?Collar to use with Check Cord

[IowaSaint]

My question to you guys is, is there a preference to the type collar that should be used with a Check Cord for live bird training, quartering, and the like. I have read in "The Delmar Smith Method" to use a pinch collar. What do you guys think is the best, with the new gentle leaders and pinch collars on the market today.

Thanks

[gonehuntin']

I personally don't like pinch or spike collars. I use a choke for obedience, and a standard 1" collar for all other work.

[Don]

I don't like pinch either. Choke for obedience and the whoa post and 1" stiff nylon for training. Stiffer the better.

[Greg Jennings]

Delmar used a standard collar with a D ring for check cord. He used the pinch low on the neck on the whoa post.

Bill West was a big proponent of the pinch and had a good system for using it.

Best, Greg J.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

I use the standard 1" leather with D ring for check cord work and also whoa post work. I need to mention that I use the flank stimulation on the whoa post so no pinch is needed. If needed depending on the dog I will use the Wonder Lead aka Command lead in replacement of the pinch with yard work depending on the dog.

[Don]

let me re-state this. I use the 1" nylon collar with a "D" ring on the whoa post with the pinch collar replaced by a choke. I have in the past used the pinch collar, don't believe it's necessary. I do believe I could use two 1" nylon collars. For obedience I use the choke collar. I never put an e-collar on a dog anywhere except around it's neck.

[gonehuntin']

I never put an e-collar on a dog anywhere except around it's neck.

Me neither.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

I never put an e-collar on a dog anywhere except around it's neck.

Me neither.

Just curious, why don't you use the flank?

[Don]

The reason I hear most for putting it on the flank is to keep the dog standing up on whoa. If your dog is starting to go down on whoa it's trying to tell you it's to much pressure or that it doesn't understand. If it's to much pressure, back off. If it doesn't understand, teach it. The dog standing up because of the e-collar on the flank is doing it for no other reason than to avoid the stimulation. My dogs stand up because they know thats what they are supposed to do.

Now, why would you put one on the flank? They are made to go around the neck.

[AZ Brittany Guy]

FWIW, It is taught by Rick Smith and from what I have heard, Delmar is now using it. Their philosophy is that the stimulation on the neck (intermittent) is for teaching "come to you and go with you" and the flank (continuous stimulation) is for "stand still" and when you received a conditioned response then eventually transition to the neck continuous and finally "name the command".

[okiebirdhunter]

The only collar that your checkcord should be snapped into is a plain collar with a d-ring. No pinch collar on birds. The collars with the D ring behind the buckle seem to work the best for me. The hardware always falls to the bottom of the dogs neck and it makes turning much easier. Night Lite sells some good ones that are 2ply leather.


The purpose of putting the e-collar on the flank is to eliminate confusion. The flank is used for one purpose only... whoa... the neck is for recall and turning.

I think it puts more pressure on the dog to ask him to do something in which he has the same stimulation for 3 different commands. If you spread them out he has less problems. Flank stimulation is always whoa. Neck stimulation with the handler stationary or moving backwards is here. Neck stimulation with the handler changing direction is a turn.

The Smiths have been using flank stimulation since the early 90's

John Bellah

[snips]

I use a plain 0 ring collar too, but on the flank with the CC hooked to it. I have the Ecollar on the neck. When the CC comes off I can either use the E on the flank, or leave it on the neck, depends on the dog.