Martingale Collars

Also known as the greyhound or whippet collar, these collars were originally designed for greyhounds because their necks are larger than their heads and can often slip out of traditional side-release collars. These collars have gained in popularity across all breeds for being humane, as they limit the amount of pressure that can be applied and hang loosely when they are not being pulled. They are great to use both in training and on a daily basis, particularly for dogs prone to pulling.

Head Halter Collars

See Chapter 9, “Living in the Solution,” and reference the section “Pulling/Halting on Leash” for a detailed description. Head halters are excellent for high-energy, pulling, and reactive dogs. The collar is effective in redirecting a reactive dog because it leads the dog by the muzzle.

Harnesses

Although I’m not a big proponent of harnesses, they do have their application with dogs under ten pounds in weight and dogs with trachea issues. I much prefer harnesses where the leash clips around the dog’s chest as opposed to those that clip to the upper back.

There are dozens of tools for training dogs. Extension leashes, prong collars, remote collars, clickers, among the full suite of products that are offered everywhere. I typically don’t endorse or oppose any tool so long as it’s used properly and humanely. I’ve noticed some of the newer products have a bit of a learning curve, so be sure to have a handle on how they work before use. All dogs learn and respond differently and owners will find that some things work better for them than others. Remember, it’s the owner and her technique, not the tool, that does the training.