Author: Steve Wagstaffe
Training a dog can be a rewarding experience, especially if the
dog that you are training is your own. Having training aids can be a
great help, if you know what you are doing. Items such as training
collars have proven to be effective, if used in the right hands. If you
are unsure and have no expertise in dog training, then training collars
have the capacity to seriously injure your dog. This article is going
to attempt to explain about the different types of training collars on
offer and which ones you should be considering using. It is also
advisable to get expert help as well.
The prong collar looks like a medieval torture device, but is actually
one of the gentler training collars being investigated here. When the
leash is pulled, the prongs start to pinch the back of the dog's neck.
The thinking behind this is to replicate the memory of the dog's
mother's teeth nipping the scruff of the puppy's neck. The collar is
quite safe to use, the only real problem occurring if the fit is poor.
If your dog is one that pulls strongly at the leash though, the prong
collar might not be suitable.
Prong collars can be quite easily adjusted by adding or removing some
prongs until you get the fit right. A rough guide to fitting is if you
can fit a finger between the collar and the neck of the dog. Any looser
than that and the collar will not be effective.
The Halti and Gentle Leader dog training collars look like horse
harnesses. The method of control is certainly different to the prong
collar in that the design is meant to control general movement and stop
distraction. The plan is that if you can control the head, the body
will follow it. The device works by closing the dog's mouth when the
leash is pulled. This type of training collar is particularly suitable
for animals that bite or lunge towards people or other dogs. In other
words, the Halti or Gentle Leader is good for aggressive or unruly dogs.
The downside of the head control collars such as the Halti is that most
dogs do not like having any sort of restriction placed over their nose.
You might have to work quite hard to fit the collar in the first place.
You also need to be careful not to injure the dog. You need to ensure
that you use the device correctly.
Choke collars can be very effective in controlling a dog. Sadly, in the
wrong hands, choke collars can be exceedingly cruel and can hurt dogs.
Control lies within the trainer themselves. If you genuinely think that
a choke collar will do what you want, but you are not sure how to use
one properly, seek expert guidance.
It is essential that a choke collar is fitted correctly, because they
have the potential to harm the dog. The choke collar works by
tightening around the dog's throat when the trainer pulls on the leash.
The tightness should be released when the trainer releases the leash,
but in the case of a badly fitted collar, this might not happen, and
the dog will continue to be choked. If a dog continually pulls on its
leash, then a choke collar would not be an appropriate training device.
They should also only be used by experienced handlers.
Electronic dog collars are relatively new dog training devices. If they
are used correctly, they can be a very humane way to train a dog. Used
incorrectly, then the dogs could suffer as a consequence.
Electronic dog collars work by passing small electric charges to the
dog via a remote control, which is handled by the trainer. The amount
of shock that is passed to the dog is completely under the control of
the trainer. The rule of thumb is that the shock should be sufficient
to make the dog's ears twitch and no more. The amount will vary upon
the size of the dog of course. Should the dog cry out when the shock is
applied, then the shock is likely to be too strong.
About the Author:
Tags:
|
Print this page
