# What collars do you use for what purpose?



## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

Do you have different collars you use for different purposes? At what age did you start using something other than a flat buckle collar on your pup, and why?

Saber's in a flat buckle collar. My OB instructor talked about possibly getting a different type of collar for OB (later, not this young) to use for mild corrections. She said often people use a choke collar in advanced OB, not to "choke" the dog but to "jingle" the chain a little as a reminder to the dog to follow through on a command. She also talked about martingales. And I have heard about fur savers as well. 

What do you use?


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## NancyJ (Jun 15, 2003)

I use one flat ring hunting collar for everything on my working dog. He gets a bell if he is offlead in heavy brush. I don't fret about his neck hair being mussed up.


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

All of them. You name it, I've got it. Contrary to what DH says, yes I DO use ALL of the 
For me It just depends on what we're doing, what type of outing it is, etc.


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## Castlemaid (Jun 29, 2006)

From all the stories I read about Saber, you won't need a correction or training collar collar of any sort. At two years old, doing tracking/Schutzhund obedience, bite-work wit Gryffon, I still almost exclusively only use a flat, one-inch leather collar. (Keeta, on the other hand, has a nice assortment of prongs and an expensive electric collar just for her!)

All you need is your voice, or even a little jiggle of the leash hooked to her flat collar to get her attention. Keep doing what you are doing, it is working!


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## RogueRed26 (Jul 15, 2010)

I have a flat collar with tags that I never take off for safety reasons. I use a prong collar or the gentle leader when walking her or taking her to obedience - she is a puller, so they are needed. I have been trying to wean her off the leader with the prong and hopefully to the flat collar, but at times, the gentle leader is needed when she goes into pull mode.


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## Wolfiesmom (Apr 10, 2010)

I use a flat collar for Wolfie's ID tags, a prong collar for walking on a leash, and a choke collar, just in case the prong collar drops off.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Flat for tags(only on the dogs when off property)
Fursaver for tracking and obedience
Fursaver and prong for protection work
For a younger dog, a harness or agitation collar for protection. 
So far no electric....I use a wide variety of leashes(lengths and materials), collars not so much.


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## Rerun (Feb 27, 2006)

They all wear flat collars w/ID tags, rabies, and their homeagain tags. This is 24/7

Walking = prongs

Training - prong or flat collar, depending on what I'm working on that day

Also have one e-collar when needed. Use it for a variety of things. Dante was a TERRIBLE poop eater - after religiously wearing it and getting popped from inside everytime he tried to take a bite of a pile of poop, he's significantly better about it. Akira used to jump horrifically bad at the back door. To the point I was afraid she was going to go through it. Tried every method in the book. She's 100% cured now after several training sessions with the e-collar. Occasionally use it for off leash training when necessary, though usually mine are very good at OB so that's not an issue.

I have an assortment of things I've acquired over the years - gentle leader, halti, harnesses, various size of slip chains, martingales, etc. For the most part they all hang on their hooks and don't move. I find all but the martingale (which I use prior to prong use) to be useless.


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## Kay (Aug 2, 2010)

My gal wears a pinch or 'fur-saver' when training and working, and she has a martingale that she wears at all other times. I rotate between the martingale and a 'fancy' buckle collar with tags on it when we go to the park (by fancy, I just mean it has stripes on it, no bling haha). She had a plain buckle collar until she was about 5 mths, then I switched to the martingale(she can be a heavy puller).


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

All my adult dogs have a flat leather collar lined with deer skin for their dog tags. These go on when they are about to leave the property. At home, they are naked. 

For instances requiring a lead, ie going to the vet, dog training, dog shows, I have a soft leather martingale with a chain section. I feel the martingale is safer than a flat collar as a dog can slip a flat collar, but cannot slip a martingale. 

For puppies I use an adjustable nylon martingale. 

I have a black chain link martingale because it is kool. 

So far, martingales and flat collars have been sufficient for my needs.


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

Interesting to read about what you all are using! Thanks for the vote of confidence, Lucia. So far I agree! She seems very in tune with me. I use her leash almost like reins on a horse and she responds to the slightest movement... it amazes me. I have seen some serious yanking on dogs in tracking. 

I like how fursavers look on a GSD so maybe I will find a use for one when she is an adult, guess we'll see! She only pulls on the leash when she is super excited but 90% of the time she walks or heels very nicely. Working on that other 10% because she would probably pull me over if she was full grown and I don't want that!


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## gsdheeler (Apr 12, 2010)

Rolled leather for everyday and agility, fursaver for show handling, prong or med. weight chain for training, x wide flat nylon for herding and leather harness w/fursaver collar for tracking.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Tracking - flat collar or fursaver
*I did use a harness for a long time but have since switched.

Protection - flat collar or fursaver with a prong
*I did use an agitation harness but have since stopped.

Obedience - flat collar and sometimes prong

Walking around town - easy walk harness with a martingale 

Agility - flat collar

I have also used the gentle leader head halti for Stark's reactiveness but have since switched to the easy walk harness.

I also have an assortment of other collars and leads because I am obssessed.. lol.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

cassadee7 said:


> My OB instructor talked about possibly getting a different type of collar for OB (later, not this young) to use for mild corrections.


