Dog Collars And Leashes - A Requirement For Good Obedience

You really need to obedience train your dog in order for it to develop into the top companion you desire. In most cases this will require 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 will protect your dog and keep it from running into traffic. You will also be able to 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 buying 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 the growth of your dog.

Also keep in mind the type of area where you plan to exercise and train your dog. If there is little congestion, such as in the suburbs, a longer lead may be okay. A shorter leash is a necessity when the area is crowded and confused. A long leash may permit your dog to wander so far that you are no longer controlling and he is not safe. This is one reason some people opt for a reel type lead which 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 selection 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 replaced 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 get the job done without harm.

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