A collar is an essential accessory for every dog. While collars used to be used only to control the animal, today the situation has changed. Over the years, as long as the dog has been man’s friend and indispensable helper, collars have evolved, but have remained useful.
Leather collars. The simplest soft collar is suitable for taking your dog for a walk or simply as a decoration for your pet’s neck. It should be fitted with a plaque, a token or a special capsule with the owner’s address and telephone number. Except that such an item is not very reliable, as it turns quickly and gets lost.
It is best not to buy a wide collar. Wide collars are only suitable for large dogs and also for tethering. Wide collars that are not removable for long periods of time can cause abrasion of the coat and skin.
Collar rings and buckles must be welded. If the collar ring and buckle are welded together, the surrounding material will quickly stretch and the buckle will come undone easily. It is preferable to hang the ring while keeping the a large distance from the buckle. In this way, the collar will always be pointing upwards with the weight of the buckle, which is very convenient.
Do not leave the remaining collar strap sticking out. If the dog has nothing to do, it may chew it. Better to attach another loop or simply tie the tip of the too-long collar with a simple double-folded black elastic band. Make sure that the leather around the buckle is strong and properly stitched.
The various embellishments on the collar, especially metal ones, are absolutely unsuitable for dressage. Accidentally grabbing them can cause injury to yourself and to other dogs playing with you. It is not a good idea to be tempted to buy your dog a protective collar with metal spikes. You are more likely to suffer from such a collar than your dog’s potential attacker. Such a collar is also not a very effective protection against bites during fights.
Bites from other dogs can be in the ear, the paw, the back – which is much more seriousu.
Choke collar – this is a collar that contracts when the lead is tightened. It is used in dressage to reinforce the effect of the snaffle and as a precautionary measure when transporting dogs. The part that does not contract should be slightly smaller than the neck area.
If it is larger, the whole point of the choke collar is lost. The design of the choke collar or chain is simple – it is a collar or chain with two rings on the ends. The length of the chain should be such that the choke collar can be placed over the head, but not tightened too lightly, so that the collar does not fall off by itself when the head is bent. For an average female Labrador this length is 55 cm, for a large male German Shepherd it is 60-65 cm. The total length including the rings is measured.
A chain made of large chains is less fattening on the coat but has more force. There are also designs that are matched with a special spinner. Double or triple chains are more ornate looking but not very functional. The same gThe same can be said of other strangulation collars, which are based on the principle of a rigid collar.
The parfors, or hard collar, is made according to the principle of the strangulation collar. It is used to achieve a greater impact when training a dog. No matter how long the Parfors is, the most important thing is to know how to use it correctly. Daily incorrect use of the Parfors leads to habituation. On the streets you can see many dogs tugging on a tight collar that their owners do not even try to uncollar.
The principle for choosing the length of the parvo is the same as for the choke collar. The barbed part should be slightly smaller than the neck area. The clamp or chain used to fasten the prong collar should be removed, as they are not very convenient to take hold of when the dog needs to be grabbed. Instead, a sturdy collar, 5-6 mm in diameter, with a ring firmly embedded in it may be opened. The lace slides perfectly, and the collar closes quickly enough, and also the grarely relaxes under its own weight, eliminating painful sensations in the absence of leash tension. Except that such parphors often have rather short barbs, which are unsuitable for long-haired dogs.
Parfors made of wire, especially some of their designs, have a variety of barb sizes and orientations. They usually have a chain, and some have a carabiner for ease of attachment and removal. This is particularly handy if you have a shaggy dog. Negatives: the chain is not very handy when it comes to grabbing the dog as close to the neck as possible. To increase the strength of the collar, a synthetic strap can be threaded through the rings of the collar in a snake-like manner and anchored at the ends. This way the collar is guaranteed to be strong and will not fall apart into its constituent parts.
Electro-shock collar or radio collar. Recently, the use of electric collars has been introduced to make dressage easier and more effective. They are only necessary in certain extreme cases. It is preferable that you have first used advice from experienced trainers, as the dog must already be trained before using such a collar.
The electric collar has a plastic casing somewhere around the size of two matchboxes, weighing about 50 g, and two iron spikes which point into the inside of the collar. This device is charged for 8-10 hours and is sufficient for some 100 electrical discharges.
The electric collar shall be placed together with the regular collar in such a way that it is in direct contact with the dog’s neck. This collar reacts at a distance of 2500 metres and works by an electrical discharge, an acoustic signal or vibration (depending on the model). It is operated remotely (you can even keep your hand in your pocket to prevent the dog from seeing where the signal is coming from).