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The reason I don't use training type collars, as a
rule, is that the primary difference between them
and a regular flat collar is that they are
designed to be corrective. I don't even
think about correcting until after I'm sure the
dog has learned what I set out to teach him. When
we get to the point that the dog knows exactly
what "sit" means, and chooses not to,
then I might use a collar correction, but I find a
leash pop on a flat collar gets their attention
just fine.
I once
worked with a 9 month old, 100 lb. AmStaff mix
that was the happiest dog I've ever seen. Geez,
was he happy. He also had no manners at all. None.
And, he had the attention span of a potato bug. He
was a confident, exuberant and extroverted dog.
When he was on a flat collar and I was on the
other end of the leash there was no learning going
on.
There was, however, a good possibility that I
was going to be dragged down the street on my
butt. He was food motivated, but he'd never
learned how to learn, so he thought the name of
the game was "knock Debbie over, grab the
food, lick her face in thanks". As I said, no
learning was going on.
A martingale collar
would not have prevented him from dragging me all
around town and he would have likely broken his
neck on a halter, so I decided to use a prong
collar. The prong collar calmed him down enough
for me to get his attention and to teach him how
to learn something new.
I'm aware that this worked
because it made it uncomfortable (painful?) for
him fly to the end of the leash every few seconds.
It was, however, a humane, ethical and fair way to
get this dog under control long enough to teach
him proper leash etiquette and for him to get the
hang of learning, in general. The prong collar was
replaced with his flat collar after his first
lesson. Once he learned how to learn he caught on
to new things fast and with enthusiasm and ended
up being a very well behaved dog.
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