WHAT COLLAR SHOULD I USE?

 A well-fitting collar of a non-choking type.  The fabric type with the plastic snap-clip closure is easy on the dog’s neck and won’t slip over his head if he pulls back against it. Double check that he cannot back out of it!  It has happened to me.

If you have a "hound" type, with a long slim neck and a rather narrow skull (imagine a Greyhound) they make special "hound collars" that are wider, and that are built to constrict a little bit but only a little bit, to allow you to get it over the dog's head but keep it on the neck with just a little bit of tension.  These are a style called a "Martingale" collar,  meaning it fits on a dog's neck but tightens only a little- only enough to prevent the dog from slipping out.  

"Choke chains" and "slip leads" can choke down very tightly on a dog's neck, causing discomfort and damage to the esophagus.  We don't use those and we do not use prong/pinch collars.  If you feel like you need a prong collar to keep your dog from pulling your dog should be on a harness with a leash-clip in the chest location (not on the dog's back).  Prong collars are meant to stop pulling by causing discomfort when the dog pulls and releasing the discomfort when the dog stops pulling.  This is called "negative reinforcement" (meaning the removal of the pain is reinforcing) and we don't use that because we don't have to-- we can get the same end result with positive reinforcement applied correctly.  Negative reinforcement is designed to cause unnecessary discomfort to the animal.  Think about that. Honestly, I expect more from us trainers. 

I am also a big fan of the head halter type tools -- the Halti, the Gentle Leader, etc.  These require  some conditioning sessions to make the tool a happy thing in the dog's eyes.  Remember that these have the leash attach under the chin, and should never used when the dog is dragging a leash or long line (we don't ever want a sharp sudden pull on that connection spot, which could cause a hard turn or twist on the dog's neck).  When I was raising service dogs every puppy was taught on these head halters, because disabled people often need "power steering" with a service dog and they're great for controlling the dog's direction without needing a lot of physical strength.  

I recommend having a collar on your dog even if you use a harness or a Gentle Leader head halter, because you want something with your emergency number on it in case your dog gets loose (for example, if you are home, the harness is off, and the dog escapes... if you don't have a collar on with an emergency-number tag people can't reach you easily if they find your dog).