Oh, man, I consider the pinch collar absolutely indispensable to teaching heel.

I tried the slip collar, I tried the choke collar and yes, they'll work. Slowly.

But you put a pinch collar on a lunging, hard-headed dog and within a few minutes you've got a dog that's heeling.

I know it looks like some kind of medieval torture device (throw him in the pinch collar!) but it doesn't hurt the dog at all, just makes them uncomfortable enough to listen to you. I know because I put it on and tried it myself. My wife had me heeling like a champ with one or two short tugs of the lead...

Although I'm sure it's not the answer for every dog, it's worked miracles on our bull-headed pup! What non-dog owners who give me dirty looks don't understand is that it's not only making the walk more enjoyable for me, it's making it more enjoyable for my pup too!

None of my dogs were the same.What worked for one didnt work for the others and so on.

our family has been training dogs professionally for about 8 or 9 years now. The pinch collar speaks the dogs language, it is what they understand. When you watch pups with their moma she will put her mouth over the back of their neck if they are doing something she doesn't like and squeeze just a little. The pinch collar does the exact same thing. It also establishes dominance which is a huge plus to training a dog.

I used a pinch on my gun dog, Reba. And (she's now 6) that's a thing of the past... but it did play a very valuable role, in my opinion, in those early years. Thing is, the pressure of the pinch is still ultimately dictated by the hand on the lead... and there's a lot of vocal/command work that comes into play as part of that whole process. I was fortunate in that I was almost able to play good cop, bad cop, vis a vis the pinch and the lead. It was one of the things I think I did right. Bottom line is that I certainly would not dismiss that from the tool box, but I'd be very, very judicious as to how and when it is applied.

I've trained German shorthaired pointers for hunting and field trials for almost six years. The pinch collar was the only way to take my dogs on walks around town without them choking themselves. Note that I say choking themselves. When used correctly it becomes a choice on the part of the dog. The choke collar is intended to be used with some quick pops in an upward motion which apply pressure to the dog. The pop is always followed by a release in pressure. It's not intended to be used with constant pressure, as your dog will just get used to that and the collar will lose its effectiveness.

Another tool that is indispensable in teaching heel and quartering young pups is the Wonder Lead by Delmar Smith. The Wonder Lead is available from several retailers. It might not look like much, but when used correctly it is a powerful training tool that needs to be in your bag. The rope has some rigidity so it's perfect for translating commands to your dog. Like the pinch collar you can apply pressure to the dog, but the Wonder Lead has a stiff knot that applies pressure to the back of the dog's neck between it's ears. Best used on younger dogs, but it's also great for doing maintenance yard work on your dog or before you let it off-lead to hunt. Kind of a gentle reminder of manners.

As usual, consistency in your training is key.

I just went to a prong collar after trying a choke collar for two months. I've got a 6-year-old Llewellin Setter that I adopted in June. She picked up almost everything I taught her, except walking on a loose-leash and heeling when within sight/scent of any squirrel, bird or butterfly. I was doing the pop/snap correction so often, I worried about her becoming immune to the correction.
The first time I put a prong collar on her, she lunged and immediately figured it out. I hope I only have to use it for a month or two, but I completely agree with you - walking her is a dream now.

Our dogs are rescues. While one will always be a homebody, the other loves the field.

When you have to work through emotional problems that some rescues have, and you have half a heart at all, you just don't want to hurt them any more. After a year of making a dog feel safe and secure, you don't want to backslide with them.

That said, I had to go as far as the choke, or "correction" collar. It was for training in a class, and required. Several dogs in this advanced class were recommended to use pinch collars, due to having recalcitrant dogs.

I'm glad I only had to go that far. And it worked.

kelmitch-- Well put. -D

It is never too late to start using a pinch collar. Dogs learn very quickly what it means. Just make sure you get someone to show you what size you need, how to fit it properly and how to use it. I can't imagine anyone not using a pinch collar. It is safer than a choke chain and saves a lot of traing time.