have very recently got a young sbt...11 months....great dog but had very little training seems to know commands but is easily distracted unless we insist...which we do as plan to start as we mean to go on....
he came with a leather collar....but not ideal for using for heel work especially when said dog doesnt really want to heel!!! and it seems to rub his neck...so brought a choke for training have used them before we lots of success on bigger dogs and used properly think they are great....
just wondering what you all use for your staffies esp when young and training them....quite like the plain harnesses (not stop pull ones) but not sure if effective for training....we are currently using a long line for away work as not knowing the dog and vice versa he is unlikely to come back at the moment....
also want to have a collar on him anyway for id tag....would think the thicker ones are unlikely to rub????
thanks in advance...

Hio there I have an EBT and I use a half check collar, its not as severe as a choke chain and it would be kinder on the dogs neck. Alternatively you could use a leather half check where the whole colar is made of leather and no chain. I bought one from Dogmatic for going to shows as the half check chain tends to blacken his neck and it is fantastic, still offers you the same level of control only kinder to the dog. With regards to harnesses, they actually encourage a dog to pull so I wouldn't bother, enrolling in a good training class would be a great help wth socialisation and basic training. Its good to long-line the dog as his recall isn't perfect. I have trained my EBT to a gundog whistle and everytime he's being fed I give a few short blasts and he associates a food reward with this sound. I then transfered this to him being of lead and he has a fab recall. Kind regards, Clare

I definitely wouldn't use a choke collar on a dog.  These have been scientifically proven to cause long term and serious harm to neck ligaments, trachea and throat tissue in a study which autopsied dogs and related the findings to the type of collar used in life.

A harness is fine, many people like half checks, fitted so that they don't restrict the throat when tightening. 

we have a year old staffie bitch, had lots of difficulty with pulling. The harness definately encouraged her to pull, we now use a dogmatic head collar, this works perfectly well, though i will say that it is no substitute for training . Heel work is slow with my dog  we just persevere and encourage her to walk at heel in doors and at every opportunity we do heel work. Iwould not consider a choke of any kind for the same reasons given by onetwothree. Training is the answer, it is improving as she matures. good luck.

I'd not use a choke either, dogs can pull harder in them to get away from the discomfort.  I always suggest a stop pull harness for getting form A to b when there is no time to train (Walkezee is meant to be very good indeed) and suggest setting aside specific times to train loose lead walking (I take it you do mean loose lead walking (not pulling) and  not actual heelwork? :) ).

I think teaching loose lead walking is probably the hardest thing pet owners have to teach, very often it's hard to be consistent and the dog learns the wrong thing. It's up to us to make it easier for the dog. I'd make training the loose lead fun and consider using a clicker and food and toy rewards for good loose lead walking :)

hi we used a halti for our female staff . work's a treat. she goes all docile when it is on. we used it in the training classes., but now she is on a half check. she still pulls on this so i think the halti will be coming out again for a while. well worth a buy tho the halti's. hope this helps steve

I run a training class, and have no problems with anyone using whatever they feel comfortable with, as long as they get the result they want.

Personally I prefer to use check chains, (not choke chains-they are only choke chains when not used correctly!!) as if they are used in the right manner, they will teach the dog to walk to heel. Once the dog has grasped the basics, then I put my dogs onto half check collars!! (I do own large breeds, which do tend to be head strong). I have never found that a dog pulls away from me when being taught on a check chain, but then I would never put a young or even slightly nervous dog on one anyway!

When training any dog, whether it be a puppy, a rehomed dog or even an adult, the equipment used is only 1/4 of beginning to teach the dog, the rest of it is how you are with the dog, what commands you use and most importantly keeping the dog interested.

Within my training classes if I feel that if the owner is not very compus-mentus then I suggest other methods/equipment that could be used, halti's, harnesses, gentle leaders, etc. And I have seen some excellent results. Sometimes it is just using the right collar or piece of equiptment for your breed, temperment or size of dog.

Well, I run a training class also, and all choke chains are banned in mine. 

Choke chain, check chain - whatever you want to call it, it's semantics.  The dog learns to walk to heel through PAIN and through PERMANENT DAMAGE to the trachea.  A prong collar does less damage than a choke chain and if someone wants to "train with pain", I would be much less against prongs than I am against chokes!

These days there is no reason to use choke chains whatsoever.  I also own a large breed which is renowned for being difficult to train to walk at heel - it just takes longer, there is no reason to resort to choke chains.

I walked a staffie daily for 4 years and he could easily slip out of a normal collar, so i brought him a simple nylon harness and we were sorted! he walked alot better (but i didnt rely sley on harness, i also did alot of stop/start/change direction) and was a pleasure to walk.

Very good...but if only there were more trainers like you.

Equipment does not teach the dog to walk to heel Universalady.

Neither do commands.

Cause and effect does.

Many of us have large, headstrong breeds with extremely high drives that we can control adequately on a flat collar and lead, if not there are a multitude of head halters and harnesses which are kinder to the dog and have fewer opportunities to be abused..............

I also have a large breed and would not dream of using a choke chain (sorry but regardless of how you use them the are a choke chain).  I also run training classes and these collars are banned from my classes. 

Hi oioi1869,
I use harnesses for my pups and dogs, I personally prefere them.
I have started to use a choker and lead, sometimes.
As when I first took my dog to a show I had never given it a thought that
she wouldn't except a show collar round her neck.
It was a nightmare, Candid Camera eat your heart out!!!
She got a second, But! I do feel she may have got a first if I had
Trained her a little with a choker.
Live and learn! but! I still prefere a harness.
Regards
Denese

I bought a Stop Pull harness for my Stafford boy and it works wonders HE walks so much better now and I actually enjoy walking him.

I wouldnt use a choke chain as they can cause damage.

I think chokers could cause damage if you get a dog that gets very excitable.
I do call all chains, show collars, anythink that gets tight round the neck when
the dog pulls. "Chokers" as thats what they do.
I do not use collars on my Samoyeds, as it wears all there coat away round there
necks. They would look a right mess, and would be no good for showing.