Choosing the "Right" Collar and Leash for your Dog or Puppy

Choosing the "right" Collar and Leash for your Dog or Puppy.

Sounds pretty easy - just go out and buy a collar and leash…. BUT -- have you seen what is at the pet stores and the online pet supply websites?! There are lots and lots of different collars and leashes!

Collars, Collars,...and More Collars

Collars come in all kinds of materials; leather, braided leather, nylon, canvas, cotton and metal. Then we have buckles - metal, plastic, snap-type. And….. don't forgot the different kinds of collars; choke collar, pinch, electronic, and the original flat buckle type.

And -- you can get fancy collars with studded rhinestones - flashing lights - neon strips that glow in the dark…. You can also have your dog's name personalized on the collar.

There are also halters - which wrap around the body of your dog. A newer type of collar is called a halti - (also known as gentle leader) when some people see it they think it is a muzzle. It is not a muzzle nor does it act like one. It fits over the dog's face and fastens above the neck. The dog has full use of their mouth.

Many trainers highly recommend this for large dogs that pull. The theory behind it is - no animal likes to walk with his head turned to the right or left. As the dog pulls forward the halti gently turns the dogs head.  Many people with dogs that pull have had great success with this type of collar.

The basics are; the collar needs to be comfortable for the dog - fit him/her correctly and be strong enough for the dog's size. So…. it really isn't a good idea to buy a skinny 1/4" flimsy nylon collar for a big boned German Shepherd!

Measuring for a collar also depends on the type of collar you are going to use - some manufactures say to measure around your dog's neck and add 2 inches - other's say to measure around the neck and 2 of your fingers.

Next - the Leash....

Leashes come in all the same materials as collars and usually you can buy a leash that matches the collar. Leashes also come in variable lengths and there is a retractable leash which can let out as much as 25feet.

These retractable leashes have become very popular because you can give your dog many feet of freedom and then easily retract it back when you need the dog closer to you. Retractable leashes are rated by weight - so you should know how much your dog weighs before you buy one.

6 foot leashes are sometime refered to as leads a training leash that is because they are the most popular choice of dog trainers. I personally used a nylon choke collar and 6 ft nylon leash for my dog when I was training him to walk on a leash. *Please note: I only used the training collar when I was working with him - I never left in on him when he was off by himself. The reason is because a choke collar could get caught up somewhere and it could choke your dog! So after we were done with our walk or our training session I took that collar off and put a nylon snap catch collar on him.

After he started to walk nice on the leash I was able to keep him on the nylon adjustable snap collar. I also have a retractable leash for when I take him to a park just in case I am not able to let him run free. The retractable gives him some freedom.

Puppies: You have all the same options for puppies - just remember that your puppy is growing and will be growing out of that collar very quickly! Always check the collar to make sure it is not too small for your puppy!

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