Dog Training Collars

During our years of helping clients to train their dogs, we frequently encounter concerns and issues with trying to walk their dog. Do any of these sound familiar?

• My dog pulls when walking
• My dog jumps on other people 
• My dog barks like a nut when we walk past other dogs
• My dog lunges at other dogs 

These unwanted behaviours make walking your dog an unpleasant chore! 

They can easily be solved with training and the right tools such as a good dog training collar.

When we say “dog training collar”, many people have visions of those shock collars with remote controls or those wild-looking prong collars and think, “No WAY! Dog training collars are CRUEL!” 

We couldn’t agree more! There are some dog training collars that seem cruel and we don’t recommend them. We never recommend pinch collars, e-collars (electronic) or choke collars and here’s why…

If it causes pain, we are NOT INTERESTED! There is no need to ever hurt a dog to train it!

Are dog training collars safe?

Instead of hurting a dog to get its attention, we can instead take advantage of a dog’s natural instincts and hearing in order to first disrupt his unwanted behaviour and then redirect him to a desired behaviour. Using the principle that where a dog’s head is pointed, his body will follow, we often help our clients use dog training collars such as the Halti or Martingale collars.

Our favorite safe dog training collar is called the Canny Collar. They were invented by a horse trainer who understood that if we were able to redirect an animal, it was easier to train him in the correct behaviour. And if someone can get an animal as large as a horse to behave without pain or cruelty, we know they’re onto something great!

The Canny Collar is imported from the UK and is terrific because it steers the dog in an ergonomic fashion drawing the nose down when the dog pulls on the leash. When the dog stops pulling or lunging, he releases the pressure himself so he can lift his head as he would prefer. Then a praising voice from the owner can positively reinforce the behaviour.

This immediate reinforcement is one of the keys to training a dog to stop pulling or jumping.

The CannyCollar helps a dog walk with head held high which is very helpful in behavioural changes. This is a very humane collar and it doesn’t physically hurt the dog.  

How does a dog training collar work?

Proper fit

The Canny Collar comes in 7 different sizes. This means if you are looking for a small breed dog training collar or even for something large enough to fit a Mastiff, it’s easy to find the right size collar that will work for your dog.

It needs to be a correct fit to work properly. First you’ll put the collar portion around your dog’s neck. It should fit snugly with room for one of your fingers to fit between the collar and his neck. You want it snug enough that it can’t slip off over his head if he pulls.

Next, you’ll attach the leash to both lead rings. Then you’ll reach around the front of this lead and pull it loose, away from the collar, creating a loop. This part of the lead forms the snout harness. This front portion of the harness goes around your dog’s snout by loosening it, then lifting it over his nose and into position. Once in position, you’ll adjust the yellow “guider” making sure it sits under your dog’s jaw. This will still allow him to open his mouth and pant.

Dogs like to walk where their nose points them

The point of the CannyCollar is that when your dog pulls, the harness tightens automatically and causes your dog’s nose to point downward. As soon as he stops pulling, it automatically loosens and allows him to move forward with his head raised.. Your voice praising him is a positive reinforcement to let the dog know that this is the desired action: stop pulling or barking or lungeing and jumping.

If the dog does not stop pulling, the harness allows you to gently pull on your leash or hold your leash steady, which guides your dog’s nose downward, which they do not like. 

It’s awkward for them to walk with their nose and snout pointed at the ground. By nature, they like to look where they are going, but if their head is pointed downward, this impedes and distracts their ability to do that. 

These dog training collars psychologically encourage the dog to change his behaviour because they never want to meet others with their head down. This is a very different approach than something like a Halti collar, which instead pulls the dog’s head to the side. If you’ve ever had to take your dog to a chiropractor, you’ll understand the importance of the downward training motion (which is a more natural and safer movement) as it relates to comfort and safety for your dog during training.

When a dog realizes they can’t see ahead of themselves, their instinct will be distracted and to stop pulling, which loosens the harness and should trigger your positive reinforcement of “Yes!” or “Good dog!”, as soon as they let up. 

When this reinforcement is IMMEDIATE, it  helps dogs to quickly learn the desired behaviour of walking without pulling, especially when coupled with other training techniques that we can teach you.

Use it as a training aid to teach your dog to walk nicely

When training your dog to walk with the CannyCollar, after you’ve put it on, you’ll walk with your dog and as soon as he begins to pull, you’ll gently pull and then release the leash. Your pulling motion should not be hard or forceful. It should be in a horizontal motion, parallel to your dog’s backbone. 

The first sessions should be short, allowing him to get used to the idea and sound of the collar. You’ll both need time to get used to how the leash works. The CannyCollar will be used in conjunction with other training tools in your homework toolbox to help your dog become a well-mannered walker.

For more information about the CannyCollar and how to fit one on your dog, you can visit their website or check out the video they made which shows how to put on the harness. 

If you’d like a helpful and effective dog training collar for small, medium or large breed dogs, Furry Logic Home Dog Training is a distributor of CannyCollar in Calgary and surrounding areas. We carry all sizes of CannyCollar. Just contact us to get one for your dog!