Introduction:

Equipment...such as fascinating topic and a topic which deals with quite a bit of scrutiny as EVERYONE has a difference in opinion on what to use, how to use, and when to use! So, here are my opinions on the most asked about pieces of equipment as well as a brief description.

With that said, here are 4 comparisons of dog training equipment! 👊

1. Choke Collar v.s. Prong Collar

 Choke collars are designed to choke the dog when not giving the proper response. Prong collars are designed to mimic the pressure bite from a member of the pack. Here goes nothing! I personally do not care for choke collars because over time a callous develops around the dogs neck which means you have to use stronger physical application to get the correction to have meaning. Whereas with the prong collar you only need to provide (in most cases) small amounts of pressure to get the attention of the dog and modify the behavior. As far as application of each collar, I do not recommend choke collars to be used at all. The prong collar is great while on-leash while conducting obedience training or while on walks to prevent pulling.

2. Prong Collar v.s. E-Collar

As stated above with the prong collar they are a fantastic tool which I enjoy using and teaching clients how to use while out walking or conducting obedience. The e-collar is another tool which has such a bad reputation because the dog can be electrocuted. However, the only way the dog gets electrocuted is by YOU the owner...you control the remote therefore you control what happens to your dog. Getting back on track, I love e-collars! They can be used for so many types of training such as teaching your dog yard boundaries, off-leash obedience, off-leash walking manners, behavioral corrections, etc. Although, I must inform you all, when buying an e-collar please get the collars which have a tone, vibration, and stimulus. These collars provide these different functions to work with every type of dog and I like to use the end goal of having the dog response to only tone and using the other settings as backup.

Verdict:

My choice for training is the prong collar & e-collar. In my opinion these are must haves for on/off-leash training and can be used in pretty much all areas of training.

3. Harness v.s. Collar

Both of these are great tools when used in the right training/practical environments. For instance, harnesses are great while out tracking on-leash as opposed the collar which is more effective in guiding/teaching the dog to work a pattern. One major difference which I see frequently is the harness encourages the dog to pull and is much harder to control compared to the collar.

Verdict:

I prefer to use a collar unless I am teaching tracking, nose work, or developing a pattern at a distance.

4. Ending Verdict

Equipment is valuable in all aspects of dog training if used correctly. Although, these are my opinions of a selected group of equipment, I do want to encourage all of you to get with a trainer and learn the proper way to use each item. Every trainer is going to have different thoughts about how to use them so be sure to use the trainer which fits you! Have a great day Furry Family!!