Choosing a Dog Collar

Fashionability aside, there are a huge number of different dog collars to choose from. How do you know which one is best for your furry friend? Before choosing a dog collar, it helps to know a little bit about the different types and what they’re used for.

Nylon Dog Collars
Nylon dog collars the the most popular, as they’re cheap and easy to use. They come in a wide variety of colors and tend to last for years; in most cases, this is all you need. Generally you’ll only want something other than a nylon collar for a specific purpose.

Leather Dog Collars
Many people find the look of leather dog dollars pleasant, especially on “tough dogs”. These collars often start out tough and soften from the moisture in the dog’s skin. These are similar in design to nylon collars.

Dog Harnesses
A dog harness is more trouble to get on and off than a collar, but it eliminates the possibility of the collar choking the dog; it also can make the dog easier to get a hold of! The harness goes around the shoulders and ribs and behind the front legs; as a result, when the dog pulls, the leash puts pressure on his upper body rather than his neck. These are also helpful for dogs who have bad backs, as the harness keeps the dog from popping his back when he fights the leash. Thus, these can be considered safer than traditional collars. The disadvantage is that they’re also easier to get to; one of the author’s dogs has chewed through several harnesses!

Dog Halter
Unlike the other collars we discussed, a halter is not meant for wearing constantly, but is generally used when walking the dog. The halter is similar to a nylon collar, but with a nose loop; if the dog tries to pull while walking, the nose loop pulls him to the side, bringing him to a quick stop. With this, even a small person can control a larger dog, as his pulling force is redirected against him; kind of like doggie judo! In the author’s experience, this annoys the dog, but doesn’t hurt him.

Whichever collar (or collars) you get, be sure to get the correct size; fitting Fido with a collar that is either too loose or too tight can be dangerous to his health. A correctly-sized collar should be comfortable for the dog and, along with proper dog tags, goes a long way towards keeping him safe. Dog collars should be inspected periodically to ensure they are neither overly worn nor incorrectly sized; if he could talk, your four-legged friend would thank you!

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Get A GPS Collar For Your Dog

Dogs are able to cover a large distance quite fast, and if they can’t find their way back they can easily become lost. GPS Dog Collars were first used by people who were hunting and needed to have a way to locate their dogs after using them in a hunt. GPS technology used to be very costly and only very dedicated dog owners would buy a GPS Dog Collar for use when they were hunting.  However, these collars have come down in price and now many hunters have invested in them. Even average dog owners like to get these collars especially if they have a dog that is always trying to escape so he can go explore. Now you can easily find your dog if it leaves your property, and if some cruel person tries to steal your dog, you will be able to find your dog again.

The Dog Collar GPS has two basic parts, the receiver and the transmitter. Every dog collar transmits a signal that bounces off a satellite and gives off a location signal which goes to your receiver. In some types of collars, the radio signal goes first to the receiver and then the receiver sends a signal to the satellite. Some of these systems work with a home computer and some use a hand held receiver. There are GPS tracker systems for dogs that let you designate an area where your dog is free to roam, but if the dog goes outside this area, then you will receive a signal. With this type of system you will be able to tell whether your dog has left the area where you have been hunting, or whether it has run away from your home area.

It is advisable to purchase a velcro strap for your GPS dog collar. The reason is that the collar can easily fall off the dog so you will end up finding the collar on the ground quite easily, while your dog may be long gone. A buckle connection is a better way to attach the collar. Older types may not work well if you are hunting with small dogs in tall grass or on bigger dogs in thick woods.  Before you go out, be sure you put in a new battery, so the device doesn’t stop working when you need it. Even if you think the battery is very fresh, you may end up wishing you had replaced it.

It can be difficult to find GPS Collars at most retail stores such as Walmart or Best Buy. These collars can sometimes be purchased at big box stores that deal in hunting supplies. The best source for these collars is Amazon.com. They may be cheaper at eBay if they have been used, but remember that sometimes the used ones will not be as effective in dense bush or they may be the type that use velcro and therefore may fall off the dog.

For more info on GPS dog collars check out Frosty Pet.

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Becoming Leader of the Pack

Dogs aren’t people, no matter how much we feel they are. Freedom to a dog is to have a pack, status within the pack and a leader they can have confidence in.

Yet Fido starts protecting his food, mouthing your hands, arms or legs, won’t let you step over him when he is in the doorway, takes food from your plate while you are still eating or many other things that you don’t approve of. You accept this behavior because he’s just being a dog. What can you do about it?

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Getting a New Rottweiler Puppy to Love

If you have your heart set on getting a new Rottweiler, we have some tips that can help you choose the right puppy. Rottweiler puppies are just like any other puppies in that each litter will have a mix of different temperaments. Some of the puppies will be more dominant and some of the puppies will be more submissive. Depending on how you want your dog to act as an adult you can choose a puppy that is more dominant or more submissive to give yourself a better chance of getting a puppy that you will enjoy living with.

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Dog Kennels

The term dog kennel can refer to either an indoor shelter (such as a crate) or an outdoor shelter (such as a doghouse). Generally indoor kennels are small and made of wire or plastic so as to be light and easy to move, while outdoor kennels are made to stay in one place and may be simply a fenced area with a roof.

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Puppy Collars

Buying a new collar for your puppy is almost exactly the same as buying one for a grown dog; there are only a few differences you need to consider when choosing a puppy collar. The main one, of course, is what will happen when the puppy grows?

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Dog Training Shock Collar

Before we get into this topic, let me be clear: I don’t approve of any training method that hurts the dog. Your dog should want to obey because he loves you, not because he’s afraid of you. That said, many people are interested in electric dog training collars, so we’re going to talk about them.

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