Collars, harnesses, and leashes come in a variety of styles. To help your dog or puppy understand your directions, consider which options are best suited to your individual situation.
Collars
Buckle collars. These collars are a staple. They fit like a belt around your dog’s neck and carry his rabies, license, and name tags. Some dogs (like my Hope) behave just fine in a buckle collar. Simple praise or clicker encouragement for staying at your side, and a discouraging pull when they forge ahead, can be enough to persuade your dog to hang with you. Try this basic training and see if it works.
Chin lead. This is a generic term for a Gentle Leader, sold in this catalog. It is a great conditioning tool and especially ideal for impulsive, strong-willed or timid dogs. A horse-like halter fits around your dog’s head and guides a dog through walks and exercises rather than yanking on his or her neck. If you’re trying to restrain a hyper or headstrong dog, this might be the choice for you. This collar should be used only to manage your dog on walks and refresh the basics, not for trick training.
Harnesses
No-pull harness. This harness restraint is good for many situations, including young puppies, breeds with more delicate necks (like toys and dogs with pushed in faces) and large breeds addicted to pulling. The harness slips over the neck and encompasses the front legs in a system that discourages pulling without crippling their movement.
Basic harness. If you have a teeny-tiny dog, a basic harness is your best bet. This style comes in a variety of colors, so you can let your taste go wild!
Leashes, short and long
Garden variety. Four or 6 feet in length, this leash has a clip on one end and a handle on the other. Clip for the dog, handle for you.
Teaching lead. This leash is a little invention of mine, patented for both methodology and design. The difference between the Teaching Lead and garden varieties? You have the option of wearing my leash. I know that may sound funky, but it’s pretty cool. For dogs in training it communicates leadership passively and allows you to teach good behavior around the house without a chaotic scene. In addition the Teaching Lead comes with a booklet that instructs the most humane handling techniques without a lot of jerking and constant restraint. There are three applications to master with the Teaching Lead: leading, which encourages focus and quick responses to commands; anchoring, which teaches your dog to lie next or under you when you’re sitting; and stationing, which teaches your dog his place in each room of the house. Sounds too good to be true? Well, it’s all of that, and since dogs get more direction and less confinement, they love it too.
Drag lead. A 4-foot nylon leash a dog can drag in the house, enabling gentle guidance if he’s naughty or confused.
Short lead. This8- to12-inch lead hangs from the buckle collar for guided direction if it’s needed.
Finger lead. A tiny loop attached to the collar for small or accomplished dogs that might still need guided direction.
Caution: Grabbing your dog’s collar impulsively is startling to the dog and not a good training technique. Direct pressure on the neck elicits an innate defensive response. When reaching for a short leash, do it calmly and guide gently.
Long line. This 25- to 50-foot line gives you the freedom to let your dog run or work at a distance outside without the fear of losing control – especially important if you are practicing in an unconfined area.
Retractable leash. These leashes stretch and retract and are useful for exercise and trick training that calls for such controlled freedom. Please don’t use this leash near a road; I’ve known dogs to race out in traffic and meet tragic ends.
Excerpted from Dog Tricks for Dummies, published by Howell Book House, Wiley Publishing Inc., Indianapolis, Ind. Copyright 2002. Reprinted with permission.
