Obedience

Made from many exotic materials including hemp webbing and metal but generally either leather or nylon webbing. Most have buckle fasteners. A recent innovation is the forked, push-together type fastener (red nylon collar, fig 1). This type of fastener on a flat nylon collar that has the ring inserted flat in the webbing is ideal, for instance, for a gun dog working heavy cover, as there is absolutely nothing to get caught up in the underbrush. A flat collar is not suitable for training any dog other than a very young puppy, because it is impossible to provide any effective stimulus using this type of collar. Nor should they be used to take the dog for a walk as they only encourage the dog to pull on the leash. They are good for carrying the dog's ID tags and for those times when the dog must be tethered for a while, nothing else.

Flat collars - Fitted (Fig 2)

When properly fitted you should be able to easily insert a couple of fingers under the collar. It should not be so snug as to be uncomfortable, nor so loose as to fall or be pulled off, or get snagged up on something.

Slip Collars (fig 3) chain... flat nylon ... round nylon...

Perhaps the most commonly used collar for obedience training, but certainly not the best for all situations or all dogs. These collars work best when worn high up on the dogs neck in the cervical groove, just below the ears. This is because there are more sensor nerves close to the surface in that area. Closer to the dogs shoulders, there are fewer nerves, requiring much more force to get effective stimulation.

Doberman Pinschers, for example have an erect neck like a stovepipe and the collar is always down around the shoulders. Years ago I actually broke a perfectly good chain slip-collar on a Dobe without so much as taking him out of the 'sit'. The flies bothered him more. If you have to jerk hard to get an effective stimulus, don't use this type of collar. You will do damage to the muscles of the neck. Especially, don't use much force if you have the collar up high on the neck or you risk damaging the dog's esophagus.

The most common mistake in using these collars is failure to keep the collar slack at all times. Never use this collar to hold the dog back.

The rule of thumb for these collars is, "the flatter, and wider, or softer, the more force is required to get effective stimulus". The finer the chain, the more it bites into the neck.

Slip Collars - Fitted (Fig 4)

A slip collar of the proper length will just easily slip on and off over the dogs head. When pulled snug, there should be only a couple of inches of collar pulled through the standing ring.

Some dogs with large heads and scrawny necks defy this principle., and you may need to use a slip that has a snap incorporated in the design.

Halti (Fig 5)

The famous (or infamous?) halti. A close relative to the Gentle Leader and other head halter types. I like to keep an open mind and I have on one or two occasions recommended these to a novice handler "as a temporary measure only". They can be useful during initial stages of working a dog that is aggressive toward other animals, for example. They are at best a band-aid solution and not a substitute for training. Several owners have actually left their halti with me after I demonstrated appropriate methods of controlling their dogs.

The collar works by turning the dog's head. Keep in mind, if your dog charges to the end of a twenty-foot check-line, or even to the end of a six-foot leash, and is suddenly jerked end for end, there's a very good chance of serious and permanent damage to the cervical vertebrae.

Halti - Fitted (fig 6)

When fitted, the halti should have the rear strap high up on the dog's neck and the nose band should be large enough to allow the dog to open his mouth to eat, drink, etc. When the leash is pulled snug the nose strap should effectively hold the jaws closed.

Pinch Collars (Fig 7)

Also known as a prong collar ( I have a personal dislike for that term as a result of witnessing the abuse of some dogs with the original old style prong collars which were much different from the pinch collar pictured here.)

The pinch is a martingale type of collar. Collars designed like this, sometimes called limited-slip or martingale, are available in flat and round nylon. They are not the equivalent of the pinch, and are not well suited for training.

The pinch collar, used correctly, is much more humane than it looks. It will not damage the muscles of the neck, and since it delivers more stimulus with less force, it is more effective, especially for smaller or weaker handlers with large, boisterous dogs. The operative phrase, here, is "used correctly".

To use the collar as a martingale with no 'pinch' effect at all, merely turn it inside-out.

Pinch Collar - Fitted (Fig 8)

The most important thing about fitting a pinch collar, is to ensure that when the collar is snug, the end links of the actual prong span do not come together enough to contact the center ring of the martingale. Reversing the direction of the collar can increase or decrease it's effect, based on which direction the collar tends to rotate when the leash is tightened. One way tends to stand the prongs up. The other way tends to lay them down.

Breakaway Collars: (Fig 9)
These collars have a specially designed clasp that will not support the weight of the dog, releasing to prevent accidental strangulation. These collars are great to carry the dog's ID tags when running loose in the yard or field. They are not suitable for training or for regular walking of the dog. However, a leash can be attached to control the dog in an emergency, by snapping the leash through both rings. Basically, another flat collar but with a great safety feature built in. If you're interested, when you're finished here, you can click the image and be whisked away to gentleleader.com for more details .