I use a choke chain on my 18 month Retriever for her safety as much as mine as we live on a busy road and shes so strong and excitable.We've now got a 13 week old dog so I'm not sure whether to try a halti before I have to walk them together.I've had dogs since 1980 and have always used choke chains but I know opinions seem to be against them on here.I would appreciate some helpful feedback as Sam is growing fast.

A very nice, knowledgeable person on this board whose opinion I respect enormously said that there was a use for choke chains, 3 of them to be precise, useful to make hanging baskets with :D

I have extremely strong and excitable dogs and have not found the need to use choke chains; I will however use a headcollar in certain environments where ground, weather and other "conditions" combined with my frozen shoulder make it safer for both the dogs and myself.

Personally I think they are kinder, used correctly.

But that is JMHO

You'll probably find both dogs will be far more controlable with a halti (or similar - not all headcollar designs suit all dogs)

there are lots of colars available.  a choke chain has a terrible sounding name, however, isn't used to choke a dog, or hurt one, therefore is okay to use.  also a prong colar can be very useful.  it isn't like it is stabbing into the dogs neck, but just reminding it that it needs to not pull on your arm out, as some excitable dogs do.  when you use just a flat regular colar and the dog pulls on the leash, the colar really does gag and choke the dog, potentially causeing far more damage than the previous two said.  when they are allowed to pull, it can cause cervical damages to their spinal cord and other trachea problems.  a dog that pulls should be wearing a head halter, prong colar, or something like that. 
my two cents worth!!!

Fortunately for dogs in the UK prong/pinch collars would not be tolerated, either in clubs or in public! 

Erm I think they would, they are freely available!
Dawn.

I have used choke chains with some previous dogs that I've had and found them to very good. All my dogs have walked beautifully on the lead thanks to the choke chain. If used correctly they are great things.

A few observations regarding your questions :

I would really advise you to try and teach your puppy to walk sensibly on the lead without your older dog. If at all possible try and take them out seperately until you have got reasonable control. This just makes the early education / training so much easier. I know this may not be very practical, but the more you can keep to it the easier the training will be.

Being brutally honest, if you still NEED a choke chain to control a retriever by 18 months you're probably not using it very well. The majority of inexperienced trainers who use a choke chain just seem to make a mess of it. In the wrong hands they are completely ineffective and the sight of a dog pulling its owner down the street whilst its being continually strangled is not pretty to watch. For this reason I am usually loathe to actually advise anyone to use a choke chain.

The majority opinion on this board (of those people that choose to post on the subject ;-) ) is AGAINST chains. I absolutely respect the views of these people, and I am sure they are held with the best interests of dogs in mind. However, my view is that IN THE RIGHT HANDS they can be an extremely effective means of controlling an excitable dog, and are capable of very, very quick results.

There would seem to be 3 particular areas of contention.
1. The possible damage to the dog
2. Whether it is morally right to correct (or punish - depending on your viewpoint) a dog for not walking properly
3. The effectiveness of the technique

lets address these in turn.

1. I'm absolutely sure it would be possible to cause damage to a dog by mis-use of a choke chain, but I am convinced that if used properly, using the appropriate amount of force this just shouldnt happen. I'm sure someone will post their experience of knowing about damage caused but i would submit that it was either used poorly or the dog was a physical wreck to start with.

2. This is really down to the individual. I completely respect the right of an individual to use completely positive techniques only - (although I have been amused to read some of the recent problems posted on this board by their advocates. ;-) )  Let me tell you now that the vast majority of dogs will NOT be affected by the use of a choke chain if used correctly. They will stay happy, lively and confident. Virtually all dogs CAN cope with being corrected, and in the real world learn much quicker when its made clear to them what is and isnt acceptable. Remember though the praise when the dog is doing it right is vital.

3. Many people on here will tell you that using any form of correction on a dog is counter-productive and likely to slow down the training process. In my experience (not what my trainer tells me or what i have read in a book lol) I can stop a dog pulling on the lead excessively using a combination of correction and praise in one lesson. (prob 9 out of 10 dogs with a pulling problem). A chain is usually not required, a collar or half-check is usually effective enough. I'm sure people will tell you of their experience of the opposite, but I can only tell you what I have personally experienced. Incidently I would have considered that I had failed if i had cowed or frightened the dog in the process.

This experience has largely been gained through helping out at training classes. I was very regularly 'given' a dog that was pulling excessively to demonstrate to the owner how to correct & praise. Whilst I actually (in hindsight) dont think that was always the best way of teaching people, it did give me a lot of experience of handling different dogs and finding a technique which would work very quickly.

I'll probaly be accused of looking for a quick-fix. Perhaps thats true, but I really dont see why taking a dog for a walk on a lead needs to be a chore. Many people on here will tell you how to teach heel work using treats. This is an excellent way of teaching attractive heelwork. However, most people just want to go out and walk their dog and this really doesnt have to be a nightmare whilst you are in the process of training.

Summary
Do I recommend you use a choke chain? - Only if you can use one properly. If your dog is still pulling you significantly when you are using it then its not working for you.
Will it work? - Only if you use it properly
Is it cruel? I dont believe so - if used properly. Others will disagree (just like any other contentious issue)
Do I use one on my own dogs? - I havn't needed to yet

I would not put any time of training collar on any dog before 6 months, since their glands can be very swollen due to teething you should only use a buckel collar...

I totally agree if training collars are used right then they are very useful.
Choke chains is a side pop and not a pull back, the haltie is a pull to the side not back, and the prong you should not have to give any correction at all ever, if this is fitted properly the dog will correct him/herself.

Why not do a search on here, there has been so much info regarding choke chains, prongs ect on training a dog :)

I've assumed in my post that the original poster meant the use of the chain on the adult, rather than the puppy. I wouldnt see a use for a chain on a puppy of that age. (and hopefully wont be needed at all if effectively trained from puppyhood)

I use a gentle leader on my lab and find it works great.

Heidi

the club i used to train with was a choke/check chain club, i would never go back to that way of training!!! weve come out of the dark ages now thankfully & there are many aids on the market that will inable your dog to walk nicely without having to resort to "correcting "!!!!

my favorite type of headgear is the gentle controller,which all of my dogs accept! (some of them dislike the halti,& the gentle leader) i think on abusy road youd have more control with some sort of headgear anyway.

alot of people have trained on chains,as have i,successfully too, but are they really necessary in this day & age?
apart from possible damage to dogs neck, theres also breakage of the coat,& should a dog other become "caught up" on a walk.....well it isnt going to break is it????

No I dont use a choke on the puppy I walk them separately and
I use an all in one rope effect lead which is not all that satisfactory.Thanks for all your comments by the way.

If you teach your puppy/dog from the start, not to pull, then they wont. I think the methods used by Barbara Sykes are very effective, she teaches the dog to walk behind at first and not to overtake until she invites them to do so.
I find that if you use this method it works, but you have to be patient. If a dog starts to serge in front, then stop, call it back or turn the other way and when the dog is back where you want it to be, then praise with either voice or treat/toy and continue, and repeat if necessary. All walking with a pup/dog is supposed to be a pleasurable experience, not a gallop. So, slow down to start with until the pup/dog understands that hurrying gets them nowhere. :)