There are many ways to effectively teach a dog. Not so long ago,
most of the accepted methods for training were forceful or
aversive. Unfortunately, some of these methods still are in use
among the abusive and uneducated. One of the pioneers of gentle
training techniques was Barbara Woodhouse. This English dog
trainer was instrumental in paving the way for today’s
nonaversive and positive methods of training. She was a genius
at molding behaviors with lures and gently “modeling” a dog into
positions without force. But even Woodhouse used some techniques
that can be considered rough by today’s standards. If you have
researched dog-training methodologies at all, you probably have
noticed that a percentage of the available training books
advocate the use of a “choke chain” (otherwise called the
training collar). When used properly, this training device
relies on aversion to get the dog’s attention or to make a
correction when your dog doesn’t respond to a command correctly.
A sharp snap of the leash tightens the