 I found this statement interesting. What is meant under mild correction? A correction has to be exactly what is needed at this second, and it has to be exactly at certain required level. I pretty serious about corrections because I've learn the hard way that you do not nag your dog with 'mild' corrections, it will backfire...

I do not do jingle either because if a dog does not obey he gets an appropriate correction, not a 'reminder'. 

I use agitation collar for regular walking/hiking/tracking, a prong as a backup in places like public parks/fairs, also if I train/work on precision, and for some other training purposes. 

A rolled or nylon flat collar is used when swimming. Don't like a choke.

PS Saber does not need any special collar at this point, she's such a good girl!


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

Shawn, if you need a fursaver down the road just let me know, I'll give you one. It's too small for Anton, he suddenly grew not just a big head but neck as well :wild:


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## cassadee7 (Nov 26, 2009)

Thank you Oksana 

I asked her about corrections after you mentioned that to me about OB class. I asked her what if any corrections I would be expected to use in class since I don't really use any or need any now. So she was telling me about the choke chains and how she uses them on her small dog, that she doesn't even have to tighten it but just move it to jingle if the dog does no comply immediately and that is what gets her to comply. I hope I am relaying this properly, that is the jist of what I got. And that "most" dogs in Adv OB have choke collars on.

If you don't jingle what do you do? I mean on Anton, if he needed a correction what do you do? 

You're right about Saber, she is a sweetheart and just a baby... and very sensitive. Love her to pieces!! She is doing awesome


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## jaggirl47 (Jul 18, 2009)

For Leyna I use the following:
Everyday wear-flat leather collar
tracking-fur saver on loose ring or flat collar
obedience-fur saver or toggle choker depending on the situation
protection-fur saver and agitation collar
walks-fur saver or toggle choker, once again depending on the situation

Good luck with your girl! I enjoy reading about her.


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## GSD07 (Feb 23, 2007)

I correct using a prong. First you teach a dog to understand the command, learning stage, then you proof, i.e. correct, then you expect him to do it no matter if he's on a flat collar or any other. I do use voice corrections as well, but my no is not just no, it's a negative marker. Anton is not perfect, and I need to get back to be more strict with him, but that's the way that works for me. 

If your dog depends on jingle then he has to be on the collar that jingles at all times. Jingle means that correction will be next so the dog knows what's coming next. If you skip the jingle stage and consistent with enforcing the command then the dog will be conditioned to obey right away.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Coke wears a biothane flat buckle collar with a safety ring and brass ID tag 24/7 (he's an escape artist). Nikon is usually wearing his all-purpose flat leather buckle collar (used for obedience training, daily walking, and protection) and Pan usually wears a rolled leather buckle collar with a small tag (being the puppy and not totally trained/proofed). Pan and Nikon both have Fursaver collars for Schutzhund training and showing. I also have other collar and lead combos for UKC showing. Pan has an Easy Walk harness since he's not trained to heel yet. Nikon has a prong collar. I also have a few other flat buckle collars. I slip one on Pan for bitework b/c his rolled leather is too thin and not well made. There's also a bright orange biothane one Nikon wears for dockdiving because it won't get stinky or stretch when wet.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

Frag typically wears a buckle collar around the house. At around 8 months he got a gentle leader, and around 9 months he got a prong. We use the prong for long walks to keep him in line, but I rarely need to use it. He has a choke chain for potty breaks when he doesn't have his buckle collar on inside because of his fur getting messy. He had a fursaver as a puppy to keep his neck fur nice. He's had a martingale before just because it looked nice, but he chewed it off himself. 

I think that's all he has...


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## Stosh (Jun 26, 2010)

Since he's long coated, Stosh wears a rolled leather collar with his tags, I put a bright orange nylon flat collar that says STOSH in big letters and I tie some orange tape on it when we go in the woods so he's very visible- it's a breakaway that I got from Pikoda. When we go somewhere new and I want extra control I use a prong and for less control, like a trip to the vet's office I use a HS fur saver. So I guess I use all kinds too!


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## Lexi (May 12, 2010)

Rerun said:


> Walking = prongs
> 
> Training - prong or flat collar, depending on what I'm working on that day
> 
> Also have one e-collar when needed. Use it for a variety of things. Dante was a TERRIBLE poop eater - after religiously wearing it and getting popped from inside everytime he tried to take a bite of a pile of poop, he's significantly better about it. Akira used to jump horrifically bad at the back door. To the point I was afraid she was going to go through it. Tried every method in the book. She's 100% cured now after several training sessions with the e-collar. Occasionally use it for off leash training when necessary, though usually mine are very good at OB so that's not an issue.


What Rerun said above, especially for the poop eating (for Lexi). She is SO much better with it, even though she's now outside 90% of the time without the e-collar. Every once in a while she'll sneak one past me, but for the most part it may be a once a week occurence rather than a multiple time a day thing. So nice to not have to scrub out her nasty mouth with wet paper towels all the time now!


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## GregK (Sep 4, 2006)

Flat
Prong
Martingale
Halti
Electric

I don't use chokes - they pretty much suck. Albeit, I had to use one on my Collie once because she slipped out of everything else. Barley had to put any pressure on it though.


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