Monday, November 1, 2010

Bring The Right Dog Collar To Your Puppy Training Classes

By Michael Ford

Once you've chosen puppy training classes to enroll in, the next step is to gather the equipment you'll need to help teach your dog new commands and good behavior. One of the most important pieces of equipment that you'll need is the right dog collar, which will both aid in the training process and keep everyone safe.

Below are some dog collars and their descriptions.

One of the most prevalent collars is the plain, flat collar that usually comes in nylon or leather. They are often colorful and are a convenient place to keep your dogs identification and vaccination tags. While these collars may look good, they don't work well in the course of training. When a lead is pulled, this type of collar will put pressure on the dog's windpipe and will cause discomfort.

Another type of restraint is a harness. The harness fits over the body of the dog and is a much better way to restrain your dog than a flat collar. When the lead is attached, the puppy can't move forward, and the best part is that there's no harm to the neck and throat.

Head collars are another kind of collar which also spares the throat. Many people think that they are muzzles, but on closer inspection, you can see that the puppy is still free to eat and drink. How it works is that instead of the lead applying force to the neck, the pressure is directed at the top of the muzzle. This is a much better way to control your dog than pulling him around by his neck.

The most harmful type of collar is the choker collar or choke chain. This collar fits around a dog's neck and when pulled will tighten around the dog's throat, effectively strangling him. Most dog trainers will let you know right away that these collars are inhumane and quite dangerous.

A similar type of collar is a pinch collar, which also fits around the neck. The blunt metal protrusions put pressure around the neck in order to stop powerful and willful dogs. These collars are just used temporarily until your dog is adequately trained.

As you can see, there are several different choices of collars. Your best bet for puppy training classes is to use a harness or a head collar as they are effective and not harmful to your dog.

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