This is one of the most common questions people have when they are about to train their dog.
There are many types of collars, leashes, muzzles, and crates, so it is certainly understandable that you may get confused as to which is the best. Today we'll give you a short list of training equipment, along with their uses and what feels best for your dog.
There are lots of different collars available. Choose the one that you feel will work best with your dog.
Flat or Buckle Collar
This type of collar is fit around the dog's neck. These are available in a variety of materials such as nylon, leather, and cloth.
This dog collar is good for basic restraint for dogs that do not pull forcefully on a leash when walking. If he pulls too hard on the leash, he will choke or gag against the force of the collar. If you need to train your dog not to pull on a leach, this is probably not your best collar.
Halter or Head Collar
This collar goes around your dog's neck and muzzle. It works much like a horse halter in that his body will follow which ever way his head is turned.
This collar is good in that it doesn't use force so there is no pain for your dog, but you will have a great amount of control over the direction that you want your dog to go.
The downside of this type of collar is that dogs often don't like it, which may cause them to refuse to walk, or they may try to pull it off with their paws.
Slip Collar
This is a slip collar that looks like a typical dog collar yet it can only be tightened to a certain point. This way, the dog will be comfortable, but it will also give the owner a fair amount of control. This is a very easy collar to fit. It can either be slid over the dog's head, or it can snap around the dog's neck.
An advantage to a Martingale collar is that it can not be easily removed from the dog's neck-even if he is pulling backwards. It has a restricted range of tightness that prevents the dog from choking. However, the Martingale does not work effectively if the dog is a consistent puller.
Choke Collar
This type of collar should only be used for aggression training because the collar tightens around your dog's neck when you jerk it and released when you let up. A choke collar can be quite dangerous if you don't use it properly as you could hurt your dog's neck and cause physical and emotional trauma.
Harnesses
This is a soft device that wraps around your dog's body and has a leash attachment on the top of your dog's back around the shoulders. The harness is different from a collar in that the harness distributes the force of your dog's pulling across his shoulders and chest which are much stronger than his neck. This in turn can allow the dog to pull even harder.
There are several styles of harnesses to choose from, so pick the one that is most comfortable to the dog. The regular harnesses are usually pain-free for the dog and are useful for dogs that have had previous neck injuries or dogs like Pugs who often have neck problems.
Prong Collars
Even though this type of dog collar appears rather barbaric, it is my favorite collar to use when training hard to walk dogs. Regardless of it's looks, it one of the safest types of dog collars. I resembles a choke collar but has evenly spaced prongs on the inside of it that, when pulled creates a pressure around your dog's neck with small pinches. There is no direct pressure put on the trachea and front of neck as there is with a choke collar.
The prong collar doesn't actually hurt them, but it shows who is in control. I don't recommend it for puppies or very aggressive dogs, but it seems to work great when you are trying to teach your dog the proper way to walk.
It is often very frustrating when trying to train your dog to walk on his leash properly. Hopefully with the use of the correct equipment (and a lot of time and patience!) you will have your dog walking like a Kennel Club contestant in no time! In an upcoming article I will take a look at the differences between various leashes, and help you find the right one for your dog.
There are many types of collars, leashes, muzzles, and crates, so it is certainly understandable that you may get confused as to which is the best. Today we'll give you a short list of training equipment, along with their uses and what feels best for your dog.
There are lots of different collars available. Choose the one that you feel will work best with your dog.
Flat or Buckle Collar
This type of collar is fit around the dog's neck. These are available in a variety of materials such as nylon, leather, and cloth.
This dog collar is good for basic restraint for dogs that do not pull forcefully on a leash when walking. If he pulls too hard on the leash, he will choke or gag against the force of the collar. If you need to train your dog not to pull on a leach, this is probably not your best collar.
Halter or Head Collar
This collar goes around your dog's neck and muzzle. It works much like a horse halter in that his body will follow which ever way his head is turned.
This collar is good in that it doesn't use force so there is no pain for your dog, but you will have a great amount of control over the direction that you want your dog to go.
The downside of this type of collar is that dogs often don't like it, which may cause them to refuse to walk, or they may try to pull it off with their paws.
Slip Collar
This is a slip collar that looks like a typical dog collar yet it can only be tightened to a certain point. This way, the dog will be comfortable, but it will also give the owner a fair amount of control. This is a very easy collar to fit. It can either be slid over the dog's head, or it can snap around the dog's neck.
An advantage to a Martingale collar is that it can not be easily removed from the dog's neck-even if he is pulling backwards. It has a restricted range of tightness that prevents the dog from choking. However, the Martingale does not work effectively if the dog is a consistent puller.
Choke Collar
This type of collar should only be used for aggression training because the collar tightens around your dog's neck when you jerk it and released when you let up. A choke collar can be quite dangerous if you don't use it properly as you could hurt your dog's neck and cause physical and emotional trauma.
Harnesses
This is a soft device that wraps around your dog's body and has a leash attachment on the top of your dog's back around the shoulders. The harness is different from a collar in that the harness distributes the force of your dog's pulling across his shoulders and chest which are much stronger than his neck. This in turn can allow the dog to pull even harder.
There are several styles of harnesses to choose from, so pick the one that is most comfortable to the dog. The regular harnesses are usually pain-free for the dog and are useful for dogs that have had previous neck injuries or dogs like Pugs who often have neck problems.
Prong Collars
Even though this type of dog collar appears rather barbaric, it is my favorite collar to use when training hard to walk dogs. Regardless of it's looks, it one of the safest types of dog collars. I resembles a choke collar but has evenly spaced prongs on the inside of it that, when pulled creates a pressure around your dog's neck with small pinches. There is no direct pressure put on the trachea and front of neck as there is with a choke collar.
The prong collar doesn't actually hurt them, but it shows who is in control. I don't recommend it for puppies or very aggressive dogs, but it seems to work great when you are trying to teach your dog the proper way to walk.
It is often very frustrating when trying to train your dog to walk on his leash properly. Hopefully with the use of the correct equipment (and a lot of time and patience!) you will have your dog walking like a Kennel Club contestant in no time! In an upcoming article I will take a look at the differences between various leashes, and help you find the right one for your dog.
About the Author:
Alex has been an avid pet enthusiast her whole life. She has a in-depth knowledge of just about every type of pet and their behaviors. She offers pet advice and product reviews on her website Henri's Online Dog Obedience School where you can sign up for a free pet tips and tricks newsletter or visit Henri The Hound, an awesome online pet shop for cool and unusual stuff for your pets.
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