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5 Considerations When Choosing Training Dog Collars

Dog training collars are possibly the most important piece of equipment used to effectively obedience train and modify the behavior of your dog. They often go by other names, like a choke collar or choke chain. They are even referred to as a pinch collar or slip collar from time to time. When fitted round a dogs neck and attached to a leash or lead they can control the behavior of a dog with a simple tightening of pressure on the leash.

However a dog training collar and lead has to be used properly for it to be totally effective while at the same time being safe for your dog. This article will examine five things you should think about when getting a training collar. This will help you to understand how the collar works and how to use it effectively. Here goes.

1. Get the right fit of training collar " The collar must be of a size that is just right for your dog as one that is too tight will hurt the dog and be hard to get on. One that is too big will fall off and will not serve it purposes of training the dog. As a rule of thumb, the collar should fit snugly around the dogs neck with a bit of play in it.

Take a measure of the dogs neck. Then add about 5 cm or 2-3 inches to that length. This should ensure that the collar fits snugly but has a bit of movement in it. It should also fit over the dogs head easily.

2. Putting the collar on your dog correctly " There will be detailed instructions with the collar that you purchase about placing it on your dog. Read these carefully as they will indicate what is too to tight for your dog and how you should go about putting the collar on. This could help to prevent hurting your dog if you were to fit the collar incorrectly.

3. Using the collar and leash properly " Above all don't use the collar to inflict pain or to punish your animal whenever the whim takes you. The collar and leash are a way to inform the dog that it is behaving in a way that is unacceptable. Only by being consistent will you be effective in communicating this to your dog. Never exert pressure on the leash for a long period as you will inevitably hurt the dog and confuse it.

4. Consider the weight and link size of the collar. Above all the dimensions of the collar should be proportional to the size of the dog. A Great Dane will need a heavier collar with bigger links than a border Collie for instance. The packaging or documentation of many collars will list the types of dogs that are ideal for the particular training collar.

5. Make sure of the positioning of the collar and lead on the dogs neck. For instance, the lead should be fixed to the collar at the top of the dogs neck. This will transfer any pressure you exert on the lead to the dog efficiently and make it understand quicker. It will also ease the pressure quickly once you ease off assuming that the dog has stopped behaving badly.

Finally, think about the durability of the materials that are used to make the training collar and leash. They will be used a lot and will be subject to wear and tear so you want something that will last the distance. You don't want the leash to snap or the collar to break in the middle of your dog obedience training program.

Article Source: http://www.articleadventure.com

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