Contributed by Mila Blogavich:

Dog collars due to popular belief are not only used for aesthetic purposes, but have a very important and overlooked functionality–that of being able to identify your dog. In a culture where dogs have become a special and important part of the family having a dog collar let’s others know that your dog belongs to you, and if lost, can be returned to a loving home.

Functionality of a dog collar

Dog collars can be made out of different materials these days, before people used ropes or chains, today leather, synthetic materials and cloth are used. But the most important part of that accessory is the little tag that hangs at the front of the neck. This tag will most likely have pertinent information about the family of the dog, like the address, the dogs name, and a possibly a contact number. If your dog has a tag and can be identified from it, then your dog collar is serving its primary purpose. You can also connect a dog leash to the collar and keep your dog from running wild, getting hurt, or from possibly hurting another dog or a human. Dog collars are very important for these last reasons.

Choosing the right dog collar

Choosing the right dog collar is central to keeping a happy and safe dog. If the collar is too loose your dog may get out of the collar and run away or get lost, and there will be no way for people to identify your pet—a main reason why dogs get lost and cannot be returned to their rightful owners. If a collar is too tight your pet may not be able to breathe comfortably. The main key is to keep your dog happy by finding the right fit. The way to do this is to measure under the dog collar about two fingers, no more. Measuring the amount of space between the dog collar and your dogs neck will give you a good idea that the collar is the right fit. Once you have found the right fit, finding the right style of collar whether it’s a training dog collar or a basic one will be a matter of what your dog needs.

Dog collars are needed for each pet and in many cases if a dog does not have a collar they can be picked up and taken to the pound. Having this essential accessory allows you to have control of your pet with a leash or identify the pet once you let it run around. If you have a good collar that fits well you will keep your dog out of harms way and ultimately have a healthy pet.

Mila Blogavich is the Webmaster of DogCollarsCenter.com

Before your dog can become the top companion both of you desire you need to undertake some basic obedience training. In most cases this requires the use of dog collars and leashes. Leash training is especially important to control younger dogs. Most dog trainers recommend a leash for training dogs of all ages.

Dog leashes and collars help you train your dog to stay close and together they act as a safety device to keep your dog from running into traffic. They will also stop him from chasing other animals or lunging at people. Dog collars and leashes help minimize your liability and are mandated by law in some areas.

You should keep two things in mind when selecting your dog leash. First is the size of your dog. Your puppy may be small now but it will grow larger as an adult dog so you need to size your lead accordingly. This may require that you buy several different leads to accommodate both the puppy and the adult dog.

Also keep in mind the kind of area where you plan to exercise and train your dog. If there is not much traffic, such as in the suburbs, a longer lead may be okay. A shorter leash is really needed when you are in a more congested area. A long leash may let your dog get so far away that you are no longer controlling and he is not safe. A lead on a reel does a fair job of accommodating both types of areas.

Leashes by themselves are not much good unless they connect with a proper type of collar for your dog. There is a large variety of dog collars to choose from. The main types are prong collars, electronic shock or scent collars, choke collars, front leading collars such as the Gentle Leader, harnesses and plain leather or fabric collars.

Shock collars, which used to be used quite often, are being phased out by the newer, more humane methods of discouraging unwanted behavior in your pet. Some of the newer vapor, scent, and forward leading leashes are more humane and can do the job quite well.

Buying a collar or leash for your dog should not be done without thought. The breed of your dog, its size and your training goals must all be considered when choosing the most appropriate dog collars and leashes. A different style, as well as size, may be required in training to change bad behavior of a large breed than one used for small breed obedience training.

The muscular necks of most large breeds protect them fairly well from injury from prong collars and choke collars. Greyhounds on the other handBut greyhounds are easily injured by such collars. And they should never be used on small and toy breeds.

Obedience training for your dog opens a whole new way to learning and understanding your pet. Through training your dog will learn to respond in a positive way to your commands and remain calm and under control. Bad behavior will be a thing of the past.

You train your dog with a treat reward based system or with dog collars and leashes. But the most effective is by combining the two.

The leash training is the more traditional dog obedience training method used at first in military facilities. For such practical purposes, the leash dog obedience training has more advantages than the food reward, since it finds better adaptation to the task or mission the animal has to face. The collars bring mild or even hard correction depending upon the response of the dog.

I personally do not recommend ever using dog leashes and collars to correct so hard that it amounts to punishment. You want your dog do love and look to up to you, not to fear you.

The leash dog obedience training teaches the animal to obey to collar control. You will need to remember that the leash is just the first step in developing the skills to get the dog obey under all circumstances. This type of dog obedience training establishes the hierarchy or the leadership in the dog's life and the relation you develop with the dog very much depends on this aspect.

In strict reward dog obedience training no leash is used and when your dog performs correctly he is given a small treat. Your dog then associates a specific positive behavior with certain rewards, caresses, a toy or usually food. Behavior patterns develop along these lines as dog obedience training pursues a mutual understanding between pet and owner. Most people use this method for teaching simple tricks such as fetch, sit, roll over, shake, etc..

The combination of a treat with good training dog collars and leashes produces the best results over all and is the method used to train a dog for competitive obedience trials. When using treats, be sure they are wholesome and not a fatty or sugary treat that is bad for your dog. Their dog food kibbles work well as do small pieces of carrot.

Are you thinking about dog collars and leashes for your new pet? If you are like most caring new dog owners you want to train and protect your new dog but are totally confused by the vast array of styles, sizes and material available. Dog collars may take the form of a simple leather or fabric collar fastened with a buckle to fancy dog collars bedecked with rhinestones and in some cases even real jewels.

Different styles of dog collars and harnesses also have different purposes in mind. Some are made more for decoration, others for basic obedience training and some to correct and stop barking or aggressive behavior. It is important that you, as the owner, decide what your ultimate goal is and what you pet really needs.

You do not want to place a choke collar on a small dog and risk injury. On the other hand a large dog can easily break dog collars and leashes made for small dogs. Many dogs can be harmed by shock collars and more humane alternatives are available.

Temperament also varies by breed and even individual dogs within a breed. Some dogs just are just naturally gentle and easy to train to lead while others need firmer control.

The goal of our site is to help you select the best dog collar and leash for your dog. You will find a selection of dog collars, leashes and harnesses to please the most finicky dog. The appropriate dog collar and leash will help minimize the time that this training takes and keep your pet safe and happy.

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