Dog Training Collars And Harnesses
Dog training is an art, and like any artist you must pick your tools carefully in order to properly train your dog. Each dog is different, and thus you must be able to decide which collar is most appropriate for your dog based on its temperament, personality, and strength. Below, you will find a description of all the major varieties of dog training collars that you might come across when deciding to purchase one for you pooch.
The metal choke collar is perhaps the most popular and widely used collar in the dog training world. It should be used in training larger, stronger dogs that tend to take YOU for a walk.
The metal toggle choke collar is basically the same as you regular choke collar with the major difference being that you can correct you dog easily by using the toggle while your dog is off-leash.
The pinch collar should be used RARELY and only in situations where the choke collar is ineffective in controlling your dog (i.e. in situations where your dog is very strong, where its highly aggressive, and when it repeatedly lunges at other dogs and people).
The fur saver choke collar is designed to control the dog without leaving chain marks around the dogs’ neck or getting fur caught in the chain which sometimes occurs when using an ordinary metal choke collar. It is mainly used when showing dogs and NOT in training them because the dogs don’t tend to respond to them in training and they don’t give the quick jerk needed for proper correction.
The nylon choke collar is best used in small dogs and puppies up to 3 months, because they tend to be more gentle and they tend to get young puppies used to wearing a collar.
The gentle head leader is best used on dogs that are more shy and easily corrected (i.e. dogs that respond quickly to your commands and dogs that tend to cringe upon your correction).
The electronic collar is mainly used for two reasons: first its used on field dogs (i.e. in bird hunting) and second it is used as a means of training the “out” command to a protection dog in its bite training phase.
The tracking harness is used for exactly what its name suggests: for tracking game, suspects, lost individuals, or competition articles.
And finally, the seeing eye dog harness is designed so that the dog’s owner can hang on to the lead while the dog guides her to her destination. Unlike other leads, this lead is designed so that the dog can pull its owner forward as it walks instead of gently walking beside her on loose lead.
How to Avoid Those Costly Dog Training Bills
Having grown up in a very small town in eastern Canada, I had always been around dogs and they have always captivated me. There has always been something about the way they interact with each other that attracted me to learn more about them.
It is interesting to know that all dogs from all over the world, whether it is from China or England, they all speak the same language. All dogs communicate using mostly their body language, voice and smells.
As dogs are more observant to details than humans, they can recognize the simplest things like a squinting of the eyes, looking in another direction or hair rising on the scruff (back) of the dog.
This brings us back to the studies of wolves and how their hierarchy affects how they interact with each other. But now that dogs are living in a completely new environment, say in a suburban area with little or no nature around them, we must begin to start taking into consideration their emotional needs.
Dogs that are having behavioral problems most often do not need to be trained or even hire a dog training expert. They usually just simply have too much energy store up into them and they cannot burn that energy locked up in a house or apartment. The best ways to exercise your dog are:
1. Play a retrieving game like fetch or Frisbee. Lots of running is involved and it will get your dog in an extremely great state of mind.
2. If you are familiar with dog training techniques, you and your partner can stand at opposite ends of a park and practice name recalls, or the come command.
3. Take your dog jogging, biking or rollerblading with you. Please take the necessary precautions for these sports, but if you live in the country where nobody can bother you and your dog, then go for it!
4. Walk your dog! It is sad to know that the majority of dogs do not even get a formal walk every day. Their owner simply does not take them outside, other than the backyard, so a walk would be tremendous to get your dog active.
Consider All Dog Training Options
It’s not so much the kind of obedience training you do with your dog, but actually doing any training. Most of the dogs in your neighborhood or the dogs owned by your family and friends are probably not trained well, if at all. Isn’t that alone a reason to train your dog better?
There are four basic options for training your dog: enrolling in a class, sending the dog away to be trained, training on your own or working individually with a trainer.
The first option is to take a class with your dog. A vet might recommend a professional trainer near you. I take my mutt to an obedience class with about ten other people and dogs. I think it is a lot of fun and so does he. These classes run many times a year and last for about seven weeks. In this setting, a trainer works with the group on things like sit, stay and walking on a lose leash. The setting is a good way for dogs to get used to listening to their humans when there are a lot of distractions. Most instructors offer four or five levels of obedience, starting with puppy preschool through preparation for the show ring.
For a second option, you can take your dog to a training facility either during the day (like day camp) or for a few weeks or months at a time. Someone else will then begin training your dog. I never recommend this option but someone who is often traveling or too busy or simply unwilling to learn to train a dog might see no other away. The reasons I think this is a terrible idea is because a dog learns to respect and respond to whoever trains them because the dog will accept that person as a leader. For this reason, I will always train my own dogs. Some people expect their dogs to come back from places like these totally trained, and that just isn’t possible. Training a dog takes years of commitment and never ends.
A third choice is training your dog on your own. The most difficult part of this is remaining focused enough to practice each day. If you have trained a dog in the past and have the experience, then doing the training yourself might be best. You will be able to work on training when you decide and use your own techniques. You won’t have to pay a trainer, either. With all the books out there on training dogs, you can find new ideas if you have problems.
The fourth option is to work individually with a dog trainer. This is good if you need work on certain issues or if you have never trained or owned a dog before. Most likely this will cost more, but it is worthwhile. If there is a group, a trainer will be speaking in more general terms and will not be able to focus specifically on you and your dog. If you meet individually with a trainer, you can ask all the questions you want and he or she can get to know your dog and make better suggestions.
Each person and dog is different, so you should use the best method for whatever dog you own. Each trainer will have different ideas. Some will not allow training collars, like choke or prong collars, while others require them. I am hesitant of a trainer who believes every dog should wear the same kind of collar. A powerful Doberman that is aggressive to other animals will not get by with the same collar as a miniature poodle wearing a nylon cat collar. The owner and trainer should use good judgment to decide what tools are best for each dog and to use those tools properly. Many trainers are now using clickers and positive reinforcement only. With a clicker, a dog hears a click the instant she does something right, eventually associating the click with the correct behavior. Other trainers simply use lots of treats and verbal praise and are just as successful.
Above all, you should pick the suitable training methods for your lifestyle and your dog while being open to new ideas.
