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Dog Training Collars And Leads

from: Kyle Besser

Which dog collar to use for training is a controversial subject in the dog training world. There is quite a variety of dog collars to choose from. There are flat buckle dog collars, there are choke collars made from leather, nylon, or chain, and there are pinch collars.

Dog Training Collars

Many handlers start every dog on a flat buckle dog collar but find they need to move to a choke collar. Only dogs that do not pull to the point of choking and gagging and that also respond well when learning commands can be trained using only flat buckle dog collars. Less than 10 percent of dogs beginning obedience training can be trained using flat buckle dog collars. Once the dog is older and well trained, 2 to 3 years of age or older and well socialized with other dogs, walking on a flat buckle dog collar should be no problem.

It might seem that the most humane choke training collar to use is one of the light choke training collars. These light choke training collars look less threatening and appear to be the most comfortable, but things are not always as they seem. The thinner the light choke training collar, the more damage can be inflicted to a dog's throat and neck.

Dog choke training collars must be used properly to achieve the desired results. With a choke training collar, a dog has an instinctive reflex to react to the sensation of something tightening around his neck. The dog may misinterpret the correction through the choke training collar as a stranglehold and become rebellious or afraid.

Dog prong collars should be used for training dogs that strain on the leash to the point of choking and coughing. Prong collars may look like a kind of medieval torture device, but they are actually gentle when used properly and are actually far safer and gentler than the choke training collar.

The prong collar provides an even pressure around the dog's neck and allows the handler to apply the right amount of pressure so that over correction, snapping too hard or too often, does not occur.

Dog Training Leads

For proper training with leads, you will need three kinds of dog training leads. One dog training lead is 6 feet long to be used for training the dog in close. Many prefer light, high-quality leather dog training leads for their comfort and also because they won't get twisted.

You will need a variety of long training dog leads for when you work the dog at a distance. You may like to use a 50-foot nylon training dog lead because training dog leads won't rot when exposed to harsh elements.

The third training dog lead is a tab lead, which is a short length of rope or leather just long enough to dangle over the collar and be easy to grasp. The dog can run freely with tab training dog leads.