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Dog Collars: Leather Collars & Chain Collars
Leather Collar: If using a collar, It is advisable to use a round leather collar on puppies. Nylon collars tend to slip off their necks and can tear at their hair. If you are going to use a nylon collar then make sure it's at least an inch wide so it won't grab at her hair, especially if you have a long-haired puppy.
Make sure the collar is tight enough so your puppy can't slip out of it. The collar is a proper fit if you can slip one to two fingers between the collar and his neck. Some owners use a cat's collar on their young pups. Some cat collars have a tiny bell and this comes in handy when you need to track her location quickly.
Training Collar (chain collar): Owners need to learn how to use a leash properly before placing a training collar on their puppy. Not knowing proper leash mechanics with a training collar can hurt your puppy. Remember, his bones are still soft and not fully formed, so you want to be careful about putting too much stress on his neck. The best time to work with a training or chain collar is when you take your puppy to puppy kindergarten classes.
A training collar should be shaped as a letter "P" when placed on the dog's neck, and it should be relaxed. A proper fit is when only four links come through the ring when your dog pulls. If more than four links come through the ring when he pulls, the collar is too big and it can easily slip off. If less than four links come through the ring when she pulls, the collar is too tight. A training collar that is too tight makes her feel uncomfortable and does not release properly, and therefore defeats its purpose.
A training collar has been nicknamed the choke collar because many owners used the training collar as a choking device. But it is not a torture tool for training your dog. You work a training collar by listening to the sound of the links. When four or more links zip through the ring and become a tight fit around your dog's neck, then you know your puppy is pulling too far away from you. You need to release this hold by stepping towards the dog. This will relax the collar. Then maneuver the leash in the direction the dog should move.
A training collar should only be used during training sessions. Avoid accidents by taking the collar off when placing your pup in the crate or in the house when you can't keep a close eye on him.
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