This site offers a great number of collars for different purposes and of different design. You are presented collars of leather and nylon; decorated, painted or classic; with handles or without; with quick release buckles or with ordinary ones. Common features of these items are royal quality, durability, comfort and safety. Check our collars and you will find the one you have been looking for so long!
Every dog should have a collar but the procedure of choosing it is
not as easy task as it might seem. Special dog training equipment is
divided not only according to the group of breeds but also according
to purpose.
It is rather difficult to sort out the great variety of collars
offered by pet-industry by yourself. We will help you make the right
choice and dress up your pet with the accessories suitable for him.
The first and the main criteria of collars division is its purpose:
Soft classical collar
(walking, with a handle for watch and guard services). These collars
are made of leather, synthetic material or their combination. These
collars usually have a
soft
padding (felt,
fleece, Nappa leather) to ensure maximum comfort for the
dog.
Walking collar is the most
common type. They usually have one
D-ring
for leash attachment. It may be located near the buckle
which does not prevent the dog from moving its head. It also may be
set on the opposite side of the collar. In this case the dog owner
does not need to look for the ring to attach the leash (the buckle
is the heaviest part of the collar that is why it is always located
on the dog's front part of the neck).
The dog collar for protection training is equipped with comfortable
handle so you can hold the dog. The ring for leash attachment is
placed either on the handle itself or under it.
There is often extra D-ring near the buckle and while working it is
better to attach the leash to this one.
The collar for guard dogs is the most
reliable, time-proof item. It is meant to keep the
dog tethered all the time. That is why it should be of increased
durability. Its key feature is that the collar strap is passed
through the D-ring first and only then it is buckled. Thus the
strength of dog's jerks isn't directed at the buckle and the holes
for fastening but at a dense material passed through the ring. The
buckle is placed at the top and does not bother the dog.
The choke collar (
chain,
leather or
synthetic). These collars
are often used as
training or
exhibitory ones. However they are also very convenient for
use in everyday life due to their light weight. Choking effect the
dog interprets as natural one because when the mother-dog teaches
her puppy she slightly squeezes its neck.
However, such impact on the dog, especially on the puppy, should be
accurate and short otherwise you will lose all educational value.
Experienced trainer should explain in what way this type of collars
must be used before he allows the beginner to train the dog with the
help of this collar.
Metal choke chains must be made of durable alloy, all the
links must be soldered or welded
and plated in the way that won't hurt the dog. Nowadays many dogs
suffer from allergic reactions to nickeliferous alloys. That is why
a special alloy based on copper was made. It is called
curogan. It is darker and
redder than brass but
doesn't
cause allergic reactions.
You should remember that some low-quality chains may color
fair-haired dogs. So, before going to the exhibition you should try
it out. One more recommendation: the short-haired dogs or dogs with
long fluffy fur take part in the dog shows with narrow, almost
invisible chain collars, so it will not divide the dog's neck in two
parts and to prevent fur crushing. But the bigger the link is the
less the chain cuts the dog's fur. That is why the Shepherds' owners
use the chain collar with long (about 5 cm) links.
Pinch (prong) collars. It
is recommended to use this type of collars under the experienced
trainers' supervision. The key feature of these collars is prongs
that cause unpleasant feeling for the dog if it pulls. This collar
is chosen accurately to the size of dog's neck, it should be located
immediately behind the ears not to hang out and not to fall down.
German firm Sprenger is one of the best known manufacturers of high
quality metal collars.
Their wide range of products includes several types of pinch
collars. They are wire and plate ones with
long prongs for long-haired dogs
and
short prongs for short-haired
dogs, of
various metals
and with
different coatings.
The latest development of this company is pinch collar which prongs
directed in two sides from the central plate near the dog's
laryngeal prominence. Such arrangement is considered to create the
most natural pressure on the dog's neck creating an effect of the
mother-dog's bite.
You mustn't keep your dog wearing pinch collar all the time. It is
recommended to use it only during training sessions and in cases
when other methods to achieve dog's obedience failed. Nowadays many
inexperienced dog owners put the pinch collars on 5 months-old
puppies. It harms the dog's obedience and you lose the ability to
control the animal.
Exhibitional collar mustn't
distract the attention from the dog (it is usually selected to
correspond the dog's fur color). It mustn't divide the dog's neck.
It must be convenient, reliable and practical. In most cases this
exhibitional collars are made of synthetic material (thin cord) or
chain choke collars.
However, there are some breeds including German Shepherds and
Dobermans which exhibition includes dog's long-time running in the
ring. The dog must run ahead of the handler with his head up. In
this case, professionals use metal or leather dog-show collars with
Adam's apple. Adam's apple can be metal or leather, with prongs (if
the dog pulls strongly) or not, with a special shelf to raise the
dog's head higher.
The collar can be adapted to any breed. However, we must
take into account the peculiarities of
the anatomical structure of some dogs' respiratory tract.
For example, Pugs and other breeds with short snout are very
sensitive to the pressure on their neck and can choke, so it is
recommended to use harness for their walking. The graceful dogs
(like Greyhounds) look perfect when wearing the collar with wide
front part. But in any case, the collar must be reliable and
wear-proof.
Which material is more durable?
The collars are made of
durable
leather, synthetic strap
or cord,
metal or alloys.
Leather is the most pleasant-to-touch material both for a man and
for an animal.
High quality thick
genuine leather will always be fashionable and beautiful
even after long time of service. However, like any leather product,
the collar requires careful treatment and special service.
Synthetics are considered to be the most durable material for the
soft collars' manufacturing. They are very practical in everyday
life due to resistance to any weather conditions. The customer can
choose the collar's color, width and design he likes.
The collars combined of leather and synthetic material are
considered to be the most durable and reliable ones. Being well-made
and equipped with strong fittings this combination will be a win-win
for the guard collar or for large dogs' protection training.
Note! It is not recommended to use such collars in the cold season
because of the risk of frostbite.
If you think that you are able to make a collar for your pet by
yourself you should remember that its durability is a guarantee of
both passers-by's and your pet's safety. That is why you must take
into account the size and the strength of your dog when you choose
the materials and fittings so that their breaking point exceeds the
pet's weight at least 5 times.
Properly fit collar should be
buckled with the middle hole (there are usually two more
holes for making the collar smaller and larger), it does not hang
loosely on the dog's neck. To make sure that the collar is of the
proper size the owner should put his thumb between the collar and
the neck. If it is difficult to do that the collar will strangle
your dog, if there is some extra space the collar may drop or rotate
on the neck.
If you choose a collar for a puppy, you should keep in mind that the
dog will grow. So, the collar should have extra holes to make it
bigger but the free part of the collar strap mustn't be very long
not to bother your dog's free movements. So, now it should be
buckled with the first inner hole and while the dog grows you will
be able to use other holes to make the collar correspond dog's
sizes.
You shouldn't make your dog wear the collar all the time because it
can wear out the dog's fur and make it feel uncomfortable. If you
need to hold the dog at home, it is better to use a leather choke
collar, in this case.
Remember, the dog's collar is not just an accessory, it is a modest
"clothing". The dog wears it almost all the time. That is why the
collar should be of high quality, convenient and safe.
Choose also dog
harness,
muzzle,
dog bite tugs and toys for
training orplaying with your Great Dane.