I met our first candidate to adopt

[J. Morrison]

The dog's name is Zoe. She's a little high strung but she's only 9 months old. She's a terrier mix. She's a sweet heart. She knows how to sit and she loves to explore. Here's the catch. The training that the adoption place wants us to do is choke collar training. From what I've read, that's not the type of training that I want to do. What do you suggest I do?

I'm not comfortable using a choke collar, when I can just use food from what I've gathered. Can I tell them my concerns and then go from there? Or do I just head for the hills and look elsewhere?

What are your opinions on choke training? (I"m gonna head over to the training forum right now and read. I'll update further if needed.)

 

[Moth]

Are they asking you to enroll in classes at a specific place or with a specific trainer that uses these methods? If that is the case maybe they would be willing to allow you to enroll somewhere else as long as you provide prove that the dog is getting training after being adopted...

It's worth asking.

 

[milos_mommy]

It's unusual for a rescue or shelter to mandate how to train your dog. I agree with Moth, they may just want proof that she's getting trained. How will they know what sort of leash you're using after you adopt her? If it's a mandatory class, asking to swap for another credible one might be an option.

 

[J. Morrison]

That's a good alternative. I suppose I could just ask if showing proof of clicker training would suffice. I just don't feel comfortable using a choker.

 

[toxic]

This is your first dog, really, isn't it? I can't imagine why they'd urge a "newbie" to work with a choke collar. They're a useful tool but NEED to be used correctly to have any affect and not injure the dog. Plus there's plenty of ways to train without one.

 

[J. Morrison]

Yeah, I e-mailed her and she said she completely understands if we're not comfortable with this type of training. I threw in the fact that my girlfriend is a BA in psych and that Pavlov makes more sense to her than choking a dog. But yeah, it's all good. We're going to be meeting another dog soon as well. Although I really like Zoe, I want to make sure it's right. Just because it's the first dog doesn't mean it's the best dog.

 

[milos_mommy]

Good luck! I'm sure you'll make the right choice, and I'm glad the shelter/rescuer understood.

 

[monkeys23]

Good luck and glad you are taking the time to look!

I went to like five different shelters and looked at tons of dogs... then when I went to the one Lily was at and was supposed to meet five possible dogs, well I only met her and the rest is history LOL.

 

[SailenAero]

personally, i m against choke collars to be used in training unless there are specific reasons why that sort of collar needs to be used - but i'm from the school of positive reinforcement training. I do not believe that a rescue needs to mandate how to or where to train your dog. That sounds shady.

 

[J. Morrison]

personally, i m against choke collars to be used in training unless there are specific reasons why that sort of collar needs to be used - but i'm from the school of positive reinforcement training. I do not believe that a rescue needs to mandate how to or where to train your dog. That sounds shady.

Yeah, I e-mailed the woman and she was 100% okay with me not training with their trainers. It was a weight off of my chest. The second dog is coming over on Friday. We're both really excited.

 

[SailenAero]

Just really take the time to make the right choice for you! I know it can be overwhelming when you want a dog right away - when the right one comes, you will know instantly

 

[J. Morrison]

Just really take the time to make the right choice for you! I know it can be overwhelming when you want a dog right away - when the right one comes, you will know instantly

That's the best advice that I've learned so far. It's easy for me to live by, but my girlfriend is having a hard time. She's wanted a dog forever, and I've waited a year + to finally get ready for it. Its hard on her because she wants one so bad. It's hard on me because I want to adopt them all because they all need love.