Best Dog Training Collar For Your Dog
How to Find The Best Dog Training Collar For Your Dog
The best dog training collar for your dog depends on - well, you guessed it - your situation and your dog. You have to ask yourself, “What do I want to accomplish in training my dog?” The best dog training collar is simply another tool we use to reach our goals and what works best for me might not work best for you. As with all training tools, the collar itself won’t train your dog any more than, say, a clicker will train your dog. You train the dog and the tools just reinforce or aid in that training. Dog training should never involve harming your dog in any way and in extreme cases you should enlist the help of a professional trainer. (In fact, I believe professional training is a plus in training all dogs!)
When looking for the best dog training collar, there are some obvious basics you need to keep in mind. Make sure you select a collar that is specified for the weight range of you dog. Petsafe has collars specifically made for big dogs and little dogs (For example: PetSafe Deluxe Big-Dog Trainer and Petsafe Deluxe Little Dog Remote Trainer for Pets Under 40 Pounds) Matching the collar to the dog is very important so pay close attention to this factor.
Another important factor in choosing the right training collar is range. How far will your dog be able to venture and still have a collar that responds to the remote? Some sport dog collars (for hunting dogs) will work up to 2 miles away! You may not need that much range but is 150 yards enough? Keep in mind that too much range poses no problem but too little can be a big problem.
What type of stimulation works best? Again, this depends on your situation and your needs. Some collars provide vibration, others tone or buzz, and of course most will provide the static correction or “shock”. Many will provide a combination; a tone used as a warning before a static correction can be quite effective. This is how a lot of wireless fences work. As the dog approaches the boundary the collar gives off a tone. Then, if the dog doesn’t go back into the “safe” zone, a shock is delivered. This same concept can be used in other training situations.
We found that the best dog training collar for our needs is the Petsafe Big Dog Deluxe Trainer. Cooper is big – and can be stubborn (but is oh-so sweet!). We took the approach to train first, then use the collar for reinforcement. After he knows a command, sometimes he will disobey. (Your dog ever done that?) At that point we give him a tone as a warning. If that doesn’t work, he gets a short static correction. Keep in mind, this comes after the command while he is disobeying. After a couple of times, only the tone is needed to get the desired response. Now, we rarely ever have to use a static correction; the tone is all it takes.
Best Dog Training Collar Resources
You can get some great information from manufacturers web sites. They usually provide specific instructions on how to best use training collars and some sites even have videos. Petsafe, Innotek, and SportDOG all provide great training information. You can also get information about specific collars right here on the TopDog site. Reading the reviews here and places like Amazon.com can give you great insight on how other dog owners have successfully found the best dog training collar for their situation. For general information on the best dog training collars you can check Wikipedia but I would prefer to trust other sites for training information and help on picking the right trainer for my dog.
The Best Dog Training Collar For YOU
Only you know your dog and his/her personality. Only you really know how to best train your canine friend. Yes, you can use some instruction and help. Maybe even some professional training (I highly recommend it!). Train your dog with love and care. Use the tools at your disposable to insure the best behavior and safety for your pet and you will both be better for it. Remember, the best dog training collar is just a minor tool to help you improve the relationship you have with your pet!
