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Fitting Your Dog With A Leather Collar

My wife and I have a part-time business training dogs. We specialize in training retrievers for hunting. When at all possible we train the owners at the same time as their dogs. Through the years I have been surprised how many people purchase ill-fitting collars for their pets. With numerous collar choices to choose from, we have found that the best type to purchase is a leather dog collar. Leather collars last a long time and seem to be comfortable for the dog.

Leather dog collars come in a variety of lengths and widths. It is important to purchase a collar that is wide enough, but not too wide that the dog is limited in their movement. Many people make the mistake of purchasing a leather collar in length longer than is needed for a puppy. They figure the puppy will grow into the collar. No doubt the puppy will, however having too long of a tag end could result in the tag and the puppy getting snagged on something. We suggest buying a nylon collar for the puppy. Once the puppy has reached its adult size a leather collar can be purchased to ensure a proper fit.

Many people like the option of using a choke collar on their dogs, especially for training to walk on a leash. We recommend using a choke collar only during training and then switch back to a leather or nylon collar. The reason for this is a metal choke collar can discolor the dog’s fur, especially when the fur gets wet. Retrievers spend a great deal of time in the water so their fur is often wet.

The main disadvantage of leather dog collars is they can develop an odor from the oils in the dog’s coat. Frequently cleaning the collar with leather cleaner helps reduce the odor and also increases the life of the leather. We often remove their collars when our dogs are in the water. This preserves the collar and reduces the risk that they could get snagged on something while in the water. When your dog is well trained, you do not have to rely on controlling them with their collar. A well trained dog responds to verbal commands. A collar is needed so the dog can be identified if he is lost, and when walking with a leash, it should not be your means to control behavior.

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