Dog Training Collar
What's The Best Type Of Dog Collar?
Getting
the right dog collar for your dog is one of the most important things
you can do for your dog. Your dog will probably spend most of it's life
with it's collar on, so getting a good comfortable hard wearing dog
collar is essential. Luckily for the more style conscious amongst you,
modern designer dog collars can be fashionable too! Finding the best
type of dog collar for you , will depend on your dog and what the main
use for the collar will be.
What is a dog collar for, and is it essential?
The
main use for a dog collar is probably the most obvious - controlling
your dog. Used in combination with a dog leash, a dog collar can provide
you with a certain amount of control to prevent your dog wandering off
or straying into road traffic when out walking. There are other uses
for a dog collar such as dog or puppy training. Also, you can
incorporate your dog's identity and your contact information within the
dogs collar, in the event your dog gets lost.
 |
| Add caption |
 |
| Add caption |
Choosing the correct
size of dog collar is important. Having a collar that is too small can
cause your dog harm and at best will leave your dog feeling
uncomfortable. Similarly, having a collar that is too big will enable
your dog to easily slip out of it. Also, the width and material of the
collar neeeds to match the size of your dog or puppy. A heavy duty
leather collar will not be much good for a Chihuahua and neither will a
lightweight nylon collar be any good on a Rotweiller.
A good rule
of thumb, is to make sure that on a large dog, you can slip two fingers
between the dogs throat and the collar. Also ensure the collar can
rotate easily, but not slip over the dogs ears. On smaller dogs, ensure
the collar can rotate easily and does not cause any breathing problems.
Make sure it cannot pull over the dogs ears. Remember that in the right
situation, many dogs can become little Houdini's in their own right.
There
are many different types of dog collar available. There are sporting
collars, designer collars, personalized collars. We will be covering a
few main types. These are as follows.
Standard Dog Collar
Dog Training Collars
Electric Dog Collar or Dog Shock Collar
Standard Dog Collar
The
standard dog collar is what your dog would wear for everyday use and
can come in a variety of materials. Most common these days is the Nylon
collar. These come in all sorts of colors and sizes. The main advantage
of a nylon collar is it's price. These collars are very cheap yet
provide a superb durability in that they don't tend to rot and when wet
will dry out quickly. Alternative types such as leather collars tend to
have a more aesthetic natural appeal. A good quality leather collar
could easily last the lifetime of your dog. An extension to this are the
designer dog collar or fashion collars. These can extend to anything
from a simple fashionable pattern or designer name, to a rhinestone dog
collar for more special occasions.
The dog collar that you will be
using most should be comfortable for your dog and secure, although for
lapdogs where the collar can be more of a fashion accessory being
comfortable is the priority. For larger dogs, a strong hardwearing
collar is a must.
A dog training collar
is - as the name suggests - used mainly during training. The type of
training will dictate the type of collar.
For obedience training, a
choke collar or 'choke chain' would be best suited. These collars
comprise of a slip loop that tightens around the dogs neck if it pulls
on a leash too much. When the dog stops pulling, the chain loosens off.
Many people consider the use of a choke collar as unnecessary but used
in the right circumstances, this type of collar can be an effective
training aid. It is extremely important to only use a choke collar when
training and when the dog is supervised. You must NEVER let your dog
out alone with a choke collar on. If the dog becomes caught on something
they may easily choke themselves.
Electric Dog Collar or Dog Shock Collar
Electric
dog collars or as they are sometimes known 'dog shock collars' and
'anti bark collars' tend to be used to discourage a certain behaviour in
a dog. More often than not these are used to control unnecessary
barking. These collars consist of a sensor to detect the bark and a
pair of electrodes or similar to administer a small harmless shock to
the dog. More advanced devices can adjust the level of the shock
depending upon how many shocks have been administered before. The main
problem with these devices is that the dog is being consistently
punished for it's bad behaviour. This may seem ideal initialy but it is
far from this.
No comments:
Post a Comment