Which Collar Do I Use?

One of the many mind blowing choices you have to make is which collar you should use on your dog. I am not going to recommend any collar here. I will leave the choice up to you and your trainer. I will however try to inform you as to the various types of collar and hopefully make it easier for you to make a choice. As the subject of collars is sometimes a controversial one I fully expect to get emails saying things like "How DARE you recommend this type of collar over another" and even worse so for one more time in case the people that send this type of email are in any confusion...I AM NOT recommending any particular collar, just trying to explain the difference between each one listed below. I HAVE made one or two comments about some of the collars and if any of my comments offend you...well that's life!!

Once you have read this page, I hope that you will be able to make a more informed choice, based partly on the information contained here and also by your decision as to what it is you want to do with your dog. Once you have chosen the type of collar you want to use then find a trainer that is experienced in that type of collar. Do NOT be dictated to as to what you can use and what you cannot. It's YOUR dog and as long as you intend to train your dog kindly, fairly and humanely with expert tuition, it's up to YOU not the trainer which type of collar you choose.

Please do bear in mind that the collar is NOT a fashion accessory. It is a tool and has a function. It's purpose is to allow you to have contact with your dog and thus be able to train and control it. It is a very handy place to hang your dog's identification on and thus comply with the law, but it's primary purpose IS as a tool.

The Flat Collar

These "traditional" collars come in many guises. They may be made of leather, nylon or quite a few other materials. Some are plain and reasonably cheap, others are quite fancy to look at and may also be very expensive. There is a huge marketplace offering you designer collars at silly prices. "Nice" collars are ok if your dog is trained but for training, don't splash out a fortune as looking nice and useful rarely come in one package.

As a training tool, the flat collar is more often than not completely ineffective. Dogs that pull cannot be corrected when using a flat collar, as there is no slack with which to "check" or correct the dog. If you choose to use one of these collars and you have a dog that pulls, be prepared to spend the rest of your dog walking days either running to keep up with your dog or having sore arms. Perhaps you are one of the few whose dog has never pulled you? Then this collar is all you need. You ARE in the minority though. Perhaps you have an older dog who has lost interest in pulling and prefers just to amble alongside you enjoying their walk with their owner. This collar would suit you too. Those of you with younger dogs or dogs that pull, keep reading.....

The Harness

There are many different brands of harness available. Many of which claim that using one will mark the end of your dog's pulling. I am not going to put up pictures of all the different kinds as I may well be asked by someone to remove the picture or give credit to their particular harness for looking so good, working so well or the like. Rather than go into a long explanation about what harnesses do and don't do...have a look at the two pictures below and ask yourself how well these harnesses stop pulling? They are the same basic design as the ones you can get for your dog from the pet shop. They go over the animals shoulders and on front of the chest.

We can all plainly see how harnesses are used to STOP animals pulling!!!

I think these pictures say it all.
 

The Head Collar

Like many other methods, the head collar was developed for dogs based on methods that have worked on other animals for years.

The theory behind them is that if you can steer or control the head, then the rest of the animal will follow. Head collars come in a variety of shapes and sizes and some are better at serving their purpose than others. You don't have to ask very many users why they use their own particular choice of head collar before you start hearing things like, "Well I tried a so and so collar and it rode up and caught my dogs eyes", or "I tried so and so and that one left a bald patch on my dog's nose". Another favourite is "He just learned that if he tightened up his neck muscles he could still pull me anywhere he wanted". Manufacturers will argue that if one of these head collars is not fitted correctly it can ride up or mark your dog's nose. These collars work by restraining the dog's head movement when it tries to pull. As soon as the dog has pulled to the end of the lead, the collar forces the dog's head to the side and dogs, like horses and cows will not usually pull forwards when they are being forced to look sideways. This makes head collars a management tool rather than a training tool. Try taking the head collar off and most of the time your dog will go straight back to pulling on the lead as it has not learned anything, other than when it is restrained by the head collar it must conform. Remove the collar and the dog does not have to conform anymore.

These devices are fairly effective as management tools in as far as they make it difficult for a dog to pull.  It should be noted, however, that they are not nearly as gentle or benign as their manufacturers like to claim and when attached to a retractable lead they can pose a serious risk of injury.  Imagine your dog hurtling to the end of your lead and then as it hits the end of the line it is halted very abruptly by having it's head ripped sideways. It is also worthy of note that almost without exception, dogs do not readily accept the device and many will actively fight it for a very long time. 

