A pinch collar is a metal collar designed to tighten around a dog’s neck when a trainer or owner applies pressure. At Wilde Acres, trainers often use a pinch collar for dogs attending a two-week or longer training session.
When deciding what type of collar to use (for example the pinch collar, a slip lead, or flat collar) it’s important to consider the types of pressure and the pounds per square inch transferred to the dog. Every dog has different sensitivity to pressure and even different types of pressure. The amount of pressure a dog will put on a flat collar is much greater than they can put on a slip lead and that is more pressure than they could put on a pinch collar.
When using a pinch collar, we end up using the minimal amount of force to pull the leash. Because of this, I prefer to use the pinch collar versus the slip lead or the flat collar. It’s typically a gentler correction after you introduce it to the dog. I can give two pounds of pressure on the left side of the dog’s neck and the dog will yield to that pressure and move to the right. The same thing is true if I pull upward or downward. There’s a possibility when using just a slip lead that you may have to put around tenor even twenty pounds of pressure in a similar behavior in order to get the same result. The flat collar would be even more pressure. Once a dog understands leash pressure, any tool will suffice. If the dog really understands leash pressure and you begin with a pinch collar (which is my favorite tool for teaching the skill), later on you can switch to a flat collar or slip lead and still be successful. That may take anywhere between six weeks and six months.
If clients are uncomfortable with using the pinch collar, we can work with a slip lead or a flat collar. However, when making this choice, owners need to accept a change in outcome in terms of expectations and success. Without using a pinch collar in training, it will be a little bit harder to maintain control in highly distracting or stressful situations. In many cases you can have the same successes, it could just take longer.
