collars

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Archived Message

collars
by Roxie
ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
collars I just picked out my Maltese on Wed. I don't get to pick up Moose for another 3 weeks. So I am starting to get a few things before I get him. The first thing I picked up were two books, one just on Maltese dogs, the other a training book "Good dog bad dog". One says to get a choke type of collar and the other book, the training book, says not to use a choker style collar. Which one should I get. This is the first purebred dog that I will own and I want to do things right.

DISCUSSION:

Do what I did - buy every collar available on the marketplace and then you'll choose which one you both like. I'm not big on choker chains - they may have their place with large breeds but I find Maltese fairly easy to train and walk. I prefer a harness and so does my boy - no neck strain whatsoever plus it doubles as a car seatbelt.
CMS

Roxie, Please do not get a choke collar for your baby!! Don't even get a regular collar! Maltese have very small, fragile necks, and can choke a lot with collars, you can even do harm pulling on a collar. I would suggest getting a harness. I started with a kitty harness when Taffy was a pup. These dogs aren't Dobermans or something, not that I have ever HAD to use a choke collar on a big dog either. They will learn just fine without them. A choke collar is just that.....it's a collar that will choke your dog. And, while I am on my soapbox, (smile), I wouldn't even use a collar while the dog is indoors, they can get stuck on things, or get the collar stuck in their mouth, which is dangerous as well! Enjoy your new baby when he gets home, they are really quite smart, as you will find out as he trains you!!
Robin K.

Dog trainers often suggest choke collars, but surely this is because many, many dogs are quite large and rambunctious. In the case of maltese they are very small (and often rambunctious as well!). Don't use a choke collar on your maltese. For one thing, they tend to have some problems with collapsing tracheas (not all of them, but enough for it to be a consideration). In fact, I don't even leave Lucy's collar on her unless we are going out the door for a walk. A regular collar will do just fine, particularly for a puppy.
cathy brown

Roxie...Congrats on your new baby!!! WRT: choke collar....don't even go there. For a Maltese, it is not even a consideration. Obedience is not a difficult thing to teach to a creature who is a whole 4-5 lbs. I simply pick up mine and hold him in front of me, look him in the eye and give a stern NO, NO Nicky! A Maltese's trachea is small and delicate...you will cause more harm and really, no good. Enjoy your new little one...have you chosen a name yet? and welcome to the wonderful life of being owned by a Maltese

Tracy

PLEASE, don't put a choke collar on this puppy. Their tracheas are too small and delicate for a choke collar and they will gag. I don't even pull on my boy Fancy's regular collar, and am planning to get a harness for him. Congratulations on your new fur baby - you will never be sorry you got involved with this breed.
Sherry

Hi Roxie, congratulations on becoming a maltese owner (I have a "Moose" too). Please don't use a choke collar, maltese have very fragile tracheas. We take our babies to obedience class and they wear soft flat nylon collars, these work just fine for us. Good luck!

Deanna (Moose & Squirrel)

I dont know about the others but I have never put a collar on my baby. I was told by my breeder never to use one because pulling on there little necks could cause harm to there throats. I use a harness whenever I take Gracie out this way I never pull on her tender neck area and I never have to worry about her getting away from me becaues of a loose collar that she could worm her way out of . And Never Never put a choker collar on your baby there is no need for such a barbarian type of device to be used on these babies !!!!
Donna

I bought my dog "Punkin'" about five "diamond studded collars, but she doesn't get to ware them. I put one on her every once in a while to get her used to waring one for when we go "out" somewhere away from home. I also bought a harness for her for when I take her outside to potty, but even though it is the littlest one I found, it is still too big for her, she slips her front legs into the neck part. She is just ten weeks old and weighs 1.6 lbs, so she will probably be growing some soon and the harness will fit better. I think folks should train this type of dog via the Sirius training method for sure since it involves very little dog collar being needed. These sure are cute dogs, you'll love it to pieces.
jani

We use a harness on Puff take it off at night or when no one's home. We did use a choke collar ONLY when training when he was young, and if used properly it probably won't hurt them. Note I say probably. Puff was a very sturdy little guy (he was about 10 lbs at proper weight), and we needed very little correction with him. I don't think I would use one again for another Maltese, unless there was some sort of training problem. I did use one with our doxy-mix, but he has a very strong muscular neck and was two when we got him. Whatever you choose, do NOT leave a choker on the dog (regardless of breed) when you are not training them or supervising them. They can and do get hung up on things and could hurt them. They also have a tendancy to get caught up in the long hair on these dogs.
Aimee

Roxie, First congratulations on your new baby! I use a harness on Buster when I need to which is very rare. And when we are inside he doesn't wear one at all. We live on 9 acres of land so he doesn't even wear anything when we go out. He is very good at staying in the yard and not going into the woods. But when we travel he has his harness.
Libby & Buster

I have to poke my nose in here! I do training and behavior consulting and I would never....never ...never...suggest a choke collar for any small dog and most cases not for a large one! I can't begin to list the harms these collars do and no trainer worth his salt would think of using one on a small dog! I, too, suggest "Sirius Puppy Training" (Ian Dunbar...video) and I believe the author of "Good Dog, Bad Dog" says he uses the best methods for the breed. I haven't read his book, but if he is, indeed, suggesting a choke collar for a Maltese, I'd burn that book!
anne

I can't understand the fuss about choke collars. I'm a longtime Maltese owner, and I think that a choke collar properly used is superior to a regular collar. A gentle tug on the lead provides a correction that does not jerk the neck as a regular collar does. Of course, it should never be left on the dog when not in use.
Chad

No offense, but why use force and negative re-enforcement when dogs learn easier and faster with positive methods? A choke collar, in my opinion is good for hanging plants. A fellow trainer in Assoc. of Pet Dog Trainers says she uses chokes, but not on her dogs. She hangs her parrots' kong toys from their cages with chokes! I have placed them on dogs before but I never will again. They're dangerous in the wrong hands. My opinion.
anne

I hope you are enjoying your new baby!!!! I'm no expert but it is NOT a good idea to put a choke collar on these little critters...... surely there are better ways to discipline them and get the message across. I do use a collar on Tammy because I have a name tag on her so that I have a better chance of getting her back in case she ever got out. However, for fear of her getting caught on anything or getting the collar stuck under her lower jaw, I use one with a velcro closure. It was made for cats but I feel more comfortable in that it will rip open with ease if any of those occurences I menioned happened. Congrats on your new baby!
Lucy C.