Many of us that have started off in this sport of showing dogs, has had the privilege of purchasing our show or companion puppy from a good breeder. They have helped us get started in the right direction. Then again, maybe it was a good friend that was already involved in the sport of showing dogs that got us involved in the sport. Whatever the case may be these people gave us information on how to feed our puppies and care for them. They also gave us advice on the tools that we would need to purchase to train our dogs for basic obedience training, and for showing the dog in the conformation ring if we so desired. Then there is the novice person that was not as fortunate as most of us were when we started out in this sport. They come to the show ring with an untrained dog that pulls and lunges at everything they see outside the ring and then when it gets into the ring it is still acting the same way. This dog is hard to handle and the novice handler is not in control of their dog subsequently making this a very unpleasant first impression of showing their dog, and I might add, not very much fun for the owner. The correct tools are needed for the training of basic obedience and the show ring as well. This quite simply means we need to find the proper collar and lead to train our dogs for obedience and to show our dogs in formation. NOT ALL collars and leads are interchangeable for training of obedience and for the show ring. There are many different collars and leads that come in various shapes and sizes for the type of training that you will be doing. The same is true about the show collars and leads that you will be using to train and show your dogs. When the training begins with basic obiedece there are several types of collars and leads that can be used. The choke chain or choke collar has been around for many years and is a very popular training tool with professional trainers, the military, and with the police. Some people think this is a cruel training tool, because of the name. We must remember this is a tool and if it is not used correctly just like any other tool that is misused in the wrong hands it could be dangerous. When using the choke collar slip the chain thou the ring making a "P" shape then slip the collar over the dogs head. This will insure that the collar is on correctly. When you give the dog a correction you want to make it a quick pop so the choke chain release quickly. If this is the tool that you choose make sure to get a chain that slides easily. Also make sure that the chain is not big so that the dog can slip out or to small that it keeps choking the dog. The choke chain comes in various thicknesses so pick an appropriate size with strong welded rings. The pinch or prong collar is said to be used to control a headstrong dog or an uncontrollable dog. This collar is like the Arnold Swartzennegger of the martingales. This collar works by applying pressure around the whole neck of the dog which the prongs give the pressure. I have never had to use this collar. However this is a popular training collar also, but seems that trainers are trying other types of collars for uncontrollable dogs. If you choose this collar get proper instructions on how to use it. Halti head collar is said by many to be a humane and effective way to control dogs in training. It uses the principle of guiding from the head like a horse. If the dog tries to pull or bite the Halti closes its mouth and diverts its head. The Gentle Leader head collar is the 10-minute attitude adjuster. It’s a fast gentle effective way to control unwanted behavior without harsh methods or devices. This headcollar has been scientifically designed to work with your dog’s natural instincts. This collar has two nylon straps. The collar portion fits high at the top of the neck and the nooseloop fits comfortably across the base of the muzzle. The nooseloop encircles the dogs muzzle in the same manner as a pack leader grasps a subordinate’s muzzle giving a gentle but firm grasp on the muzzle. The neck strap applies pressure to the back of the neck instead of the front of the throat. This collar is not a muzzle. It can eat, drink, pant, fetch and bark with this head collar. I have used this collar and was instructed on how to use it by professional obedience trainer Claire McClure. If you would like more information on this collar their web address is www.gentleleader.com. Regular collars with the buckles or quick snap release I would not recommend for training or for showing of your dogs. They are fine to wear around the house and the yard. They come in all sorts of colors in the webbing, fashion color nylons and in leather. In the leather you can get the flat style or the rounded look. Also in the leather if you want to make a statement you can get the studded or spiked collar. The leads that are used in basic obedience are aproximently six feet in length. They can be made of leather, nylon web, or a cotton web with a strong swivel bolt fastener. |
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