Got some proffesional pictures of Athena

Yeah I'm a sucker :P They were having a pet photo shoot the last time I went to the pet store and my pictures just came today! It wasn't a terrible price, and they are really cute pictures! $20 for one 8x10 and four 5x7s shipped. Now I just need to frame them and get them up on the wall! I couldn't take her leash off because there were too many dogs watching her and she wanted to play. She's 17-18 months now, I lost track.

http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...hena/014-2.jpg

He couldn't get a picture without her tongue laying down. She was a real pain that day!
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...hena/011-4.jpg

Her pretty one
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...hena/013-6.jpg

And her goofy one, this one is so her!
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...hena/010-7.jpg

If you aren't familiar with the pinch collar that's what she's wearing. The choke collars literally choke and she would choke herself till she threw up. Same thing happens if I walk her with her normal collar, plus she about drags me to the ground!

I have been known to fall for that myself. :oops:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by dsirkle

I have been known to fall for that myself. :oops:

---

:rofl: That's good! Yeah, he roped me in by saying, it doesn't cost anything to take the pictures! And then he showed me the pictures and I of course loved them! I can't ever get pictures of her because she doesn't sit still! He tried selling me the $250 package.....:O

Great pics and thank you for teaching ppl about those collars....I find they are much much safer than the choke collars. Many ppl do NOT know how to use choke collars correctly and the animals suffer.

Not trying to hi-jack your thread... But have you ever seen or tried one of these collars? (http://www.dog.com/item/follow-me-head-collar/420457/) I had a Lab that would pull, even on a pinch collar. This collar worked wonders.

And nice pictures of a beautiful animal. :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BPelizabeth

Great pics and thank you for teaching ppl about those collars....I find they are much much safer than the choke collars. Many ppl do NOT know how to use choke collars correctly and the animals suffer.

---

Oh yes, I definitely agree. I really don't like choke collars at all. I'm not sure why they are so popular other than they are about 10% of the price of a pinch collar. I wish I didn't have to use this collar on her, but walking her with a plain leather/nylon collar is way too dangerous. I get a lot of people who stop me and say "wow that's a vicious collar!" and I have to explain to them the difference between pinch and choke and it's far less aggressive/painful than a choke collar. You can try it yourself, put a choke collar on your wrist yank it, then put a pinch collar on your wrist and yank it. I guess it's kind of like using pressure points rather than squeezing something till it can't breathe.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

Not trying to hi-jack your thread... But have you ever seen or tried one of these collars? (http://www.dog.com/item/follow-me-head-collar/420457/) I had a Lab that would pull, even on a pinch collar. This collar worked wonders.

And nice pictures of a beautiful animal. :gj:

---

Yes, and I have one. I don't like them because they make her walk funny. I need her to stay beside me and aligned. With the Gentle Lead she walks in front of me too far and doesn't stay aligned. Right now all I do is show her in obedience, and I don't need her to be walking all cockeyed next to me. If I didn't show her I would definitely use it.

And thank you :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

If you aren't familiar with the pinch collar that's what she's wearing. The choke collars literally choke and she would choke herself

---

I must say that i disagree with this statement i have used a pinch, training, and a halti on my dogs before and feel that when properly used a training collar is just as effective of a method. It is meant to place pressure on the dogs neck and then release. The name choke chain comes from improper use where the running part of the chain goes under the neck and catches on it's self. If put over the neck gravity slides the second ring towards the ground allowing it to release. Both training and pinch collars are meant as temporary wear devices and if left on the animal can cause death. I have heard of and had neighbors experience this with both collars. My dog only wears his training colllar when I am completely watching him such as obedience classes and then wears a flat buckle leather collar at all other times.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kb1290

I must say that i disagree with this statement i have used a pinch, training, and a halti on my dogs before and feel that when properly used a training collar is just as effective of a method. It is meant to place pressure on the dogs neck and then release. The name choke chain comes from improper use where the running part of the chain goes under the neck and catches on it's self. If put over the neck gravity slides the second ring towards the ground allowing it to release. Both training and pinch collars are meant as temporary wear devices and if left on the animal can cause death. I have heard of and had neighbors experience this with both collars. My dog only wears his training colllar when I am completely watching him such as obedience classes and then wears a flat buckle leather collar at all other times.

---

Well on a dog that doesn't respond to the choke collar and keeps pulling on it, the chain never has the chance to release, thus choking her till she threw up. With the pinch collar she doesn't pull. I have to reminder her to heel every now and again when she get excited, but she's extremely well behaved once the pinch collar is on.

I would never leave a choke or a pinch collar on a dog. She has a normal nylon collar that she wears when I'm not walking her. She was on leash in those pictures, they just edited the leash out.

