Went into local Pets at Home store to buy a large nylon collar/part choker as my dog has outgrown the medium sized version of the same collar she has.(bought there 3 months ago).
Couldn’t see any on the shelves so asked an assistant.
“We don’t stock them any more due to Health and Safety,they could injure a dog.”
W.T.F. 
Bad explanation on the part of the assistant. They’ve stopped selling them after a long and arduous campaign by dog welfare organisations because they are cruel. There are many effective alternatives to a choke chain or half-choke for teaching a dog not to pull, there is absolutely no need whatsoever to inflict pain in order to achieve this end. In fact, they don’t work in the long run, and it was the proving of this fact that swung the tide of opinion within the canine behaviourist world.
Feel free to drop me a PM if you want pointing in the direction of help on safe, humane and effective lead training.
Oh my god the world has gone mad? Both of my dogs wear half checks apart from the oldest when he is working in which case he wears a full check complete gun dog lead which can be removed easily when he is sent to flush saving him from hanging himself with the collar on trees fences ect.
The way to prevent injuring your dog with a half check is to use sensible bloody handling 
. Whats going to happen when these bunny brushers get hold of the equestrian world, will the bit be made obsolete?
That could be good for a laugh. 
But there lies your problem, Linds. How many average dog-owners know the first thing about sensible handling?
Sure, there is a correct and effective way of using a choke or half-choke, but there is also a million miles between experienced handlers of working dogs who know what they’re doing, like you, and Joe Public using the “yank and hope” method of lead training which causes so many injuries.
I don’t believe these collars should be banned, far from it, but I do think they should be restricted to sale only in specialist outlets eg. Ag Merchants where at least there is a greater chance that those who get hold of them won’t mis-use them in place of proper handling.
P@H isn’t exactly the pinnacle of expertise, and the market they cater to isn’t the working or competitive market. Sometimes you have to restrict the uneducated majority to protect the skilled minority. As long as the number of injuries keep rising, the risk of an outright ban will be hanging over people like you who need this equipment to do your job. Restrict the sale, reduce the misuse, protect the kit for it’s intended job.
Lucy:
But there lies your problem, Linds. How many average dog-owners know the first thing about sensible handling?Sure, there is a correct and effective way of using a choke or half-choke, but there is also a million miles between experienced handlers of working dogs who know what they’re doing, like you, and Joe Public using the “yank and hope” method of lead training which causes so many injuries.
I don’t believe these collars should be banned, far from it, but I do think they should be restricted to sale only in specialist outlets eg. Ag Merchants where at least there is a greater chance that those who get hold of them won’t mis-use them in place of proper handling.
P@H isn’t exactly the pinnacle of expertise, and the market they cater to isn’t the working or competitive market. Sometimes you have to restrict the uneducated majority to protect the skilled minority. As long as the number of injuries keep rising, the risk of an outright ban will be hanging over people like you who need this equipment to do your job. Restrict the sale, reduce the misuse, protect the kit for it’s intended job.
I don’t think I come into the uneducated majority as I’ve been involved with GSD’s for over 25 years and now show them.
1/4 chokers have always been used without any problems.
I do own specialist leads that i bought when I went to shows but as it is a lead used for everyday use I went to Pets @ Home.
What’s next on the “experts” hitlist,banning the sale of fishing tackle because it’s cruel to fish. 
I’ve only once tried a choke chain on a dog, and I don’t believe they are cruel, or that a dog is harmed by wearing one in any way.
In fact, the one puppy I used a choke-chain on didn’t seem to take any notice of it whatsoever. It still just pulled as hard as it wanted.
They shouldn’t be called “choke chains” because they don’t choke dogs. If choke chains did choke dogs, they could just back off, couldn’t they?
The most important thing to do with any dog is to teach it who is “Pack Leader” from the word “Go”.
it works on my wife when we are shopping and she gets too close to the fashion shops
We went to Pets at Home and the spotty youth said “do you want fries with that”
Here’s some food for thought. I guess we all have to make our own minds up.
Nice piece from a trainer with firm beliefs who’s done her research.
Leaflet produced by the APDT - PDF
Interesting booklet on modern methods. PDF.
Now, in the interests of balance, I’ve been trying to find links from qualified people and/or associations in support of choke chains, and the only two I’ve found so far are last two above. I’d genuinely like to see more from the other side of the debate, but I just can’t find them. Lots of people arguing with the “antis” on the grounds that “we’ve been training dogs for years with no problem”, but nothing else with any sort of backup.
Now I’m not against choke chains per se, but I AM against them being sold freely to people who have no idea how to use them. I wouldn’t use one myself, but that’s a personal choice.
It’s a fascinating debate and I’d be interested to hear what constitutes the “correct” use, and how it differs from “incorrect”. I’m not totally closed-minded on this subject by any means.
Any sort of collar or lead misused by an inconsiderate owner could hurt a dog.
My GSD’s all had choke chains and came to no harm but I did read about an incident where a dog was strangled by one in a freak acident.
I have heard tragic tales of ordinary buckle-on collars been left on growing dogs and causing horrific injury. Same with cat collars and pony halters)
I dont think it is a case of what you use with your dog - or any animal - it is how you use it.
Cruel or stupid people will always cause pain or some sort of suffering to an animal whereas the rest of us who care about the animals feelings will use the equipment responsibly and make sure no harm comes to our pet.
Does that mean kicking the little ■■■■ er when he keeps pullintg is also a H&S risk?.
Only when he turns around and bites you in the ■■■■■■■■, Alex. 
As I say, I’ve only ever regularly walked one dog which wore a choke chain (a Giant Scnautzer) and he didn’t seem to be distressed by it at all.
My own dog is a JRT and from the moment they are born there is no point in trying to train them!
I’ve never liked walking a dog on the lead so I trained mine to walk off for the majority of the time.I learned that a choke isn’t necessary just proper training (for the owner!). I didn’t do it on my own I went to training classes which was fun for both of us.
when my ex had damaged her back and was concerned about not being able to control our german shepherd, who although she was as gentle as a lamb, used to be a bit frisky when heading out to the woods where we walked her.
on advice we tried a halti, and it worked a treat, i don’t think she ever strained on the leash again, even when the halti wasn’t on
My oldest dog is trained to do both gun work and agility, we also use him at the canine behavior center to socialise nervous dogs and to offer a lead to dogs with issues. He rarely has a lead on at home and has only ever lived in an isolated village so when we visit civilisation he wears a halti because I have arthritis in my spine and it helps control his enthusiasm. Haltis concern me more than half checks in inexperienced hands because a dogs head can be snapped back by the over zealous handler. A correctly adjusted half check should be loose enough for the Ds to be able to be pulled together without effecting the animals breathing so should be unable to cause injury.