General Advice

How to choose a dog training collar

Are you looking to train your dog? Great idea. The better behaved your dog is, the safer it will be around other dogs and people and the more places you can bring it. Finding the best collar for your needs isn’t always easy though. There are four types that you can use for different purposes. And within these kinds of dog collars, there are different specifications to choose from. To make your choice easier, here are the four types.

The four types of dog training collars

Dog training collars are usually divided into buckle, head halter, choke chain, and slip. Each one has its advantages and disadvantages. The buckle collar is the most recognizable. It’s the standard collar that fits around a dog’s neck and is fixed with a simple buckle. It’s the least useful because your pet can still pull and not notice they shouldn’t do this. Head halters are better. They are a mixture of a harness around the body and a hoop that goes around the dog’s muzzle. If your dog has a sensitive neck or doesn’t like having its mouth kept closed, you might need to find another option. For example, a choke chain. This collar is made up of metal links that form a chain around the dog’s neck. It’s perfectly safe and teaches the dog to stop pulling ahead. When it makes this movement, the collar will tighten around the neck and your canine will learn to stop pulling. The same goes for slip collars, except that they are made of rope instead of metal. They are placed just below the ears so they keep the dog’s head high. This makes the dog less likely to pull sideways or forwards.

Controversial dog collars

Within the choke chains, there is another kind of collar that is effective but deemed abusive by some pet owners. The prong collar is also made of links that form a loop around the dog’s neck and tightens when they pull. The main difference from standard choke chains is that it has prongs that point towards the dog, adding extra pressure to the neck. This works well for larger dogs who lunge and bark a lot. They shouldn’t be used on dogs with sensitive necks and smaller species. They can be very effective when used correctly, so you should probably gain experience with other collars before moving on to a pronged one.

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