Walk into any pet store across in America today, and you will find an abundance of dog collars to choose. Collars remain a popular sales item because they carry the traditional dog tag and make it easier to grab hold of and lead Fido around. In recent years, there has been a significant migration from choker collars to harnesses for walking/training.
Often, sales personnel and obedience trainers associated with the big box stores will automatically direct you to a “humane” collar. Should you choose a traditional choker or pinch collar you just might be an obstinate barbarian.
Unfortunately, it’s not the collar but the inexperienced or hotheaded “trainer” that is the problem. Frustrated novice trainers, with a bad temperament, and an equally frustrated dog, whom they have a “non-existent” relationship, is a recipe for disaster. In this case, a competent obedience trainer will most likely require a harness/muzzle combination to train novice handlers how to obedience train their dog. When the novice handler and dog graduate from doggie school 101, they sing out of the animal rights hymnal and proclaim to all this is the only way.
Despite the social stigma that goofy trainers and snowflakes try to impose upon choker/prong or e-collar users, business is business. Pet stores would lose millions of dollars in profit if they elected not to carry these tools a competing business that does.
Big Brother in Quebec recently solved this dilemma by banning the use chokers completely. The anti-choker sentiment is out there and growing. Recently Toronto, Ontario chimed in outlawing the devices too. Unsuccessful attempts to outlaw them in New York and Florida have been made as well.
Freedom to use the effective collar of choice is clearly under attack. Unfortunately, it doesn’t stop with just collars. Vocal animal rights advocates are pushing their agenda of how your dog should be cared for as well across the nation.
Nitwit politicians, often incapable of training their cat how to use the litter box, buy into this malarkey out of convenience. They don’t want to be portrayed in this politically correct world as someone who doesn’t care about stopping the “mistreatment” of dogs. All this activity takes place quietly “behind” the scenes while you are busy making a living, raising kids and training your dog.
At this writing, New Jersey is about to criminalize transportation of dogs in what they now deem as “undersized crates.” The animal rights folks prefer you place your dog in an oversized crate. If you can fit the crate in your vehicle, the huge crate will allow the dog to be dangerously flung about inside. Ironically, every animal control truck in New Jersey will be illegal.
Legislation has also been introduced in Texas to make it illegal to stake out your dog on anything other than a 15 foot, no-chain line and only when you are in the dog’s presence. This is just the tip of the iceberg. Proposed laws aimed at restricting your rights as a dog owner are too numerous to list here.
Clearly, dog owners/trainers must stay alert to proposed laws. When chokers, crates, and tie out stakes are successful criminalized, how far behind or long will it before the use e-collars, healing sticks, dog trailers, shot flyers domino in succession?
We are going to dread the day when our retriever events can’t be legally held in certain jurisdictions. And certainly, no one wants live in fear of having their dog confiscated at home or during travel by ‘animal rights police’ empowered by bureaucrats. Seem far-fetched to you? Clink on the attached links and let me know. Join me and these organizations in staying forever vigilant in protecting our sport, our dogs and individual property rights!
AKC Legislative Action Center
National Animal Interest Alliance
Sportsmen’s Alliance