Makers of various head collars are very adept at playing the emotion card to make their product more desirable, while attempting to restrict or eliminate tools used primarily for training (as opposed to managing).  Suggesting that head collar leads in a gentle manner while the alternative only chokes or causes pain is typical of the sort of arguments being offered in attempts to have the consumer choose their product. If the tactic were reversed and these tools were labelled differently, would make a difference to the consumer?  Suppose the head collar was referred to as an “adjustable slip muzzle,”  “face restraint,” or " neck twister?”

The Half Check

The half-check collar is probably one of the most used collars by trainers and training schools at the moment. It is seen as being kinder than the full check (see next collar) but produces a very similar noise when the dog is "checked" or corrected. The theory behind the noise is, that the collar makes a noise when the handler corrects the dog with the lead so that the dog very quickly associates the noise with "correction coming anytime now". As the dog starts to get further away from the handler it hears the links closing "click click click" and realises that it is out of position so slows down or moves back to the handlers side to avoid being corrected. With most dogs, even an inexperienced handler can very quickly gain control over a dog. The benefit of the half check is that it is very difficult to do any damage to the dog whilst correcting it. The chain section has two metal rings which cannot pass one another meaning that the correction cannot choke the dog in the same way as an incorrectly used full check chain could. In most cases this type of collar is sufficient and kind enough for even the most politically correct animal lovers amongst us that have a need to gain control over their dog. They are available in many flavours in the same way as the previous collars. If you decide to use one, take care sizing the collar correctly for your dog's neck and stature. If in doubt seek advice from your trainer who will be only too happy to ensure that you train your dog with a correct sized and fitted collar to prevent harm.

The Full Check Chain

The full check chain, also  known by many people as a "slip chain" or "choke chain", is one of the oldest collars used for dog training. In today's world it is often frowned upon as being harsh and even cruel. Call it whatever you like, I am not going to enter into a battle of words.

This collar works by tightening on your dog's neck when you correct an unwanted behaviour, whether it be pulling, aggression, lagging or anything else. The collar is slipped over the dog's head and should be fitted in such a way that the ring around the chain loosens and is slack on the dog's neck when the lead is slack and tightens when the lead is tightened or the dog is corrected. If used incorrectly, this type of collar can do damage to the dog's neck, neck muscles and throat.

Slip leads are a variation on a theme as are "Martingales". They both work in exactly the same way as their chain alternatives but are made of different materials.

Many would argue that this type of collar is a very effective training tool and has worked for many years. They would add, "if it's worked for this long in my dog training why should I change now?"

Others would say that there are kinder ways to train a dog and point the owner towards one of the more politically correct methods such as head collars, half checks, flat collars, clicker training etc.

The Prong Collar

The prong or pinch collar is the collar that will get the hottest comments through my emails. "How DARE you show people how to use one"...I'm NOT going to!!

This type of collar is frowned upon very heavily in the UK, but used quite extensively in the USA, Canada and many other countries. It's use in the UK is more often than not kept very hush hush and a person would have difficulty purchasing one openly. My guess is that you can see why just by looking at the picture above and imagining what that collar could do to a dog.

This interlocking steel link collar looks like a medieval torture device. See those nasty looking prongs? They are blunt and not sharp. When properly used, the pinch collar is a highly effective training tool that is quite safe.  It has certain advantages and some disadvantages over the simple slip collar.  Generally it requires less corrective pressure and for some touch insensitive dogs it is more easily noticed. 

As this collar tightens it pinches the dog's neck in much the same way as it's mother would do when she is correcting it. The collar goes right round the dog's neck so even pressure is applied all the way around whereas with other collars, pressure is applied mainly to the opposite side to the connection between lead and collar when a correction is applied.

This collar is more difficult for some handlers to fit on their dog correctly and some owners find that getting it on and off the dog can be awkward.  It is also a little bit more cumbersome and the action not quite as ‘clean.’

Well, that's the more common types of collar explained. I hope you have found this enormously long page informative and that you now understand what the differences are between the various collars available. I know I am going to get at least one email saying "Which collar do you use?" so I will answer it now.......

I use the collar that I feel will be most the most effective for the dog I am training at that moment.