The Pinch

You know, it’s interesting, the different points of view on training. What’s right, what’s wrong? If you were to compile it all, I’d bet that most methods would shake out on the same level. The only thing that all camps would probably agree to is that you don’t abuse your dog. Who wouldn’t agree to that? But there’s a debate right there, some would consider almost any kind of correction, or a side hold as abuse. So, what am I getting at? It’s confusing. Most of us are just trying to do our best and work through the challenges we have with our dogs. All dogs are NOT the same. What works for one doesn’t necessarily work for another.

As I worked with Chili at Carol’s house she (Chili that is) was improving but she didn’t always listen. Carol had suggested that I use a pinch/prong collar on her. I didn’t agree right away because that’s mean, isn’t it? There it is. Another belief hurdle to overcome. Is a pinch collar abusive? I had to really consider this since it was vital for me to overcome the challenges we were having. In order to make the decision, I had to know more about the pinch collar. Carol explained how it’s used. It’s supposed to be worn high on the neck and snug. It shouldn’t spin when you make a correction, but it shouldn’t be choking either. When you make a correction, it should be quick and firm to get the dogs attention, just like any other leash correction. She showed me how it felt on my arm. Now, if I keep doing what I’m doing, I’m going to keep getting what I’m getting. I’ll try the pinch collar.

As I think back now, I’m glad that I tried it. I firmly believe that there is a collar for every dog. The challenge is to have the guts to try, give a fair evaluation, and make a final decision on whether or not it works for your particular dog. The process isn’t easy and can be defeating at times. The choke was successful most times, when there wasn’t an overwhelming distraction of an oncoming dog. At that time, Chili was still lunging at pretty much every oncoming dog. Even with the pinch on. She just didn’t seem to care. When you start a correction, you’re not supposed to give up until your dog does what you ask. Otherwise, you reinforce that behaviour. My first altercation with another dog owner, that I still feel absolutely sick about, was in regards to this.

We were in the park, and a lady was walking towards us with her dog off leash. I veered off to the side to put some distance between us. Chili would not avert her stare, no matter how hard I corrected her. These moments happen quickly but feel like forever. I was frustrated and kept correcting her using even harder tugs. She just wouldn’t stop. Why? She’s wearing a pinch collar, why isn’t she stopping? The woman quite pointedly told me that I was being harsh with my dog. I shot back that she didn’t know anything about me or my dog. I wanted to cry. Afterwards I was thinking how easy it must be for some people to judge those of us who don’t have easy dogs. Looking down on us because our dogs are misbehaving and never once considering that there might be a whole other story behind what they see. They don’t see how much time, effort, and money has been spent working with the dog, how much the dog and owner have improved, and how their ignorance can cause a setback.

You may be wondering why I would even tell that story. Well, it was a lesson learned. I still feel the pain of the moment and I feel shame. I love my dog and that moment was an example of frustration on my part and not knowing how to handle the situation. Not knowing the next step of what to do if she didn’t respond to the correction. Not being experienced enough to ‘switch gears’ as the moment demanded. Even at the time, it didn’t feel good, but I thought that I had to follow through or I would be reinforcing the bad behaviour. Imagine if I had let this defeat me. Imagine if after that moment, I had decided that it was all too much? That, would have been the ultimate let down to Chili. I’m telling this so you will see that you’re not the only who makes mistakes, and to tell you to not let it beat you. I can gladly say that there haven’t been many of these moments but you have to pick yourself up and learn the lesson that’s in front of you. Although I didn’t stop using the pinch collar that day, since I believed that the failure was all mine, I did stop using it later. After evaluating with a more experienced eye, I realized that although it helped in her general obedience, when it came to oncoming dogs, the correction on the pinch seemed to make her worse. Ultimately, this was not the right tool for her. It does work wonders for other dogs, but not Chili. All dogs are not created equal.

Remember, some things will take one session to overcome, other things, will take years. Never give up.