We've been talking about leash training for a few weeks, and last time, I was talking about the best type of collar for leash training. A slip collar or "correction collar" is the ticket here. Once your dog is trained, you can go to a flat collar or even a harness, but for training, you need a collar that will tighten up momentarily as you simultaneously issue a verbal correction, then release. Lightweight nylon is preferred over chain because you want that collar adjusted up as high as you can get it on Max's neck, because the bottom of a dog's neck is very, very strong, (even a little guy) but the top is very tender. And this is the big magic trick of using a correction collar: positioning. Even a 125-pound Rottweiler will respond to the lightest bump on the leash if his correction collar is adjusted nice and high. This almost always precludes the requirement for a pinch or "prong" collar. And although many people swear by a prong collar, I have proven my point about simple collar positioning on a few hundred big dogs!

On the rare occasion that you just cannot get the timing down with a slip collar, and your dog for whatever reason, continues to try to lead you (or drag you, whichever the case may be), instead of a prong or pinch collar, or [God forbid] an electric collar, my "go to" device is a "head harness". The two most popular brands are the 'Halti' and the Gentle Leader. This appliance works much like a harness for a horse, and gently guides Max's head and discourages pulling. The only caveat with a head harness is that it requires some finesse. You want to be careful not to "jerk" your dog's head around. More on the leash next time.

A native of Louisiana, SRQ Daily Columnist Gregg Flowers owns Dog's Best Friend Dog Training Services here in Sarasota, where he "teaches dogs and trains people." Gregg became fascinated by our relationship with dogs as a boy in the '60s, and by 1985 had developed his own unique style of working with dogs and their humans.

Dog's Best Friend