She really is a very beautiful animal! Great pictures!

that is one beautiful doberman! i just love their sleek look & the sharpness of their features.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

Not trying to hi-jack your thread... But have you ever seen or tried one of these collars? (http://www.dog.com/item/follow-me-head-collar/420457/) I had a Lab that would pull, even on a pinch collar. This collar worked wonders.

And nice pictures of a beautiful animal. :gj:

---

Head halters aren't a good idea for a breed prone to CVI. :)

Also, you may want to talk to your trainer about correctly fitting that prong collar - it's far too loose, and the links are too large. (we often train with prong collars at the club I'm a member of, and we fit our students' dogs with smaller prongs, fitting snugly and high up on the neck.

When the prong links are too large and too loose, you have to use a lot more force when correcting the dog - which isn't fair to the dog and is fairly ineffectual.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

Not trying to hi-jack your thread... But have you ever seen or tried one of these collars? (http://www.dog.com/item/follow-me-head-collar/420457/) I had a Lab that would pull, even on a pinch collar. This collar worked wonders.

And nice pictures of a beautiful animal. :gj:

---

These.

Gentle leaders are the BEST.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by python1024

She really is a very beautiful animal! Great pictures!

---

Thank you :P

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mommanessy247

that is one beautiful doberman! i just love their sleek look & the sharpness of their features.

---

I love how sleek and shiny she is too! I feed her Nature's Recipe (Lamb) which is a holistic dog food, and it keeps her skin and coat looking gorgeous! At least I assume it's the food, I really don't do anything else that would keep it so shiny, that I know of. I've met a lot of dobies that have horribly dry skin and dandruff like crazy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sekaiNdobes

Head halters aren't a good idea for a breed prone to CVI. :)

Also, you may want to talk to your trainer about correctly fitting that prong collar - it's far too loose, and the links are too large. (we often train with prong collars at the club I'm a member of, and we fit our students' dogs with smaller prongs, fitting snugly and high up on the neck.

When the prong links are too large and too loose, you have to use a lot more force when correcting the dog - which isn't fair to the dog and is fairly ineffectual.

---

Oh good point.

And about the collar being too long. I put the collar I keep in the house on her and realized it fits her better than that one. It's still the same sized prongs, but with one link less. I keep one in my car and one in the house. I didn't realize they were different lengths :cool: The one at home I use for taking her on walks and the one in my car is just to get her to the dog park gate, and walk around in the pet store, I guess I didn't pay close enough attention.

I didn't realize the prongs should be smaller for her :confused:

Does this look any better? This is the shorter one from the house. She's so funny, always standing like a dobie :rolleyes: She's cute. Everyone we meet says she's a show off.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Athena/045.jpg
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Athena/047.jpg

"Hey, what are you doing with my pool!" Once the mosquitoes show up poor Athena won't have her pool anymore. She LOVES water.
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Athena/048.jpg
She always tilts her head one way or another. I love the head tilt!
http://i157.photobucket.com/albums/t...Athena/049.jpg

She's really pretty :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

I didn't realize the prongs should be smaller for her :confused:

Does this look any better? This is the shorter one from the house. ]

---

Yes, the prongs should be smaller.

The collars should fit right up behind the ears:
http://www.leerburg.com/Photos/prong-goodfit.gif

Beautiful pics, and dog. :gj:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sekaiNdobes

Yes, the prongs should be smaller.

The collars should fit right up behind the ears:
http://www.leerburg.com/Photos/prong-goodfit.gif

---

Ok, so no matter what, you have to break it apart to take it on and off. The trainer I have worked with doesn't put them at the top of the neck :confused: The trainer that does clinics at the pet store doesn't either. Is it by preference or is that how it's really supposed to be? I'll have to try that and see what happens!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SlitherinSisters

Ok, so no matter what, you have to break it apart to take it on and off. The trainer I have worked with doesn't put them at the top of the neck :confused: The trainer that does clinics at the pet store doesn't either. Is it by preference or is that how it's really supposed to be? I'll have to try that and see what happens!

---

Yes, you have to take the collar apart to put it on - if it's loose enough to slip over the dog's head, it's too loose.

I learned how to use prong collars from the trainers at the club where I train (lol how many times can I use "train" in a sentence? Teehee!) - trainers who have decades of experience, have OTCH dogs and extensive experience with training on a prong.

Trainers at pet stores are usually not people I'd go to for advice, I would rather rely on people who have trained and titled dogs for decades. :)

Athena is so pretty and always such a joy to see! My Shanti girl has an out of control licker problem in her photos as well LOL.