Choke collars are one of the most inhumane dog collars to use in your dog. There have been instances where a dog suffered from physical and emotional damage because of choke collars.
Many condemn the use of choke collars. But, are choke collars illegal?
yes, they are illegal but only in certain countries where they have been banned because of the harmful effects that a dog lives through when training them to be obedient and following commands.
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What are the countries where choke collars are illegal?
There are several countries that took a stance against choke collars. These countries are mainly located in northern Europe such as Norway, Denmark, and Sweden.
They made it illegal to use choke collars as it can cause your dog so much pain.
Choke collars are inhumane and can lead to your dog’s death in certain situations.
What are choke collars?
Choke collars look like a thick silver chain that works when there is so much tension on the leash like when your dog pulls.
When this happens, it chokes your dog by pulling tightly on their neck.
It stops being so tight on your dog’s neck when there is no tension like when your dog stops pulling.
Many people use choke collars as a way to train their dogs especially those who are aggressive and stubborn.
However, choke collars have many bad effects on your dog.
Why choke collars are bad?
Choke collars are bad for your dog because they inflict so much pain and discomfort.
They can cause so much emotional and physical pain causing your dog to suffer.
Physical pain
Choke collars can cause serious physical pain such as:
- Having a whiplash in their neck
- Fainting
- Spinal cord injuries leading to paralysis
- Crushing of the trachea with partial or complete deprivation of oxygen
- Fracture of the bones in the larynx
- Dislocated neck bones
- Bruising of skin and tissues in the neck
- Brain damage
- Eyes that burst out due to strong pressure in the head
- loss of circulation in your dog’s tongue
- Nerve damage
All these physical side effects from choke collars can cause your dog so much physical damage that will really hurt your dog.
In some cases, it can cause your dog permanent damage.
Emotional pain
Choke collars will cause your dog so much emotional pain where they won’t feel comfortable at all.
They will always be afraid because they will not know when it will choke them.
Dogs may also become either aggressive or fearful of choke collars.
What are the dangers of using choke collars?
1.) Anxiety and aggressive behavior
One of the main dangers of using a choke collar on your dog is that they develop anxiety and aggressive behavior.
So, why does your dog develop anxiety? Your dog is prone to being anxious in activities such as taking them out for a walk because that’s where the choke collar was used on them.
So if your dog is walking and you use the choke collar on them, they will become anxious every time that you take them out for a walk.
Their anxiety may even extend to the point that they are anxious when they are around you; they will associate this painful experience with you.
So, every time that you are with them, they will become anxious.
In other cases, your dog may become aggressive toward other people, dogs, and even you because they have been treated badly.
2.) Physical damage
Because some dog’s threshold for pain increases with time, they will go back to pulling again while they walk.
If you happen to increase the force of the collar to control your dog, they will be in so much pain and will have physical damage happening to their body.
As mentioned above, your dog can experience serious damage.
Are choke collars cruel?
Yes, they are very cruel as they inflict so much physical, emotional, and mental pain.
There have been many countries that banned the use of choke collars and any other type of collars that can cause harm to your dog.
These countries include countries in northern Europe such as Norway, Denmark, the United Kingdom, and Sweden.
They mainly banned this collar along with other harmful ones because they believe it’s cruel to make your dog suffer when training them.
The training method for choke collars as well as other harmful collars mainly relies on punishing your dog for an undesired behavior using an inhumane method.
Unlike negative reinforcement, positive reinforcement is the best training method to use.
The reason is that it teaches your dog through the use of rewards and repetition the type of behaviors that they need to learn to be well-adjusted dogs.
It doesn’t involve scolding or being violent at your dog. To know about training your dog using positive reinforcement, check 4 Basic Tips to Do Positive Reinforcement Dog Training Right
Can choke collars kill dogs?
Yes, there is a possibility that choke collars can cause your dog to die.
For example, if your dog has one of these collars that is connected to their crate or kennel, they may die from the tightness on their neck.
Your dog can also die when they play with other dogs where the other dogs may actually catch their lower jaw underneath the collar.
Another case where dogs die is when the collar is put on backward, your dog has a short muzzle, or they are small in size and have a collapsing trachea.
In these situations, your dog will die when they are tethered and the dog leaps when they see something.
This mainly happens when your dog is in the balcony and jumps off when seeing something that they want to chase.
Alternatives to choke collars
There are many alternatives to choke collars. These alternatives include positive reinforcement and the use of equipment that is right for your dog.
1.) Flat collar
Flat collars are a type of collar that is used to attach in them identifications, rabies tags for ID purposes, license.
It is very humane as it is just a collar that you can connect the leash on it.
There are no pulling or pushing that causes your dog harm such as when using a choke collar.
2.) Martingale-type Collar
This is a very humane collar that is especially great for dogs with narrow heads who can slip out of collars.
It is also very adjustable to best suit the size of your dog’s neck.
The Martingale-type collar doesn’t strangle your dog instead it keeps them in the collar without harming them.
3.) Front-clip harness
This is a harness that is good for loose-leash training. It can be used with all dogs including those with snub noses, small in size, and dogs with airway medical problems.
Another major benefit is that it doesn’t apply pressure on your dog’s neck instead you can simply get your dog’s attention through turning their body using the harness.
To know more about dog harness, how to use it on your dog, and much more, check Dog Training Harness: Ultimate Guide.
4.) Positive reinforcement
When training your dog, positive reinforcement is the best training method to use because your dog learns in a good environment; the chance that they become fearful or aggressive is low when compared to using choke collars.
Positive reinforcement depends on the use of rewards such as treats, praise, and anything that your dog likes to reinforce good behavior.
For example, if your dog lunges or pulls on the leash while walking, you can train them to stop lunging and pulling forward.
When your dog does stop pulling or lunging, give them a treat or praise them so they know they did a good behavior and the behavior becomes reinforced in their mind.
Instead of using choke collars, positive reinforcement is the best training method to stop your dog from pulling and lunging.
Related questions
1.) What are other inhumane dog collars?
There are other inhumane dog collars that rely on punishing your dog by using pain and discomfort to teach your dog what not to do.
These collars suppress unwanted behavior rather than teaching them proper behavior.
These collars include prong collars and shock collars. Prong collars are very cruel.
The control loop that the leash is attached to is made of chain and the loop that fits around your dog’s neck is made of a series of metal links, or prongs, with blunted points.
So, when the control loop is pulled, the prongs pinch the loose skin of your dog’s neck hurting your dog.
Meanwhile, shock collars use an electric current to give your dog a shock when they do an undesired behavior. The electric shock can range from a mild one to an extremely painful one.
2.) Should you take my dog’s collar off at night?
It depends on your dog’s size, breed, personality, and environment. For example, if your dog gets irritation due to wearing the collar continuously.
It may be because the collar is made from a hypoallergenic material that can cause irritation to your puppy. In this case, switch to a collar made from a material that isn’t hypoallergenic to your puppy.
If the collar interferes with your puppy’s sleep, consider taking it off while they sleep or getting them a collar that has extra space so it doesn’t make your puppy uncomfortable.
Conclusion
Choke collars are one of the cruelest ways to train your dog. There have been countries that have made it illegal to use choke collars due to endangering many dogs lives.
Unfortunately, not all countries in the world banned the inhumane collar.
However, if you are a dog parent who care about your dog’s wellbeing, there are still alternatives to training your dog that are humane mainly relying on positive reinforcement.
Share your opinion. Do you think that choke collars are cruel?
