By far the most common collar is the flat or tag collar that has a plastic clip or a buckle for closure. It comes in a wide variety of colors and materials and is widely available and the collar type you can find in any pet store.

These collars are the most convenient to slip on and off and are handy because they can hold your dog’s identification and other tags (depending on your country’s requirements). While this type of collar retains its size, the collar can become a real hazard.

The plastic clips and buckles used on these collars can break or open when used on a dog that pulls on its leash. When this happens the dog can run into traffic or other dangerous situations and can get hurt badly or hurt someone else if reactive. If the dog’s recall is not solid you will also be spending some time catching your dog. Also, the pressure a dog puts on the collar while pulling can hurt the trachea and in the worst-case collapse it as the whole weight is focused on the throat area.

Dogs playing rough and in a mouthy manner can get their mouth caught in the collar of another dog, causing panic in one or both dogs. As they struggle to get loose, the collar can tighten and dogs have suffocated as a result of this type of play. Dogs who are the object of this type of rough play should avoid wearing collars or any gear at all to avoid any accidents.

While some owners choose to leave any gear off their dog unless they are taking their dog on a walk it is safe to say that a dog should have visible identification at all times. You never know what will happen and it is better to be safe than sorry.

Another major downside to this type of collar is that pressure generated when dogs pull while wearing these collars raises also the pressure in the eye. As a result, it may worsen the clinical signs or disease progression in dogs with glaucoma, thin corneas, and other eye conditions where the pressure in the eye is an issue.

We recommend Flat Collars be used for Identification only and only for dogs that are fully leash trained and do not pull at all.

Martingale Dog Collars are used both as a Safety Collars & Training Collar

Martingale dog collars were originally created for use with dog breeds whose head is smaller than their neck and they are able to back or slip out of a regular collar (when on leash) very easily, putting the dog’s safety at risk. More and more, dog owners, today choose this collar for leash walking for the very same reason. That is why martingale collars are referred to as “safety collars.”

Martingale collars are also the preferred collar for leash-training dogs. Owners with dogs that are unruly on the leash also prefer a martingale as it gives them a bit more control, especially with dogs that like to pull and take their owners on the walk (rather than the reverse).

Martingale Collar (also known as a limited-slip collar, no-slip collar)

This is the most popular form of martingale dog collar in use today. As noted above, a martingale dog collar is very effective in preventing a dog from backing out of its collar (a characteristic of fearful dogs, or dogs that pull back) when leashed. The action of the martingale is like a choke collar, in that it tightens evenly around the dog’s neck when pulled, but the choke action is “limited” by a fixed loop.

This “limited” choke action prevents the collar from continuing to constrict around the neck, thus preventing damage to a dog’s esophagus. It tightens up to a certain point, and then can not tighten any further. Martingale dog collars are usually made of nylon or other strong fabric, so it does not cut into the neck as a choke chain or slip collar does. This is why the martingale is often referred to as a ‘humane” choke collar.

Martingale collars also aid in controlling dogs when on leash. If you’ve got a dog that’s a bit unruly or constantly pulls, a “tug” on the leash for correction can help break their focus and bring their attention back to you. Many trainers prefer this collar when helping owners with behavioral problems. However, for dogs with more intense training needs, the half-check collar may be a better choice.

Check Dog Collar

A half check is a variation or combination of a metal choke and martingale collar. Half of the collar is made of chain and the rest of the fabric. This makes them a bit more durable with regard to wear around the “loop” of a fabric martingale. These collars are a favorite of many dog trainers because the choke action is accompanied by the sound of the chain, which often aids in getting the dog’s attention when given in conjunction with a voice command. Like the fabric martingale, the constriction of the choke action is limited,  giving trainers a humane and effective training tool.

Of the three collar types, the martingale collar is probably to most popular and broadly used.

