Training collars are tools used to effectively and humanely train your dog to be well behaved. As with any tool you must learn to use it correctly.

The choke collar used to be the most common training collar. It is based on the jerk and praise. If put on the dog wrong and if the dog is left unattended the dog could choke to death. It has lost its appeal because the training is based on punishment and not the more popular positive reinforcement.

The prong collar although to me it looks a bit intimidating is actually more humane than the choke collar. It is good for a big dog that loves to pull. The prongs, which are not sharp, apply pressure on the dog’s neck. I remember the first time I used one of these. It was on a very unruly Doberman. The best way I could describe it was to say you went from standard steering to power steering.

The Halti is a type of head collar. In principle it works by leading. As the inventor Dr.Mugford says “If you guide the head the body will surely follow”. A true halti has an on off muzzle closing effect. If the dog is relaxed the muzzle is loose allowing the dog to freely open its mouth. However if the dog lunges forward the muzzle will tighten and his jaw will close.

The Gentle leader is also a type of head collar. The main difference between it and the Halti is the Halti attaches to another collar that your dog is wearing while the Gentle Leader does not. Both are very effective on large dogs. They apply pressure on the back of the neck and not on the throat.

The Martingale can best be described as a limited choke collar. It consists of two loops. The larger loop goes loosely around the dogs’ neck. Your leash is attached to the ring of the smaller loop. When the dog starts to pull the larger loop tightens around his neck but not enough to choke the dog. When the dog is relaxed the martingale collar looks just like an ordinary everyday collar.

A new trend over the past few years has been the shock collar. The trainer has a remote and will give the dog an electric shock to correct unwanted behaviour. You can see the great potential of misuse this collar could have if in the wrong hands. I have never used one of these and would consider them a last resort. You may get a quick fix initially.

The other type of remote collar would be the bark collar. When the dog barks they will either get a spray of citronella or a high pitch sonic wave which will irritate your dog. You can also get ones that do give the dog a mild shock that will increase if the dog continues to bark. Again I have to reiterate the potential of misuse if a shock collar is used incorrectly.
There are really no quick fixes when it comes to training. Training takes time, consistence and patience. You can’t expect your dog to learn if you are not willing to put the time into it.

Remember also if you are going to show your dog in conformation these types of training collars are not allowed.

We have used choke collars and prong collars for many years. They were only worn during training sessions and on walks. However now we have switched to the Halti which did take some time to get used to but well worth it.

When choosing a training collar I personally would start with the most humane gentle collar. If you feel that it is not working, look at what YOU are doing before you try another training collar. Are you really putting in the time?  Are you being enthusiastic when you are training? Are you giving your dog mixed signals? I’m not saying it is always true but I think the majority of time it is you that needs to change not your dog.

Until next time

Maureen Brownell