General Definitions of Types of Dog Collars
collar with traditional buckle. A collar is a piece of material put around the neck
of a dog for control, identification, or other purposes. Identification tags and
medical information is often placed on collars. Collars are also useful for controlling
the dog, as they provide a handle for grabbing.
Buckle collars, also called flat collars, are usually
nylon or leather with a buckle similar to a belt buckle or a quick-release buckle,
either of which holds the collar loosely around the dog's neck. Usually identification
is attached to such a collar; it also comes with a loop to which a leash can be
Nylon quick-release buckle collar with identification
and medical tags. Flea collars are impregnated with chemicals that repel fleas.
They are usually a supplementary collar, worn in addition to the conventional buckle
collar. An Elizabethan collar, shaped like a truncated cone, is worn by a pet, usually
a cat or dog, to prevent it scratching a wound on its head or neck or licking a
wound or infection on its body.
Several types of collars are used for dog training:
Flat collars: Many dogs are trained on leash using a
buckle or quick-release collar.
showing how the chain pulls through the loop at one end. Slip chain (also called
choke chain, slip collar, or choke collar) is a length of chain or nylon rope with
rings at either end such that the collar can be formed into a loop around the animal's
neck that slips (adjusts) tighter when pulled and slips looser when tension is released.
Used for training if the dog is not responsive on a buckle collar; provides some
additional control and prevents a wild dog from being able to thrash its way out
of a looser collar. It can also, when pulled hard enough, tighten around the neck
in a way that prevents airflow. When not used properly, the slip collar will actually
cause a dog to pull, rather than inhibit it from doing so. Properly used, the slip
collar is quickly popped and released as a firm reminder to the dog to pay attention;
it is not pulled tight and held.
the looped chain limits how tightly the collar can pull in the same way that a Martingale
functions. Prong collar (also called pinch collar) is a series of chain links with
open ends turned towards the dog's neck so that, when the collar is tightened, it
pinches the naturally loose skin around the dog's neck. When properly adjusted and
used, it startles the dog and gives a sharp correction, but it is very difficult
if not impossible to actually puncture the skin. And while it looks painful, it's
actually less harmful to the dog than a slip or choke collar. Opponents argue that
pain is never a good default way in which to train animals. Some dogs are nearly
oblivious to leash corrections of any kind, including the prong collar, but the
prong collar might make such dogs pay more attention than other collar types. The
advantage of the prong collar over the choke collar is that the circumference is
limited so that it is impossible to compress the animal's throat. Another advantage
is that, like with the Martingale collar (below), any pressure on the dog's neck
is spread out over a larger area than with most buckle collars, and with all choke
Martingale collars have a longer section usually made
of leather, chain, or nylon, joined through loops by a circle of chain or leather
to which the leash is fastened; pulling on the leash tightens the collar, but the
wide section both prevents the chain from tangling in a dog's coat and prevents
the collar from being pulled tightly enough to cut off the dog's airway. It also
spreads pressure on the dog's neck over a larger area.
Stud collar is fitted with sharp points and metal studs
that prevent another animal from biting the neck. While such a collar may appear
brutal, it is actually the best collar for a milder mannered or older animal interacting
with its more aggressive fellows.
collar controls the dog's head but does not restrict its ability to pant, drink,
or grasp objects.Halter collar, such as those sold under the brand names Haltie
or Gentle Leader; like a halter on a horse, this collar fastens around the back
of the neck and over the top of the muzzle, giving more control over a dog's direction
and the intensity of pulling on a leash than collars that fit strictly around the
neck. Pressure on this type of collar pulls the dog's head towards the handler.
Proponents of the head halter describe it as "scientific", in that it supposedly
mimics the way higher-ranking wolf shows dominance by grabbing a lower-ranking pack
member around the snout with his jaws. Opponents cite new research on wild wolves,
which indicates that there is no hierarchical structure in a wild wolf pack, meaning
that there are no "ranks" among pack members. This research also shows that dominance
displays are uncommon, and that no wild wolf has ever been observed displaying snout-grabbing
behavior as a means of discipline, let alone teaching the other wolf to walk on
a leash. Opponents of the head halter also cite the fact that most dogs find it
unnatural and uncomfortable. And though it's uncommon, some dogs have even had their
snouts injured by a halter that dug too deeply into their skin.