Collars & Leashes - Does it matter? - Page 2

All three of my adult dogs wear leather collars with their tags on them everywhere except when training.

When I go out in public I put the prong on them not so much because they require it but because I never know what sort of idiot I'm going to run into.  I've never had to give a correction when out in public on the prong, it's more a gentle reminder 'pay attention to me, ignore the little yappy dog trying to start something'.

Thanks for commenting, everyone...

I have a few questions. What is a fursaver collar exactly? I have heard of it, but I don't see how if other collars wear fur off, this one doesn't?
And prong collars, how do you give corrections? Just a tug on a leash and it pricks thhe dog?

ooooh don't get me started on idiots with retractable leashes, grrrrr!   Ever experienced a flexi-burn? Summer time, several of us were wearing shorts, and an idiot with a large rottie let her dog run behind us on a flexi.  Flexi-burn behind the knees, OUCH!  Natural inclination is to grab the line that's burning the back of your knees, and then get rewarded with a flexi-burn across your hand.  MORE OUCH!  I hate those things.

and I agree, halters are for horses, and horses have very strong necks.  Dogs on a halti are an accident (whiplash) waiting to happen. 

I often use prong collars, unless the dog has aggression issues....prongs do not belong on aggressive dogs.  On a dog with aggression issues (people or dog aggression) I use a chain collar, on the live ring.  On youngters or trained adults, a flat collar or wide martingale collar.

Leather leashes are nice to your hands and get better and better the more you use them. nylon leashes can be quite sharp and don't give quite the same feedback...I can't feel the dog thru them the same way as a leather lead.

Fur Savers are a metal collar like a choke chain but has larger Oblong links...these collars are usually used for dogs with longer hair like GSD's because they pull or pinch the hair less...This is also the collar that you have to have on your dog when trialing in Schutzhund...The come in different metals...Including: Steel covered with Chrome (these will rust and wear after awhile)...Stainless Steel (these are probably the best for all types of use and will pretty much last forever...they're also a little more costly)...There are more types but those are the basic ones...
As for collars...It depends on what you're going to be doing with your dog...Some people use Flat Collars for everyday use...I never have any collars on my dogs while at home...but if I go somewhere I use the Fur Saver...During training say like Obedience or even Protection and also sometimes in Tracking I would use a Pinch Collar...
In Protection you'll want a Flat Collar such as a 1 1/4" to 2" either Leather...Nylon or Bio-Thane...
As for leashes you would want a few different ones...a 6'...maybe a 15'...and then a 30' (probably one for Protection and one for Tracking)...There are a number of materials that you can get these in and each offers different things...There's Leather ones and these are very good but need some "up keep"...There's Nylon one's and these are good but can burn your hands or sometimes your legs...Then there's Bio-Thane...this is a newer material that is now being used in Dog Training...It is a Imitation Leather that's water proof and is ok in Hot and Cold weather...I personally like these the best...
If you're in the market for equipment the best thing to do is to check around...either with local Schutzhund clubs and see what they're using...also look in Working Dog's catalogs and look at the different equipment that's available...

~Bob~

Ask your trainer!