Session 119: Which Training Collar is Right for You?
The Dog's Way Podcast: Dog Training for Real Life
Release Date: 05/08/2024
The Dog's Way Podcast: Dog Training for Real Life
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info_outlineThe Dog's Way Podcast: Dog Training for Real Life
In this episode I talk about training collars. Are they right for you? And if so, what kind of training collar do you choose for your dog, and just as important... what kind to choose for your dog/owner combination? For those who may be opposed to the idea of a training collar, I still urge you to listen. After training hundreds of dogs I have some ideas to share that might help with your decision on the matter. Today's episode is sponsored by . Instead of doing all of the research yourself on what type of pet insurance to buy, consider clicking to rely on their extensive research....
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info_outlineThe Dog's Way Podcast: Dog Training for Real Life
In this episode I'll cover some training goals to teach a dog to stop doing something. Barking is one of the key areas of focus, as well as a discussion on "counter conditioning". Some may ask if they should do the "lab oriented" counter conditioning or another technique. My approach involves assessing where your dog is on a spectrum, and I'll explain the range. It can also be useful to determine for other areas of training. Some may be driven by a defensive approach, a territorial approach, etc., and I'll talk about some of the areas to be careful about when trying to decide whether to put...
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Today I speak with Kellee Zenk, who has a very interesting origins that led her to dog training. She's the founder of , based in Minnesota. Kellee has a background in training bears and elephants! We discuss how she got started in that area and how it led to where she is today. Kellee got her start at private zoos in Minnesota and loved training bears and really enjoyed marker and clicker training. She talks about some early mistakes and talks about the full range of experiences. Kellee and I contrast the dynamic of dog trainers and how you develop better communication with the dog...
info_outlineIn this episode I talk about training collars. Are they right for you? And if so, what kind of training collar do you choose for your dog, and just as important... what kind to choose for your dog/owner combination? For those who may be opposed to the idea of a training collar, I still urge you to listen. After training hundreds of dogs I have some ideas to share that might help with your decision on the matter.
Today's episode is sponsored by The Swiftest. Instead of doing all of the research yourself on what type of pet insurance to buy, consider clicking this link to rely on their extensive research. It's also a great way to support the show!
The Minimum Collar for Training
Martingale Collar: basic low level training collar. At a minimum I use a martingale collar like the one at this Amazon link (no plastic clasps, no chain loops)
Here’s a link to find out more about this type of collar on Amazon. They also have them in most Pet stores. FYI – if you read the reviews of these collars, you’ll read some from people who left them on their dogs, while they were home alone all day, and they got the collar caught on things and choked themselves. So … don’t do that – problem solved. Note: make the size selection that is appropriate to your dog.
Upgraded Training Collars
Herm Sprenger Chain Collar: Medium level upgrade for more rambunctious dogs (again, more info on this at this link)
Starmark Plastic Training Collar: Medium plus level of collar. (Note – these come with a redundant line slip collar that you use with this collar to guard against the possibility of an improperly fitted link coming apart and separating while you’re training – be sure to use this redundant safety collar when you’re using
the Starmark collar.) Click here to view on Amazon.com.
Herm Sprenger Prong Collar: The highest level of leverage and the collar makes it easiest for you to manage your dog in training and on walks. We generally work our way out of this collar as a dog’s proficiency indicates that it’s not necessary anymore.
Here is the metal collar link http://amzn.to/29842kW
And an alternative http://amzn.to/29bLHVb
Note: I often use a redundant slip collar (like the one indicated above as an alternative) when I use a prong collar. Because this training collar has separate movable pieces to it, there’s a possibility (usually human error) that sometimes results in the collar coming apart while training.
The redundant slip collar assures you that you don’t lose your dog if this happens. Also, it’s worth stating that they have decided to name this slip collar a “dominant dog collar”? I’m not really sure why. It functions just as well for nondominant dogs that happen to have a training collar break and want to run across a busy road to play with another dog … guess they figured the name sounded cool?
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