Dog Collars | Dog Leashes

Dog Collar and Dog Leash Categories:

The 5 Basic Categories of Dog Colars and Dog Leashes

1. Everyday Collar and Leashes - All-purpose, functional dog collars and leashes.
2. Training Collars and Leashes - Specifically designed for training purposes.
3. Unique and Fancy Dog Colors - Dog collars and leashes (or leads as they are called in the training and fashion industry) used as accessories for the well trained, well bred, fashionista dog.
4. Ecological Dog Collars - There is a huge movement, much like the 60's, of people wanting only of environmentally friendly dog collars and leashes made of natural resources. This is not bad. This is having a more responsible point of view of our planet.
5. Trendy Holiday Dog Collars - Last, but not least are the collars made specifically to celebrate holidays. Some small dogs get dressed in holiday clothing and some wear holiday costumes for dogs, but many of the larger breed owners like to get holiday dog collars to help their pets celebrate the holidays.

8 Types of Dog Training Collars

• 1Buckle Collar:
  
  As the name suggests, this collar is fastened using a buckle. It is usually made of leather, nylon or cotton and could be rolled or flat. Like many collars, this one is adjustable.
  
  Round buckle collars have the main advantage of eliminating the possibility of hair breaking.
  
  A buckle collar will usually remain on the dog at all times once it has been buckled tight enough that the dog cannot remove it by slipping over it's ears. There should be enough room to put two of your fingers under the collar.
  
  A new breakaway buckle dog collar is now on the market that allows the dog to break loose from it's collar should it become entangle by an obstacle such as a fence or tree branch.
• 2Illusion Dog Collar:
  
  This collar was designed my the famous dog trainer, Cesar Millan. If you have never watched his show on the National Geographic channel, you really should. I recommend this type of collar for dog training for most dogs.
  
  This collar should only be used by dogs over 18 pounds and with neck sizes over 13-inches in circumference. It is nor recommended for dogs with elongated necks, such as a grey hound as they tend to pull back out of the collar.
• 3Martingale Dog Collar
  
  A martingale collar is a special type of dog collar that is more suited for dogs with elongated necks, or that have necks larger than their heads, such as greyhounds and whippets.
  
  Herding dogs, such as the Louisiana Catahoula Leopard Dog and the Sheltie, are another type of dog that tends to pull out of their collars. This makes the martingale collar a perfect candidate for most herding breeds.
  
  The martingale collar also work well for very small dogs and puppies that are being trained to wear their first collar.
  
  A martingale collar is made with two loops. Properly fit, the collar should be comfortably loose when not in use. There are two loops on the martingale collar. The large loop is placed around the dogs neck and adjusted to fit loosely.There are two slides of hardware on the collar. When the control loop is pulled, the two slides pull close together, to the correct fit of the dogs neck. Do not let the two slides touch. They keep the dog comfortable, yet secure at the same time, but you don't want to choke the dog. The leash is then clipped to the D ring on the small loop. When the dog tries to pull their head out of the collar, the tension on the leash pulls the small loop taunt, which makes the large loop smaller and tighter on the neck-- preventing escape.
  
  When adjusted properly the dog is never choked, while the collar remains snug on the dog's neck (just behind the ears) until the pressure is released.
  
  The problem with a martingale dog collar is that they create a danger to your dog if left on all of the time. If you plan to leave the collar on 24/7, then the collar should be adjusted so that the dog doesn't choke if caught on something. This will cause the small loop to tighten and the dog will not be able to release himself.
  
  Note: A dog that is crated should not be wearing a collar while alone in the crate.
  
  I am not endorsing any policy about leaving a collar on 24/7 or not. I am just reporting the pros and cons of the dog collars.
• 4Choke Collar
  
  This is the most commonly used metal ring collar for the jerk-and-praise method of dog training. In this method, the dog will be given a yank whenever he disobeys a command.
  
  The size of the collar is very important in choke dog collars. If the collar is too small the dog may be choked, if it is too large the dog may easily slip it offt. The size of the collar should be enough such that it could provide both the comfort and the security.
  
  Many trainers advise to never use these types of collars for training, as they view them as inhumane. The majority of dog owners do not know how to use choke collars correctly and can cause harm to their pets by jerking too hard and choking the dog.
  
  The choke collar comes in several varieties, one of which is the prong choke collar. The prong choke collar will poke through the fur to the skin of the dog and can be advantageous for dogs with really thick fur. The pronged choke collars look quite barbaric in appearance, however, if used for the training purposes they were designed for, can work very well.
  
  Anyone who is thinking about purchasing a dog choke collar, or a pronged choke collar, but hasn't had the proper training in using one correctly, might consider using a martingale dog collar instead.
• 5The Dog Harness
  
  Using a dog harness as a collar gives the dog owner greater control over their dog, especially for training purposes, as they prevent the dog from pulling. They are easy to put on and remove because of the way they have been constructed. Harnesses are used for all sorts of dog breeds in order to gain more control over their animals. Previously they were only designed for working dogs.
  
