Dog Collars - What You Need To Know

This article was last updated 16. september 2011

What's The best Type Of Dog Training collar?

Getting the right dog collar for your dog is among the most important things you can do for your dog. Your dog will probably spend most of it's life with it can collar on, so obtaining a good comfortable hard wearing dog collar is essential. Luckily for your more style conscious amongst you, modern designer dog collars can be fashionable as well! Locating the best type of dog collar for you personally, 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 puppy collar can supply you with a certain amount of control to avoid your dog wandering away or straying into path traffic when out strolling. There are other uses for a dog collar such as doggy or puppy training. Also, you can incorporate your dog's identity as well as your contact information within the dogs collar, in the event your dog gets dropped.

Choosing the right size of dog collar is important. Developing a collar that is too small may cause your dog harm with best will leave your dog feeling uncomfortable. Likewise, using a collar that is too big will enable your doggy to easily slip from it. Also, the actual width and material in 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 certainly a lightweight nylon collar be the proper job on a Rotweiller.

A good rule of thumb, is to make certain that on a large dog, you are able to slip two fingers between your dogs throat and the actual collar. Additionally ensure the collar can rotate easily, however, not slip over the canines ears. On smaller dogs, ensure the collar can rotate easily will not not cause any breathing problems. Make sure it cannot pull on the dogs ears. Keep in mind that in the right situation, many dogs can become little Houdini's in their own right.

There are many different types of dog collar accessible. You will find sporting collars, designer collars, customized collars. We will be covering a few primary types. These are as follows.

Standard Dog Collar

Dog Training Collars

Electric Dog Collar or Dog Surprise Collar

Standard Dog Collar

The standard dog collar is exactly 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. Substantially less than a nylon collar is actually it's price. These collars are very cheap yet provide an excellent durability in that they don't tend to rot so when wet will dry out quickly. Alternative types such as leather collars generally have a more asthetic natural appeal. A good quality leather collar may easily last the duration of your dog. An extension to this are the designer doggy collar or fashion collars. These types of 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 the dog and secure, although for lapdogs where the collar can be more of a fashion accessory being comfortable is the priority. With regard to larger dogs, a powerful hardwearing collar is essential.

Dog Training Collar

A training a dog collar is - as the name suggests - utilized mainly during training. The type of training will dictate the type of collar.

For compliance training, the choke collar or 'choke chain' will be best suited. These collars comprise of a slip loop that tightens surrounding the dogs neck if it pulls on the leash too much. Once the dog stops pulling, the actual chain loosens off. Many people consider the usage of a choke collar as unnecessary but used in the right circumstances, this type of collar can be a powerful training aid. It is very important to only make use of a choke collar when training and when the dog is monitored. You should never let your dog out alone having a choke collar on. If the dog becomes caught on something they might easily choke themselves.

Electric Dog Collar or Dog Shock Collar

Electric collars for dogs or as they are occasionally known 'dog shock collars' and 'anti bark collars' are typically used to discourage a certain behaviour in a doggy. More often than not these are used to manage unnecessary barking. These collars comprise of a sensor to identify the bark and a pair of electrodes or similar to administer a small harmless shock to the dog. Heightened devices can adjust the amount of the shock depending upon how many shocks have been implemented before. The main problem with these devices is that the dog is being regularly punished for it's bad behaviour. This may seem ideal initialy however it is far from this particular.

Training a puppy involves much more than punishing the dog every time it is actually bad. Actually, utilizing positive reinforcement and praise once the dog stops behaving badly can have a much more positive effect. Getting to the root of the behavioural problem is the greatest approach. Just then can a preventative training method be implemented. Think about the case of a dog that chews and barks since it misses it's owner during the day. The barking and chewing is a product of the dog feeling anxious. If the dog recieves an electrical shock every couple of minutes, that anxious behaviour will be compounded. Read this article for further training information.

For cases where the owner is not existing, a far more humane method of discouragement can be implemented. This implies a similar type of collar that detects a bark but the collar releases a organic spray of Citronella which discourages the dogs behaviour. These can be used as a complementary approach to other training

.