Your Dog's Collar

When choosing an obedience school or club, pet owners should look for those that offer instruction geared to the individual dog and owner and pass by the ones that insist that one collar and one technique fits all. The choice of collar should be based on the individual dog and owner, not the breed.

Chain slip-collars known commonly as chokers have been the most popular for the past 20+ years. Today, the chain collar has been joined by a nylon version, a snap-on slip collar, a humane choker, a Halti head collar, and a no-pull halter.

Slip collars or a Choke collar should fit just below the dog's ears for good results. They work by tightening and loosening a noose around the dog's neck. A harsh jerk with a slip collar can damage a dog's trachea. Furthermore slip collars may not be effective on dogs with thick necks or thick coats, particularly if they slide out of position.

The head collar and the no-pull halter work by pressuring the dog's head in the former case and his underarms in the latter case. Although they are hailed by some as the only humane training devices effective on every dog, they do not live up to this advance billing. The head collar can injure a thin-necked dog and is not suitable for nervous, fearful, or jumpy dogs, and the no-pull halter may be counterproductive on thick-skinned, hard-headed dogs.

The Prong collar is made of interlocking links, each with two blunt prongs that pinch the dog's skin when the collar is tightened. It should fit snugly just below the dog's ears. Unlike the chain slip collar, it puts even pressure around the neck by pinching the skin in a band about a half inch wide. No pressure is put directly on the trachea with the pinch collar.characteristics play an important role in terms of physical sensitivity. Many breeds were selectively bred to be physically insensitive. Sporting dogs and terriers are notably insensitive, and while this may present a problem for the average owner in training, it is the characteristic that enables these same dogs to perform well at the tasks for which they were bred.

All dogs perceive physical stimuli differently. Some dogs are physically sensitive, some are not. Distractions or all-consuming activities also can alter that sensitivity. We recommend you consult the advice of one of our trainers when making equipment decisions for continued training (deployment home). Although the prong collar looks like a cruel inhumane device, some people may find that the choke chain can actually leave a bruise, while the prong collar typically doesn’t leave a mark.

  

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