Training Dogs With a Collar

• While most people think of collars as either a decorative accessory for a dog's neck or a way to attach a leash, collars are much more than that. They serve an important function: collars are an absolute necessity when training a dog. Without a collar, you cannot train a dog to heel, which is an essential skill. Collars are also a useful tool when correcting a dog. There is a difference, however, between collars used for training and a general collar. Decorative collars are usually used to hold dog tags, and come in a wide variety of colors and designs. Training colors are used to walk dogs, and are made to attach to a leash, although some decorative collars are also made to attach to leashes. Many dog owners choose to put a decorative collar on their dogs at all times. The owner may slip a training collar on over the decorative collar when he is about to work with the dog or take him for a walk.
  
  

Choke Collars

• Choke collars are the most common type of training collar. Made up of a series of chain links, they remain loose against a dog's neck but tighten up when the dog pulls on the leash. In this way, the dog is corrected when he fights against the owner's commands. For example, if the owner is trying to get the dog to heel and the dog suddenly takes off running, the choke collar will tighten up, cutting off the dog's wind and bringing him up short. Some dogs might even cough and gasp if they are choked particularly hard, so it's important to use choke collars carefully.
  
  

Prong or Pinch Collars

• Prong or pinch collars are designed along the same lines as choke collars. Instead of choking the dog, however, they pinch or poke the dog's neck. They look like torture devices: a circle of chain links, with long, sharp protrusions on each link. However, they are actually more humane than choke collars, because dogs are less likely to become seriously injured from being poked than from being choked.
  
  

Electronic Collars

• Less common are electronic dog training collars, which deliver a slight shock to your dog's neck automatically when your dog exceeds the boundaries of your yard, or when you push a remote button. These types of collars are not very popular with professional dog trainers, however, as they tend to erode the self-confidence of a dog, and should only be used with difficult cases.