Aggression caused by pain

Think twice about what you put on your dogs neck.  The area is one of the most sensitive parts of a dog.  

Yesterday I was reading an article on how pain most definitely can cause aggression in dogs.  Heck it can cause aggression in humans as well.  As I was reading the article it donned on me that it would be a great way to explain why pinch collars are a bad idea.  Pain = aggression.  Of course not always, it depends on the dog but with the act of association it can do a great deal of damage.  I am seeing more and more pinch collars out there these days, I don't know what is going on but instead of less there are indeed more.

What people do not realize about pinch collars is the fallout effect.  First let me say that a pinch is better than a choke in that it does not actually choke like a ........................choke collar.  I saw a guy with a choke collar on his dog who wanted to chase cars just yesterday on the way home.  The dog was struggling, the guy was struggling and the dog was literally being choked.  (Car chasing next blog)  So yes, choke collars actually do choke, don't use them.

Okay back to pinch collars, they too...................pinch.  Funny how the action of the collar very much resembles the name, hmmmmmm.  So when a dog receives a yank on a pinch collar a pinch of pain is delivered to the neck.  Now, depending on the dog wearing the pinch it may be just that, a pinch or it may be shooting pain.  Like people all dogs are built differently and have different pain thresholds.  But no matter how big and buff a dog is it still delivers pain, even at a low level.  When the pain is delivered enough times for the same reason an association is built.  ie. Walking by other dogs causes pain.

Not only does it create a negative association to whatever happens to be happening at the very instant of pain delivery but it can backfire too.  I have seen a backfire in action far too many times.  An owner walking their dog goes by another dog, the dog with the pinch is either yanked or delivers it's own pinch by hitting the end of the collar.  With the pinch having been delivered the dog is set to fight.  Many dogs will automatically bite at whatever is causing pain to it.  And if you happen to be on the end of the leash then chances are you are going to bit bitten, or at least mouthed.  When the dog tries to get away from the collar by going after the owner the leash tightens again and it gets worse.

The whole fight or flight thing comes into action.  Dogs can completely shut down when delivered a pinch from a collar again and again and again.  When this happens you may be left with a very unpredictable dog, a dangerous situation.  So many people I talk to say I did it to myself, it doesn't hurt.  Then TELL ME HOW IT WORKS?   How could it possibly work if it is doing nothing?  It couldn't, so don't fool yourself, there is pain involved and you are delivering it.