The Safetpet Blog

There are varying opinions concerning the collar to use for puppy training. Many advocate the use of a choke chain as a way to get the puppy’s attention and teach him or her not to pull against the leash. Others advocate a round collar made from leather, while still others will only use a flat surface collar.

Choke Chain

The choke chain, if used wrong can be damaging, especially to a puppy who is still much more fragile in the neck area than an adult dog. A choke chain isn’t supposed to be used to choke the animal. It’s the sound more than anything else that is supposed to get the animal’s attention. If the animal is moving ahead on you, a quick jerk and release on the chain (not real hard) will make a loud noise as the chain runs through the loop, the animal will feel the tightening around the neck and then the release. Letting an animal pull against the choke chain on a constant basis could be damaging and even life threatening.

Round Leather Collar

A round leather collar works more directly on the neck, it doesn’t make any warning noise but the roundness can be a bit severe on the neck when pulled over and over again.

Flat Wide Collar

Many people stay with the wide flat collar with puppies so that their neck is not damaged, the drawback of the flat wide collar is that the animal can pull against it with basically no repercussions from the owner. In the end, you will need to make your own informed decision.