Dog Collars
Choosing the Right Collar
There are lots of dog collars to choose from; how do you know which is best for your dog? For most dogs, a regular nylon or leather collar works just fine, provided that it fits him properly. Use a tape measure to measure your pet’s neck, then add two to three inches; this will be your correct collar length. Choose a collar and leash width with hardware that matches your pet’s size. Smaller, lightweight choices are for small dogs and puppies, and wider, more durable styles are for bigger, stronger pets. Make sure that every collar you own has a current nametag with address attached to it at all times.
Nylon or leather collar – A traditional dog collar is available in a multitude of styles, colors and widths. Whichever style you choose, the collar should ride high on your pet’s neck, not loosely so that it slides down toward the top of his shoulders. Any dog collar should fit snugly, with just enough room to fit two fingers between your dog’s neck and his collar. For his safety, the collar should not be loose enough to slip over the dog’s head. Take care that the collar is not so tight that it could restrict breathing or cause coughing – don’t forget, particularly with young animals, that your growing pet will need to graduate to a larger collar as he matures. Check your puppy’s collar size frequently as he grows.
Dog harness – A harness, which holds a pet securely without encircling his throat, is recommended for dogs with upper respiratory disease or problems with the throat or trachea. A regular collar would put pressure on this area as Fido pulls on his leash, causing irritation and coughing. The harness safely bypasses that situation altogether.
Halter-type dog collar – This collar resembles a horse’s halter, with one band around the head, and another around the nose. The leash attaches to the collar beneath the chin. When you pull on the leash, the dog can only walk beside you or behind you, which gives you a great deal of control when training Fido not to pull on the leash. The best known brand of halter-type collar is the Halti. Read here for more on training your dog to use a Halti.
Choke chain dog collar – The chain-slip or ‘choke collar,’ can be an effective training or retraining tool IF used correctly and on the appropriate type of dog. If you plan to use a choke collar on your dog, it is imperative that a trainer show you how to use it correctly; incorrect usage of this type of collar can be very harmful to the dog. This collar should only be worn during training sessions, and never when the dog is crated. Small or delicate dogs should never be subjected to this kind of training collar.
Make sure the trainer helps you choose the proper size choke chain for your dog, and teaches you how to put it on the dog correctly – if worn backward it may not release immediately as designed, which could cause your dog to choke or gag.
Pronged collar – Thepronged collar is made up of blunt prongs that protrude inward from the links in the chain. Designed for only the biggest, most muscular and most stubborn leash pullers, a pronged collar is a temporary training tool used to change a dog’s behavior when he doesn’t respond to any other type of collar. This collar doesn’t truly hurt the dog; try it yourself by wrapping it around your thigh and pulling on the chain. You’ll feel the pinch, but no real pain. Nevertheless, this type of collar should be used only as a temporary training device. A halter-type collar would actually give you more control over your dog, unless he’s so massive and stubborn that he requires the pinching in order to learn.
Dog Collar Information
- 5 June 2010 : How to Properly Fit an Innotek Bark Control Collar (No Comments) Add Comment
Important: Th e proper fit and placement of your Bark Control Collar is important for effective operation. To assure a proper fi t, please follow these steps: Make sure that the Bark Control Collar is turned off. Start with your dog standing comfortably. Place the Bark Control Collar high on your dog’s neck close to the ears. Center the Sensor Probe underneath your dog’s neck, touching the skin. Make sure the INNOTEK® logo in the front of the unit is upright. Note: It is sometimes necessary to trim the hair around the Sensor Probe to make sure that contact is consistent. Check the tightness of the Bark Control Collar by inserting one fi nger between the collar and the back of the dog’s neck. The fit should be snug but not constricting. Allow your dog to wear the collar for several minutes, then recheck the fit. Check the fit again as your dog becomes more comfortable with the Bark [Continue Reading...]
- 4 June 2010 : Using an Innotek Bark Control Collar (No Comments) Add Comment
Important: Do not leave your dog alone the first few times he wears the Bark Control Collar. Place the Bark Control Collar properly on your dog and wait nearby until he barks. Most dogs will understand very quickly that the Bark Control Collar is disrupting their urge to bark and will relax and stop barking. Because the burst of Lemon Spray from the Bark Control Collar may be surprising or startling at fi rst, some dogs may bark more at the initial correction. On rare occasions, a dog may get into a bark-spray-bark-spray cycle. If this happens, reassure your dog with calm, soothing tones. As your dog relaxes, he will understand that if he becomes quiet, he will not receive any more spray bursts. Th e small minority of dogs that have this reaction should only have it the fi rst time they wear the Bark Control Collar. You should notice a reduction [Continue Reading...]
- 12 February 2010 : The Right Dog Collar for Training (No Comments) Add Comment
Using the right dog collar for training can make all the difference in an easy success or daunting task. A dog collar can be a great investment if you have a problem dog. This is a tremendous help with stubborn animals, or dogs that just have bad habits. If you have grown tired of relying on the rolled up newspaper option to help break your dog of his bad habits, the dog collar for training may be for you. There are two main types of dog training collars available; the most common dog-training collar is the one that will give a small shock to your dog when he barks. This is extremely helpful for those dogs that have developed a barking problem. The second type of training collar is one that will again; provide a small shock to your dog if he goes outside the boundaries of your yard. These types of [Continue Reading...]
- 11 February 2010 : Issues With Dog Barking in an Apartment (No Comments) Add Comment
After spending months looking for an affordable place to live, I finally found an open apartment in the heart of Manhattan. The only downfall was that the building had a strict no dog policy. Since I was 15-years-old my dog Kolya has gone with me everywhere, and I wasn’t about to give him up now. Instead of passing on the residence, I decided to stealthily keep Kolya with hidden in the apartment. He has always been a bit overprotective, and has a propensity to bark at even the slightest noises. Last week I bought him a no bark collar, which has almost completely eliminated the problem. Hopefully he will be trained in a little while and I can stop subjecting him to the device.
- 10 February 2010 : Uses of Different Dog Collars (No Comments) Add Comment
A Dog Collar is useful accessory that should be put around your dog’s neck. It can be use to control dog or handle dog. It should have basic information such as identification of pet. This identification will be useful in case your dog got lost or wander off, anyone that will find your dog will know who the owner of dog is and the address. It is also useful for controlling your dog manually. Collars are often used with leash; these are useful when you are training or walking your dog. Dog collars are commonly used for leading and teaching dogs. Although, some use these collars to accessorize their dogs and make them look fashionable. There are several types of dog collars but not all of them are appropriate to use on your dog. The collar to use for your dog would still depend on the breed, behavior, size and age [Continue Reading...]
