- You might think your dog is cool,
but is your dog popped collar cool?
(rock music)
Your move Rad.
(whipping noises)
(rock music)
Three collars, well played Rad.
Now I don't want you to actually use
three collars at the same time with your dog,
but if you're struggling with your training
it may be because you're using the wrong
piece of equipment.
Today I'm gonna give you three examples
of different training collars
so that you can choose the right one for your dog.
I'm Ken Steepe, and welcome back to McCann Dogs.
(guitar strums)
(dog barks)
Now there's no shortage of collar options out there
for your dog, and there's other pieces of equipment
like a harness, for example.
But I wanna talk specifically about collars
that you would use when training your dog
and help you make an informed decision,
what the most appropriate type of collar would be
for your dog.
So the first collar I wanna talk about
is the traditional flat buckle collar.
Now one of the big advantages of the flat buckle collar
is it's totally adjustable, and it can grow
with your dog.
Now in this version of our flat buckle collar,
it's got a single hole and metal hardware.
Now if you live somewhere that gets cold,
we've heard lots of stories from our students
with plastic hardware, and I know those plastic clips
are easy to click on and off,
but if you live in an environment that gets really cold,
those things are prone to breaking,
and the last thing you want with your dog in training
is a completely off leash scenario,
it can be dangerous and it's a scary situation.
So we really like these flat buckle collars.
Now the flat buckle collar's a little bit wider,
it's a totally static collar,
so once it's attached, it doesn't move at all,
and it can be adjusted to whatever the size
of your dog's neck is.
Now when you're fitting your flat buckle collar,
you wanna make sure that it sits up
relatively high on their neck, and then
that you can get two fingers in between
the collar and their neck, that way you'll know
it's fitted appropriately.
So often people have their collars really lose
on their dog, and it presents some challenges
when you're trying to teach them
to walk on a lose leash, for example,
'cause that collar's sliding up and down
and your dog really doesn't ever know
when that leash is tight.
We published a video not that long ago
about teaching your dog to walk on a loose leash,
and if that's something that you're working on
right now with your dog, then you're definitely
gonna wanna check that video out.
Now for those of you that need a little bit more control,
the snap around collar might be a good option.
You might hear some people refer to it as
a Volhardt collar, but that's like calling tissues Kleenex.
Now the snap around collar is a really nice option
because it sits up higher on the dog's neck.
I found this a really handy collar
when I was training one of my labs,
because it gave me more control.
Because she would lurch ahead or lunge out,
I could guide her away a lot more easily
with a lot less effort.
Because it's thinner nature and that it sits up
much higher on the dog's neck,
it gives you a lot more control
and that's ultimately what you want
when you're training your dog in these
real life situations where they could make some mistakes.
Now if these two neck collar options
don't give you the control that you need
to be giving your dog good information,
then it may be time to try something like a head collar.
Now the Gentle Leader is a head collar,
so the nose loop slips over your dog's snout,
the neck strap fits up nice and high
on their neck, but the thing that we like
about the Gentle Leader is once it's on,
your dog can do things like take treats,
they can eat, they can play tug,
they can fetch, do all of those normal things,
but you still have the control of the head collar.
Now it's important if you're considering
using a Gentle Leader that it's fitted correctly.
Not that long ago we posted a video
on our channel about fitting your Gentle Leader
and how to get your dog used to
the Gentle Leader at first.
And if you're thinking about using this,
then you're definitely gonna wanna check out that video.
A real benefit of this head collar
is that it's a pain free, non confrontational way
to give your dog information.
We recently took Bee-Line down to the city,
Bee-Line is our border collie puppy,
and the city would be a new experience for her,
it's a really busy environment with lots of people
and new sounds, and this was a great way
to allow her to be a little bit more settled
while we were taking her around in those locations.
Something I really like about the Gentle Leader
is that it's not a forever tool.
So once your dog stops pulling on leash
on your walks, and when they stop jumping up,
and listening a little better, you can transition it
into a flat buckle collar.
Now we posted a video about this on our channel,
I can link it above, specifically about
weaning off the Gentle Leader,
but this tool has proven very, very helpful
for lots of people who have those really rambunctious dogs.
Now as I mentioned earlier, there are lots
of different styles of collars out there,
but the three that I was talking about today
are specifically for training.
Now I'd love to know, is there one type of collar
that you found especially helpful
when you're training your dog?
Let me know in the comments below,
'cause I'd love to open up the discussion
and find out what you found really helpful
for your training.
And I hope this quick look into training collars
for dogs helps you decide what collar is right for your dog.
Now if this is your first time on the channel,
make sure you hit that subscribe button.
We publish new videos every single week
to help you to have a well behaved
four legged family member.
You see that video beside me?
That's actually our grade one training playlist,
and I think you're gonna find it helpful.
On that note, I'm Ken, happy training.
(upbeat music)