Is a Martingale collar safe for a Yorkie with a sensitive trachea?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Daisy. Small dogs are prone to a condition known as collapsing trachea. As the dog ages, the cartilage weakens I'm the wind pipe leading to a honking cough. In this case, a harness would be more appropriate than a neck collar. If your dog pulls excessively, then the harness may be helpful as well. However, a small dog is unlikely to pull hard enough to crush its own wind pipe. I hope this information helps!

This is my own opinion unrelated to either Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach or Petco. I am not a fan of prong collars. The potential for injury or misuse is too great. Damage to the trachea, larynx or esophagus is possibly along with the risk to cervical vertebra. If you choose to use it, consider a consult with a certified trainer to learn proper use. You can also consider a Gentle leader or Halti. Both are head harnesses that allow for quick correction of negative behavior and offer greater control than a simple leash and collar. Remember, positive reinforcement and consistency lead to better results when training your dog.

I generally recommend using harnesses rather than collars for walking. If a dog pulls excessively on a collar, they can cause irritation to the trachea (windpipe) or develop neck pain or injury. Some harnesses, such as an EasyWalk harness or Gentle Leader, are designed to minimize pulling and can be quite helpful for training. Teaching Jasper a "look" command where he learns to watch you closely while on a leash is quite helpful. All of that said, I still like dogs to wear collars so that their identification tags are readily accessible in the off chance that they would run off. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

I have used a static bark collar and a cintronella one on my small barking dog. They are annoying to the dog, more than painful and they do help. Training also with an experienced dog trainer can give you some ideas too. Personally I would not do the de-barking surgery. It is expensive, puts your dog through unnecessary risk and pain and is not always effective. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Koda.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Ayli. I recommend trying a harness such as Easy Walk by Gentler Leader. The leash attaches in the front so if the dog pulls the pressure is across her chest. This gives you more control than with a standard collar or harness. You can also try a Gentle Leader halter. This works great, but takes more time for the dog to adjust to using. A choke collar can cause damage to the neck and throat if too much force is used. I hope this information helps!

Y-shaped harnesses seem to work best for dogs with cervical stenosis or recovering from head/neck surgery as they tend to wrap around the chest while avoiding the back of the neck while closing. However, if Jack tends to pull, do be aware that harnesses can make it easier for dogs to pull, so you may want to work on some leash training if this is the case. Other harnesses may also help avoid the neck area, you just want to make sure they fit more snuggly along the chest and sit over the shoulders or lower on the back to avoid putting pressure on the neck.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is rare that this can actually affect her longterm. This is just typical behavior for a dog that is wanting to pull on the leash. I would encourage you to try to avoid this behavior as much as possible. You can try to use a dog trainer who can help you with this. Best of luck!