Have you ever heard dog owners complaining about how time and energy consuming dog training is? I hate to be one to confirm this; however, the results that you and you and your dog are going to reap out of it is absolutely worth it.
You need to be patient enough to understand your dog’s psychology for better results. Today, we’re going to focus on collar training. I will be sharing with you three important tips that will make collar training your dog easier and safer.
Introducing Collar Training
Before I talk about the three important tips, allow me to briefly introduce you to what collar training is. The first thing is obviously getting them the perfect collar. I will later on explain how, but I just want you to have the full picture first instead of diving in headfirst.
After getting your dog or puppy their perfect collar that fits them well and that they’re comfortable in it, you can introduce the lead and collar training. First, the training should take place at home. Think of this training as a safety procedure so that your dog doesn’t end up running away outdoors.
As a start, clip on the lead and give your dog a treat while putting it on. We want them to view this as a positive experience, so always have some treats next to you before you start training them.
Once you start the collar training them with a lead, use treats once again to make them stay beside you. With time and multiple training sessions, they will get used to walking next to you with the lead without any treats.
One important thing to note is to never pull on the lead. If your dog is way ahead of you and the lead is stretched too tightly, then try to attract your dog to slow down and come walk next to you by offering them some treats.
Remember to offer your treats while keeping your hands down. Never raise it because you want to teach your dog to walk next to you and not jump or stand up to get their treats. By keeping your hands low, you’re conditioning them to walk next to you while they’re wearing their collar.
The most important thing that you should do is make your dog feel comfortable while walking next to you when you’re collar and lead training them.
So, if you realize that your dog or puppy isn’t comfortable walking outdoors, or that they’re not ready yet, don’t push them! You have to make sure that your dog is totally fine and comfortable with walking with a lead on outdoors. If you don’t, you’re going to stress your four-legged best friend, and they won’t be willing to obey you.
These 3 tips will help you make collar training enjoyable:
1)Choose the Perfect Collar
One important thing that you should keep in mind regarding collar training is the collar itself. Make sure that the collar you get is lightweight and fits perfectly, rather than a heavy collar. A heavy collar will irritate your dog, and put so much stress on their neck.
Flat collars are suitable for most dogs. What makes them unique is that they are a great choice as your dog’s first collar cause dogs could get easily adjusted to wearing them.
Like with clothing, collars are made of a variety of different materials. The best and most comfortable materials are nylon and leather. However, nylon is cheaper and more available in stores. Also, if you are just trying to get your dog used to wearing a collar, then the nylon collar is a perfect choice because it is very comfortable.
To get the perfect size, just measure your dog’s neck while they’re standing with a soft measuring tape. Get a collar that has the same circumference, and test it on your dog. If you’re able to put two of your fingers inside the collar while your dog is wearing it, then congratulations! You’ve just found your dog’s perfect collar fit.
If your dog has a heavy coat, them make sure you trim their hair before measuring their necks. It would also be great if you take your dog with you when your collar shopping so you could ask for advice and assistance from the people working there.
I know it just sounds very obvious, but it’s one of the most important tips though. Make sure you buy that you buy the right collar for your dog.
2) Teach your Dog to Walk Beside You
Your dog must understand that your dog won’t walk next to you on their own. You will have to teach them that.
So, you should start lead and collar training your dog by using treats to attract them to come walk next to you and keep them by your side whenever you go walking. Remember always to practice positive reinforcement, which is why you have to reward your dog every time they obey you or do something right.
At this stage, we highly recommend you get the Easy Clip-on Training Treat Container. It is the best way to keep your dog’s favorite treats with you on the go.
This treat container can be easily attached to your belt, so it is super convenient because you won’t have to walk around carrying a bag of treats in one hand and holding your dog’s collar in the other.
3) Train Your Dog not to Pull
If your dog isn’t one hundred percent comfortable with wearing their collar, then they might start pulling whenever they want to go somewhere. They will want to have control over you.
In this case, you have to train them not to pull. Whenever they start pulling you in a certain direction, don’t go and stand still where you are. To do so, you will need a chest clip harness. Why? because whenever your dog starts pulling, they will be redirected to face you.
This chest clip harness is specially designed for dog owners with stubborn dogs. The chest clip harness also so great because of its protective nature. It will significantly reduce the risk of neck injury incidents. Neck injuries are quite common when a dog pulls while they’re wearing a collar that is attached to a leash.
To learn more about how to harness train your puppy, then check out my Dog Training Harness: Ultimate Guide blog post.
In a nutshell, training a dog is the same as raising up a child; you don’t want to rush the training process, and you always have to keep on mind that it takes a lot of time and effort. However, your four-legged best friend is definitely worthy of all this effort and time.
Why don’t you check our 15 puppy training tips blog post? It is definitely going to help you with training your new pup.
That’s it for today’s post. You should now know how to pick the perfect collar for your dog and how to collar train them. If you have any questions regarding collar training, then leave them in the comments down below.
if you have any previous experiences or funny stories that happened while your were collar training your dog, then feel free to share that with us as well.
