# Newbie with fursaver question



## ntuthuko gumede (Jan 25, 2012)

This is my first post here and im new the world of dogtraining,I own a GSD and ive been training with a GSD club for a while now and purchased a fursaver from the club now heres my confusion I heard from a reputable trainer that a fursaver is not very uselfull for corrections,its only use is to save the dogs fur and its for "looks" is this true or is simply a matter of different trainers preferring different equipment


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## Rob Kringel (Aug 2, 2011)

ntuthuko gumede said:


> This is my first post here and im new the world of dogtraining,I own a GSD and ive been training with a GSD club for a while now and purchased a fursaver from the club now heres my confusion I heard from a reputable trainer that a fursaver is not very uselfull for corrections,its only use is to save the dogs fur and its for "looks" is this true or is simply a matter of different trainers preferring different equipment


A fur saver is not a training collar unless your goal is to use purely positive training with No corrections.


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## Chip Blasiole (Jun 7, 2006)

A fur saver is a politically correct collar that has no value for training. But you should let your dog wear it during obedience along with a prong collar so that it is not something new when time to trial. IMO, collar selection requires some smarts, depending on what you are working on and how handler hard you dog is. For example, in protection work, you might want to use an agitation collar along with a prong collar and two leashes.


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## Karen M Wood (Jun 23, 2012)

I have to agree with both poster, yes the fur saver is not good for corrections. Can you give a neck breaking correction with it? I guess if your big enough and your strong enough to crank the links together. But for a smooth correction, a pinch or standard choke works better. I have a fur saver, it's real pretty cost me a bunch of money and is made of some sort of metal that suppose to prevent that dreaded gray "ring around the collar" in white dog. Not usually a problem in shepherds but it's rather unsightly on bulldogs.
Use your fur saver as your backup collar if your using a pinch. Attach the leash to both and if the fur saver fails, you still have a collar on the dog. Pinch's rarely fail (pop apart at the links) but it does happen. Usually if the collar is too loose. Or a prong is bent.
When you're ready to trial your dog is already use to the fur saver and you just fade the pinch collar before trail day.
Good luck and have fun.
Karen


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Because of the large links the fursaver can't release easily as will the pinch or "choke collar". 
If your going to use a correction collar my choice would be the pinch collar. It's actually easier on the dog's neck because it spreads the force around the neck and not just on the opposite side of the leash as does the "choke collar"


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

Bob Scott said:


> Because of the large links the fursaver can't release easily as will the pinch or "choke collar".
> If your going to use a correction collar my choice would be the pinch collar. It's actually easier on the dog's neck because it spreads the force around the neck and not just on the opposite side of the leash as does the "choke collar"


Hey Bob you just have to say "sharpened pinch" and you have my vote \\/

On the other hand "the fur saver" which we in Europe at least, regard as the normal collar for the dog, when walking it out or trialling (obligatory) can be used on the "dead link" or the "pull". This collar is not always effectual for correctiions,.


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## James Downey (Oct 27, 2008)

I guess all those people hanging their dog by the fur saver to get them to out or shut up are purley positive dog trainers.


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

Gillian Schuler said:


> Hey Bob you just have to say "sharpened pinch" and you have my vote \\/
> 
> On the other hand "the fur saver" which we in Europe at least, regard as the normal collar for the dog, when walking it out or trialling (obligatory) can be used on the "dead link" or the "pull". This collar is not always effectual for correctiions,.



I've done well with just the fur saver on the dead link or a flat leather collar for all my training in the past 9-10 yrs.:-D:wink:


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## Gillian Schuler (Apr 12, 2008)

James Downey said:


> I guess all those people hanging their dog by the fur saver to get them to out or shut up are purley positive dog trainers.


Surely they are - it saves fur:lol: even if it strangles the dog.


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## ntuthuko gumede (Jan 25, 2012)

thanks for the all the responses and the sound advice guys, sorry for posting in the wrong section


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## rick smith (Dec 31, 2010)

btw, just because a lot of people have called it a "fur saver" for years doesn't mean it saves fur any more than a flat collar doesn't save fur or a small link chain collar removes it ... that name is way over rated and completely unconfirmed imo 

collar effectiveness totally depends on the dog and what you are doing with the dog, not the collar , and maybe the same can be said for fur loss

- if you deliver near neck breaking corrections you are definitely very strong or your dog is very weak and for sure ... you are DOING IT WRONG ](*,)


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## Bob Scott (Mar 30, 2006)

They all will pull coat but the longer links will make the "fur save" less likely to do so based on fewer links to grab coat.
I use them and flat leather collars exclusively on both my short coated and long coated GSDs but I don't train with physical corrections.


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