Dog Training



Tuesday, December 19, 2006

Factors to Consider in Choosing A Dog Training Collar

by Lee Dobbins

In training dogs, the most important tool you have to acquire is the dog training collar. This type of collar is the very fundamental tool used to train your dog some basic tricks as well as sport dog training, obedience training, and even expanded training without having to hire the services of a professional dog trainer.

Services like these can be quite expensive. Hence, trying to train your dogs using dog collars can save you lots of money.

Dog training collars are specially designed collars to put your dog under proper control. It guides them on what to do, such as the proper way to behave in public places when instructed to.

These collars facilitate obedience training and enable the dogs to learn the necessary obedience commands such as heel, stay, and sit.

Up until recently, there were not a lot of choices in collars for training. Now, thanks to revolutionary collar enhancements, dog owners can now choose from a wider array of dog training collars.

However, the abundance of these collars is not at all advantageous to some degree. With so many choices, dog owners find it difficult choosing the best collar for their pets.

It is a well-known fact that not all dog training collars are created equal. Each has its own varying intensity when it comes to efficiency, affordability, and functionality.

Hence, it is best to consider some factors affecting your collar choices. To help you out, here are some things that you need to reflect on before deciding on a particular collar for your dog.

1. Size

Of course, this aspect matters most. It is important that the collar will fit comfortably on your dog's neck. Do not make random guesses as to how long the collar should be.

Before going to the pet shop, try to measure your dog's neck by using tape measure or any string or tape that can be used as a guide. Then, try to make some allowances, say, 2 to 3 inches more. You can never be too sure about the actual length of the item; hence, it is best to make room for extras.

2. Budget

Each type of dog training collar may vary from the most affordable to the most expensive. Among the different types of collars, the electronic dog collar is the most expensive. Since it runs electric current throughout its mechanism, the actual value for this collar is quite expensive.

If you cannot afford to buy expensive ones, you can always resort to cheaper collars. However, the efficiency of developing positive results is lower than the best collars available in the market today.

Keep in mind that quality is always partnered with value. Hence, the better the quality, the higher the value.

3. Function

Some experts do not approve of using the electronic training collars. The infliction of pain tends to create inhumane act towards dogs. Hence, if you think you can still train your dog without having to hurt them, you can try the other types of collars.

Just keep in mind to choose dog training collars according to the function that you need. For instance, if you do not want to use inhumane devices such as shock collar but would still want to tame down a wild dog, you can use the pronged collar instead. It is ideal for dogs that are hard to control.

Indeed, buying dog training collars can be quite tedious. However, once you have considered these factors, buying the best collar is possible.


Lee Dobbins writes for http://dogcollars.topicgiant.com where you can learn more dog training collars.