Long dog lead, dog treats, choke collar - not every dog supply will suit for effective Pitbull and Stafford training. What dog equipment is really useful for dog training classes and what isn`t required at all? What pet supplies help and what doesn`t help? A well-liked and famous professional dog trainer from Germany Martin Rütter will answer all these questions and will esteem all the best used dog training equipment.
Dog dummy is a special extended dog toy, that was originally designed to substitute a wild game. Dog dummy is convenient in use due to its long shape. Moreover, many bite tugs keep afloat and used for dog training in water. Thanks to a great variety of dog tugs you can choose such a dog toy of any size, configuration, weight and material. It should be mentioned, that dog dummies are suitable for Pitbulls and Staffords of any age from the puppyhood till the adult.
There also exist dog dummies made of plastic, that you can fill in with water and to plunge them into water on different depth - in such a way you can stimulate your Stuffy or Pitbull to search a dog toy in water. Dog tugs made of fur look like a real wild game.
Intended use: dog training
Martin Rütter`s esteem: recommended
This type of dog leash is attached to a dog collar, then passes on a dog`s back and turns around a belly against genitals and then the dog lead is stretched through the ring to the handler. The only purpose of this dog gear - to stop dog pulling on the lead. Even the lightest pulling will hurt your Staffy or Pitbull, therefore the effect is reached almost at once - your dog won`t pull any more. But it stops pulling only for fear of punishment, this is a dog behaviour of avoiding. Your pet doesn`t studies, it ceases to trust the owner and doesn`t want to follow him - the problem isn`t solved with the helping of the no-pull dog leash.
The usage of this dog lead isn`t recommended as a violence for making your dog to behave in a right way isn`t acceptable from the moral and ethic point of views.
Intended use: to wean a dog of pulling a lead
Martin Rütter`s esteem: non recommended
Spray dog collar is an electonic collar with remote control. During an impulse a water-gas mix is exhaled. It doesn`t hurt a dog, but discomfort it: the dog feels sudden cold or wet, unpleasant smell, fizzle during the mix exhaling can even frighten your Stafford or Pitbull. The dog has to stop an undesirable action and to pay its attention to the handler.
Such a dog collar, as well as any other dog equipment, is based on chilling effect for undesirable action, so it`s necessary to be attentive when choose the right moment of influence on your dog. In case of incorrectly chosen moment of influence your dog can incorrectly relate it with a wrong action. That`s why, electronic dog collar should be chosen in the event when all the efforts are worked out.
This control dog collar is used only with a helping of a professional dog trainer to estimate a dog`s reaction the most closely.
Intended use: to show a dog an undesirable behaviour not to repeat it in the future
Martin Rütter`s esteem: the necessity of usage is doubtful
This dog item allows you to give your Stafford or Pitbull more freedom without fear of losing your dog when it it`s chasing for somebody or something.
Dog leads are made from 5 to 25 meters long depending on how much freedom you want to give your pet. You may choose Nylon Lead or Leather Lead according to your own taste, but don`t forget to pay careful attention to the quality and durability of a long lead and fittings.
It`s also desirable to choose such a width of a long lead, that will be
convenient to hold when your Pitbull or Stafford is pulling. Too narrow
lead will hurt your hands. But in any case you should put on gloves to
prevent palm burns during a dog training.
Besides, the dog should always be with a Dog Harness to avoid a backbone injuries if you bring to a halt your dog`s impulses.
Intended use: to give a dog some more freedom during a walk
Martin Rütter`s esteem: recommended
These dog outfits perfomance is based on punishment stimulation. An undesirable dog`s action is followed by a chilling effect goes a negative to prevent a similar action in future. For example, Pitbull or Stafford barks another dog and a handler throws a chain at the dog`s paws when Pitbull or Stafford starts demonstrating agression. In this case the dog was punished in time and it will learn not to do such an action next time. It will think: "I`m starting to bark and a horrible thing is falling down near by".
The main disadvantage of using these pet supplies is a bad timing of
throwing, that leads to a wrong association of a punishment. The dog can associate a punishment with a quite another action - with a coming on man, for example.
Young dogs with a lack of experience or dogs, which are over-sensitive to sounds, can get psychological trauma and to become coward.
Never throw these dog items to your dog so you can hurt it! Violence in dog trainingshould be rejected in principle.
Intended use: to demonstrate an undesirable behaviour to the dog so it couldn`t to repeat it in future
Martin Rütter`s esteem: the necessity of usage is doubtful
Clicker is a small plastic box with a metal tongue. You should use it
for teaching your Stafford or Pitbull different tricks like "Shake" or others.
But first your dog should understand, what clicker is and that every click means some prize. Natural dog treats, that a pet can swallow at once are usually used as a prize. Make one click and treat your dog at once. Repeat this exercise for 15-20 times. Only them you can use clicker for teaching your dog a first trick.
The main purpose - to teach a dog to perform different tricks. For example, to teach your
dog a "Shake" command first of all it`s necessary to catch a moment when a dog moves
its weight from one paw to another. In several repetitions you wait when your dog will raise its paw. A bit later - when your dog will give its paw you can finish your trick with a verbal command: "Shake!".
Intended use: trick perfomance
See the continuation of the article about choosing the right dog training equipment here.