Comparing Dog Collar – The Pros & Cons Of Each
Having a dog as a companion in your home or business surrounding is quite interesting, especially if you have him or her for a pet. While taking good care of him is important, you will most probably want to walk with him once in a while and when you do, a dog collar can be instrumental as an identification tool as well as an accessory for controlling your dog to keep them out of harms way and to keep them by your side at all times. When it comes to dog collars, there are various types of this important accessory in different deigns and colors. Knowing the right collar for your companion is essential, but can get tricky if you can’t differentiate between the various available types. This being the case, here are some different types of dog collars to pick from, with the benefits and drawbacks of each apart from corrective collars such as prong, clip, and choke collars which may harm your dog if he likes to pull.
The Flat Collar
This one fits well around your dog’s neck. It comes with a snap buckle and adjustable length with a lot of simplicity. For trained pet dogs, the flat collar can be useful as a walking aid as well as a tool for holding identification tags. It also lets the owner have control of movement of his or her dog.
Pros:
• You can easily attach an ID tag on the tool.
• Placing it on the dog is easy and most pets adapt to its use fast.
Cons:
• Aggressive dogs may sustain injuries and neck pain as they pull on the device.
• There is minimal risk of the dog getting strangled by the collar.
• Controlling the dog to have them face you may be a bit challenging.
The Breakaway Collar
To minimize the risk of strangulation, the breakaway collar can come in handy. It is designed in such a way that it can get disengaged when it gets caught by an object, effectively minimizing accidental strangling.
Pros:
• There is a lower risk of accidental choking.
• It can open in the event when dogs are playing together and one of them sticks a paw on the dog collar of the other.
Cons:
• The accessory may come of when most needed, for instance holding off the dog from biting or holding it from traffic.
• May have little control for dogs that pull aggressively.
• Your dog can easily lose his ID tag as the Breakaway collar may come off easily.
Martingale Collars
This type of dog collar will tighten up with pulling. The martingale collar is made up of a leash that attaches to a piece of material connected to another piece of material with two meeting ends. It also minimizes choking as the tightening may only occur up to a certain degree limit.
Pros:
• It is quite effective in controlling aggressive dogs as it discourages pulling.
• It is lose fitting on the dog’s neck until pulled.
• The Martingale dog collar has a limited choking effect even as it tightens with pulling.
Cons:
• The chocking effect with pulling may be a bit uncomfortable for your pet.
• If caught on something, the martingale collar may end up chocking your dog if he struggles to break free.
As you can see, dog collars come in a variety of different functions so it’s important to find the one that matches to your needs and your dogs temperament. Be sure to check out our dog harness guide as well if you decide to go the harness route and don’t know which one to get!
