Collars, collars and more collars. Which collar is the best? What types of collars do you recommend? These are some questions I get on a daily basis.
If you remember in my introduction, Mya was my first dog…well the first dog that I purchased and was my complete responsibility. Aztec was the second. Mya and Aztec loved each other something fierce. They played well and got along. About the time I was transitioning into the civilian world an accident happend.
Long story short, Aztec and Mya were playing and Aztec got his jaw stuck in Mya’s collar. Mya twisted and turned… I’m sure your can visualize what happened next. Adam was my hero and kept his crap together while I got to be a hot mess. I became very anti-collar that day. Well guess what…that is not the best way to deal with grief.
It took awhile but my veterinarian convinced me collars are incredibly important. Most dogs and cats are microchipped. Do most people have microchip readers? Are most people lazy? Yes, there are a lot of good people in the world that will do everything they can to help get a pet to their home, and a lot that won’t. Your best defense is a collar with id tag that indicate if a pet is away for too long there will be problems. What do I put on mine?
A plain old snap buckle collar, with a tag indicating their name, our phone numbers and NEEDS MEDICATION message. Do my dogs need medication…NO…but, they are pretty amazing dogs who wouldn’t want to keep them unless they have an expensive condition that requires medication.
So back to the question, what is the best collar for my dog? Well, that depends on you and your dog.
Buckle collars are nice but I typically do not recommend them if your dog is going to be playing with others. In an emergency situation, buckle collars are hard to remove!
Quick release or break away collars are nice for play but if your dog plays rough, the collar will come off and no identification if he/she gets loose.
Then we have training collars like the Star Mark collar which is great for training but not identification purposes.
There are leather collars that come in both buckle and semi quick release. These seem to be the best for long haired dogs, especially the rolled leather.
Then there are nylon collars that also come in buckle or semi quick release. What do I mean by semi quick release? Well, those collars that you pinch the buckle part and the collar releases or snap buckle collars. (lots of names I know)
There are also martingale collars. I prefer these for those dogs that try to back out of a collar. I usually only use them on walks not for identification purposes.
There are e-collars. E-collars are a valuable tool when used correctly for long-distance recalls! Please make sure you work with a trainer who is fully versed in e-collar use. If you have a good bond and relationship with your dog, e-collars should not be needed.
Then one of my least favorite is the pinch or prong collar. Most people do not use this collar correctly causing injury. Again, if you are going to use this collar please seek the advice of a trainer well versed in pinch or prong collars.
Shall I go on? There are also choke chains or slip collars. I prefer not to use these as well. Here’s the thing, we have evolved in dog training methods. There are many that have stayed if you will in the dark ages and have not figured out how to work with their dogs as cooperative members of their family. They still think instilling fear into dogs is the best way… Well…its not!
Great tools, yes the problem starts when people think a collar is a quick fix for an issue. If you have any questions about what is the best for you, send me a message we can work it out together!