Dog Collars for Training
There are many dog collars for training as well as hybrids of collars to be used for the specific purpose of training a dog. You should never use any of these collars until given specific instruction by a professional and never use a training collar with a puppy. The theory behind most of these collar are they are to be used with a quick correction thereby snapping the dog out of the fixation they are in whether it’s on an object or pulling on a walk. Over use these devices and a dog gets used to them therefore rendering them ineffective for their intentional use.
Martingale dog collars are made of nylon mostly and I have seen a few made of leather. They are sometimes referred to as a greyhound collar because they work very nicely with the slender head of sight hound. The mechanism behind these dog collars is they have an inner loop that when pressure or a quick correction is applied the inner loop tightens around the dog’s neck. The Martingale dog collar has a safety device that restricts the loop from completely closing on the dog’s neck.
Chain slip dog collars or Woodhouse dog collars, named for famous British breeder and dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse. The chain slip collar is a chain with an o-ring at either end. The chain threads through one of the o-rings creating a loop and the lead is hooked to the other o-ring. A snap correction given with this dog collar closes the loop around the dog’s neck as well as rattles the chain with the intention of regaining the attention of the dog by the trainer. All these training collars should only be used for training and should not be used on regular walks. The chain slip collar can be used without looping by hooking the lead into both o-rings simultaneously. A correction then rattles the chain gaining the attention of the dog without chance of injury.
The head dog collar is actually a very gentle training device and is designed for use while training and on a walk. There are a few manufacturers of these training dog collars (halti and gentle leader). The device works by fitting over the dogs head with a loop that goes around the muzzle. The lead connects to an o-ring that is connected to the loop around the muzzle. As the dog pulls the loop closes around the muzzle first, which a dog hates, then if they continue to pull the head is pulled to the side which is very unnatural for the dog. This is probably the most gentle of the training devices and is highly regarded as a good tool by trainers. You will have to get your dog used to the device first. It is not as easy as the marketing videos show but with patience can be invaluable as a tool for a dog that pulls on walks.
Next is metal prong dog collars or pinch dog collars. This is a medieval looking device that has long metal prongs on the interior of the collar and works on a similar principal as some of the other dog collars mentioned here where it closes when a correction is given or the dog pulls. Instead of the collar closing the prongs pinch into the dog’s neck. This is the dog training collar that I think is highly overused. I see many people with their powerful breeds using a metal prong collar on walks. This is one training collar that should not be used without the instruction of a professional.
Finally there are e collar or electronic dog collars. Sometimes called a shock collar these devices fit around the dog’s neck and when used in conjunction with a remote that the handler has will deliver an electronic pulse or shock to the dog. The e collar is used for breaking bad habits, containment when used with an invisible fence system or for field training sporting dogs for hunting. These should be used with care and only under the supervision of a trainer. In our day of high tech there are other flavors that contain GPS for tracking dog that search and rescue and hunters have collars that will give signals back telling the handler if the dog is on the move or on point.
Although all of these dog collars are available online or at your local pet supply house they should be investigated and used under the supervision of a competent trainer. Again they should never be used with a puppy. When used correctly a dog training collar can be an invaluable tool in helping the owner gain control over a strong willed dog.