Head halters are for those owners who want to speed up training and need help keeping their dog’s attention. Once their dogs are trained well enough, they should switch to a different collar or to a harness. When I train I specifically choose ‘Figure 8’ head halters that help you guide the dog’s attention towards you rather than those that just keep the dog from extending his head forward. Why would a head halter help? As with horses, the body tends to go where the head is pointing. Plus dogs can best pay attention to their owners if they are actually focusing on their owners, which they can do best if they are looking at their owners. For instance, if a dog sees another dog and wants to pull and lunge, the owner can redirect the dog’s attention back to herself and then engage the dog in more appropriate and equally fun behaviors that they have practiced such as running after them and get a treat or play with a toy.

The downside of the head halter is that you often need to train dogs to enjoy wearing them and, while some dogs automatically walk nicely with the head halter, other dogs and their owners require some training. Most owners who start their dogs correctly on one of these head halters find that the relatively small time investment in getting the dogs used to the collar is well worth it. For some dogs, that time is only a few seconds to a minute of pairing the head collar with food. For other dogs, I recommend a little practice every day for a week so that the owners are sure the dog loves shoving his nose into the halter on his own.

Once the dog loves putting his nose into the head halter and the owner puts it on, the owner may need to engage the dog in fun behaviors to distract him from the funny object on his face until the dog gets used to it.

The next step in training dogs with a head collar is to train them that when they reach the end of the leash they are going nowhere. There are different methods for this and I advise you to get professional advice on the best approach for your dog. It’s important that the dog learn that a tight leash and the associated pressure created means it should stop. If the dog is not taught this and tends to act impulsively, it may dart out after a cat or other object and hit the end of the leash with some speed. This type of accident could potentially cause neck pain or injury. Even in an emergency situation, if the owner is paying attention, they can prevent neck wrenching if they gradually tighten the leash rather than letting the dog dart forward on a loose leash so that she suddenly hits the end.

While I recommend head halters for some dogs (very few instances far apart) they are not a long-term tool to be used. They are a tool to teach loose lead walking and are meant for temporary usage. They require knowledge of the correct usage and active engagement with the dog while wearing and using it. In addition, I do not recommend the Head Halter you can purchase in any pet store as these are more prone to inflict damage due to whiplash when not used correctly.

While I was always using balanced training methods, with the use of aversive tools, I had never used a prong collar up until about 6 years ago after exhausting other available methods and tools. When training with my first very challenging dog back then I was introduced to the prong collar by another dog trainer and I will be forever grateful he took the time to explain and show me the prong collar as a tool and to widen my horizon to this tool.

When used correctly, the prong collar is a fantastic tool that helps bridge the communication between a dog and its handler which sometimes is just not possible with other methods. The prong collar comes with a lot of pushback from animal rights groups due to the way it looks and the misinformation spread about the tool and I am always happy to be able to share my experience and knowledge with people who are willing to listen and learn about how the prong collar works and how it can help modify a dog’s behavior in a humane and effective manner. They can be great for behavior modification in reactive dogs to help redirect them from their triggers. Petite people with very large or strong dogs also find them incredibly helpful.

The prong collar has a series of pronged metal links whose open ends lay flat on the dog’s neck. Its appearance has led to the common misconception that it is a torture device, however, when used correctly, it is an extremely effective training tool for teaching a dog to understand what is being asked of them. 

Prong collars can also be called “pinch” collars, not because it pinche the dog’s neck, but because you have to pinch the prongs together to open the collar to put it on your dog. This name likely also leads to its bad reputation and unfortunately, a lot of people do not take the time to properly learn about the Pros and Cons.

When used correctly, the prong collar is a great tool for protecting a dog’s trachea because it applies an equal amount of pressure around the dog’s neck, compared to a flat collar.

Before you buy a prong collar and put it on your dog you need to fully understand how this tool works, learn the proper techniques, and of course, find the correct sizing for your dog. Please work with a professional dog trainer, who has experience with prong collars, to ensure success and positive engagement with your dog.