Pet Site HQ

All dogs need training so that they learn to behave appropriately, especially in a family environment. To this end, training collars have been created to help you with this process, and they have proven to be very effective in this role. As with many things however, in the wrong hands, dog training collars can be used to hurt and abuse dogs, so you need to understand how they work and what they do.

The first collar to investigate is the prong collar. Whilst it actually looks to be the most evil of the collars, it is actually the least likely to cause harm, although if people want to abuse the collar (and the dog), they will find a way. Under normal usage, when the collar is pulled, the prongs that make up the leash pinch the dog’s neck. The thought behind this is that the reaction is similar to the of the dog’s mother’s teeth used to reprimand the dog when it was a puppy. The collar is reasonably safe. The most likely problem will be if the collar is not fitted correctly. If the dog continually pulls on the leash though, the prong collar might not be the best one to use.

Prong collars can be quite easily adjusted by adding or removing some prongs until you get the fit right. A rough guide to fitting is if you can fit a finger between the collar and the neck of the dog. Any looser than that and the collar will not be effective.

The Halti collar, also known as the Gentle Leader, is more akin to a harness than a collar. It fits over the dog’s face and works by closing the dog’s mouth when the leash attached to the collar is pulled. The theory is that if you can control the dog’s head, you will be able to control the whole dog. This type of collar is especially good for pulling or aggressive dogs.

There is a downside to this type of collar though. Dog’s, as a rule, do not like having restrainers on their face, and it might be quite a job to get your dog to accept a harness of this type. Care should also be taken bot to pull the head to hard, because the dog could suffer injuries to the neck or back.

Choke collars can be very effective in controlling a dog. Sadly, in the wrong hands, choke collars can be exceedingly cruel and can hurt dogs. Control lies within the trainer themselves. If you genuinely think that a choke collar will do what you want, but you are not sure how to use one properly, seek expert guidance.

It is essential that a choke collar is fitted correctly, because they have the potential to harm the dog. The choke collar works by tightening around the dog’s throat when the trainer pulls on the leash. The tightness should be released when the trainer releases the leash, but in the case of a badly fitted collar, this might not happen, and the dog will continue to be choked. If a dog continually pulls on its leash, then a choke collar would not be an appropriate training device. They should also only be used by experienced handlers.

One of the newest forms of dog collar are the electronic one’s. They are considered to be a very humane way to train a dog, but equally can be abused in the wrong hands.

They work by passing a shock to the dog via a remote control, which is controlled by the trainer. The trainer has complete control over how big a shock to administer to the dog. It is generally accepted that the shock should be strong enough to make the dog’s ears twitch, and no more. How much that is depends on the size of the dog and the collar itself. If your dog starts to yelp when you administer a shock, then the charge is probably too high. If you are unsure, seek advice.

Popularity: 6% [?]