It's that there are other ways.We used one of these on my boxer when I was growing up. We didn't see any other option - his normal collar wore the fur off his neck, a choke collar gave him a seizure. This thing made him bite the leash so he would not get pinched.I have a much larger dog now (90 lbs) who came to me with aggression issues (severely abused.) I am not a big person, and this dog can pull and lunge. I have him on a gentle leader head halter. It was not an instant solution - but it was effective and painless. The halter gave me enough control to be able to train him.The strategy: when he pulls we stop walking. It works fast, though maybe not as fast as pain.