  There are a variety of designs for the harness dog collar. Choosing one would be determined by the type of use the owner has planned for the dog. A dog harness can be used for training purposes; assisting the disabled or the blind; hauling a sled or a cart; hauling humans in rescue situations; or for pulling humans in such cold weather activities as skijoring or pulka,
  
  Many handlers choose a padded harness with a wide chest plate, especially for large working dogs. This type of harness gives greater control for the handler and is more comfortable for the dog.
  
  Because the dog harness fits around the dogs chest it is important to take the chest measurements to ensure a proper fit.
  
  Dog Harness collars also work well for small breeds such as Pugs, Boston Terriers, Jack Russells and Bull Dogs, as these feisty smaller breeds have short necks and small heads that can easily slip out of a traditional dog collar. Traditional buckle dog collars for these breeds should only be used as a fashion accessory and to hold their ID tags.
• 6Dog Head Collars or Head Harness
  
  The head collars/halters are dog collars that are fitted to wrap around the muzzle and the neck of the dog. These types of dog collars are used for greater control over large, strong. aggressive dogs that tend to lunge or attack.
  
  Head collars are not a muzzle. The dog still has the ability to open his mouth to eat, bark, fetch or bite.
  
  These types of dog collars should not be used with a leash longer than 6-feet.
• 7Electronic Dog Collars
  
  This type of dog collar does exactly what it says. It uses electronic signals to eliminate the undesirable behaviors of the dog. For example, there are Anti-Bark Dog Collars that deliver a small shock or a vibration every time the dog barks.
  
  Some of the anti-bark dog collars use a small microphone to detect the barking, then are activated by the sound. The down side of this type of electronic dog collar is that they can be activated by other sounds that are close by, defeating the purpose of training the dog by is own bark.
  
  Others electronic collars use a patented technology to sense both the sound and the vibration of the dog's vocal cords to trigger the electrical impulse.
  
  Electronic dog collars are also used as invisible fences for dogs. Activators are inserted around the perimeter of the yard that will signal a shock whenever the dog tries to go beyond his allotted perimeter. The dog quickly learns where he can go and where he can't go. Once he has learned he cannot leave his space, usually the device can be removed.
  
  The downside to these electronic dog collars is that often large aggressive dogs don't care if they get shocked if there is something beyond their perimeter that they want to chase after.
• 8Anti-Barking Dog Collars
  
  As already mentioned in #7 - Electronic Dog Collars, most of your anti-barking dog collars use electronic devices to deliver shocks to the animal when he starts barking. There many other types of ant-barking devices on the market and I will list a few of them here.
  
  Citronella Anti-Bark Collars - The new citronella anti-barking collar is claimed to be a safe, humane and effective way to stop dogs from barking by delivering a mist of citronella spray on the dogs nose. The theory is that because the dogs dislike being sprayed in the face, they dislike the smell and taste of citronella, and the hissing sound of the mister startles them, it will train them to stop their incessant barking. The marketers that promote this product claim that it is twice as effective as using a shock collar.
  
  The manufacturers state that the citronella anti-barking collar will not work on small dogs with high pitch, yippy barks as the device will not pick up these high pitched sounds.
  
  I have not used this product, as I believe in training dogs properly so as not to need any product to stop barking. In this day and age many dogs get left at home for very long periods of time because of the owner's long working hours. Often dogs that haven't been trained correctly will engage in barking incessantly out of sheer boredom, or from separation anxiety. In these types of situations I do not believe that the citronella anti-barking collar will be effective until the anxiety problems have been addressed. I also do not think that this is the solution to very aggressive dogs. This is just my personal opinion.
  
  The Sonic High Frequency Anti-Barking Collar
  
  This type of anti-barking dog collar works by sending out a high-pitched sound on a frequency that only a dog can hear. The sound startles the dog whenever he barks. The dog learns to associate its bark with this high-piercing sound and learns not to bark. There are also models using a lower sound frequency that is audible but still startles the dog enough to distract him from barking.

5 Steps to Preventing Your Dogs Aggressive Pulling

1. Before leaving the house, make your dog sit and wait. Do not allow him to dash out the door ahead of you. It is important to establish right away that you are the pack leader and not the dog. Once you have walked out the door, the dog can then be called out behind you.
2. Every time your dog begins to pull aggressively, simply stop walking immediately. Put one foot forward, hold your leash arm out, and lean back. Do not look him in the eye or say anything. Just go through the motion as the leash does the work creating resistance and reversing the dogs forward motion.... and wait until the dog stops pulling.
3. Hold the dog in place sitting next to you until all resistance has ceased. Reward the dog with a treat for the correct behavior.
4. Again start walking with the dog walking behind you. Do not allow the dog to pull in front of you. If he starts speeding up to get ahead put your leg out in front of him and gently nudge him back behind. If he pulls ahead repeat from step 2 again.
5. Most dogs will get it after 3 or 4 times, but may "forget" the next time you head out the door. Remember to always make him sit at the door until you are outside and call him to you. If he runs out before you can stop him, take him back in, make him sit again, then go out the door and call him.
   
   Consistency is the key. As long as you keep repeating the behavior that is expected, your dog will "get it" and learn to follow your lead.