DOGS TRAINING TOOLS

1. Choke Collar 

The choke collar is a length of material ( most often chain links ) with a large circular ring on either end.

The chain is slid through one of these rings and it is slid over the dog's head. When the dog displays an undesirable behavior the collar is "jerked" or "checked." This is primarily used in traditional dog training.

2. Prong ( or Pinch ) Collar
The prong collar is made of metal links that fit together by connecting through long teeth that point inward toward the dog’s neck. A section of this collar is made of a loop of chain links that tighten the collar when pulled, thus creating a harsh poking sensation on the dog's neck. This collar is mainly used in traditional dog training.

3. Electronic Collars
Electronic collars that are generally controlled via remote, these collars include :

• Electronic shock
• Citronella
• Audio collars

The shock collar sends an electronic shock to the dog’s neck at the will of the trainer. The intensity of the shock can usually be changed from very slight to a more extreme sensation. The Citronella and audio collars are similar except the Citronella collar sprays an odor that most dogs find offensive and the audio collar emits a sound so high pitched that humans cannot hear it and most dogs do not like the sound. These collars are most often employed in traditional dog training.

4. Martingale Collar
The martingale collar is a collar that has only a section on it that will tighten when pulled. This is different from the choke collar that will tighten indefinitely.

5. Treat
The treat is anything food given to your dog, that your dog likes, while training is being done. This is often the primary tool for those doing positive reinforcement training.

6. Clicker
The clicker is a plastic box with a metal tongue inside of it. When the tongue is depressed and then released, a "clicking" noise is made. This tool is a way of marking a behavior as a desirable one and is generally used in positive reinforcement dog training.

7. Head Collar
The head collar is very similar in idea and structure to a halter on a horse. The theory behind it is that if you have control of the head, you have control of the body.

The head collar generally consists of two loops : 

• One loop goes behind the ears
• The other goes over the dog's nose and hey meet somewhere below the dog's jaw

This tool will not teach the dog to not pull on the leash, but rather make it more difficult for the dog to do so while it is wearing the head collar. This tool is usually employed during positive reinforcement training.

8. No Pull Harness
The no-pull harness, like any harness is worn on the body of the animal. The no-pull harness can be made several different ways. The focus here will not be put on the construction of the harness but on the purpose behind it. The no-pull harness differs significantly from the standard harness in one very fundamental way; it stops the pulling ( or makes it harder for the dog to pul ) where as the standard harness facilitates pulling and actually allows the dog to pull harder because it more evenly distributes the weight the dog is pulling over it’s back and shoulders, in comparison to the standard neck collar that concentrates all of the weight on the dog’s neck. 

The no-pull harness will restrict the movement of the dog’s body when the dog pulls on the leash. Like the head collar, the no pull harness does not teach the dog from pulling on the leash; it only makes it harder for the dog to pull while the dog is wearing the harness. This harness is generally used during positive reinforcement training. 

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