Collars For Dogs

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Finding the right collar for your dog can depend on the size of your dog, his personality, any medical problems, and what you do and don’t want him to do. Some collars can cause problems that will harm your dog in the long run. Others were made to keep those problems from happening. There are three main types of collars: prong, choke collars, and harness. Larger more outgoing dogs who like to jump up on people and chase things that they shouldn’t should use a prong or choke collar until they learn not to. Quieter, less outgoing dogs should use a harness.

Prong collars have the same purpose as a choke collar, to keep your dog from taking off running to chase an animal or something else. The prong collar has sets of dull spikes on the inside of the collar, so if your dog takes off running after something when he’s on a leash, he’ll learn, hopefully, to not do that again the next time around. This shouldn’t be used on older dogs because it has a higher risk of harming them and causing problems.

Choke chain collars are for the same purpose as a prong, but can cause problems to dogs quicker. The choke collar will tighten more and more the more your dog pulls away from you when your dog is on a leash. This also takes a bit longer to train your dog because it doesn’t cause as much discomfort as a prong collar, but it doesn’t make it safer over time.

Harnesses are less likely to cause a problem to your dog, and are better to use if he already has a health problem. Harnesses take a bit longer to get on and don’t stop your dog from pulling away from you as much when he wants to chase something. It is best to use this collar after your dog learns to pull away.

There is one more collar which is used to teach a dog called a shock collar. There is alot of controversy over these and probably should not be used without consulting a veterinarian.

Finding the right collar will depend on how your dog acts and any medical problems. So when you’re trying to find the right collar, just think of the four things: size of your dog, his personality, any medical problems, and what you do and don’t want him to do.