and find ways to set him up with them (easy at first..gradually more difficult) so he understands what he is to do no matter what interesting things are out there.