Which type of collar?

Question

I have a boxer, he's only about 4 months right now. Currently i am using a softer nylon type colllar, but he's about ready for a new one. Are certain materials better than others? is he too young for a leather color, and are those less comfortable for dogs? I am just curious what the best type of collar all around is.

Answer 1

I like to use the slip collar that I get for $6 at WalMart. they are nylon webbing, and adjust to fit the dog as he grows. they work like a choke chain, to become tighter if the dog pulls, but much more comfortable than a chain. I also like the Martingale collar, ( also nylon) as it also tightens when the dog pulls, but is limited in how much it will tighten..
this is one type of martingale> http://www.ldsleather.com/collarimages/black_martingale_collar_210x162.jpg
this is another> http://www.orchardkennels.com/store/collars/martingale_sample.jpg
this is one type of slip collar> http://www.culpeppers.co.uk/products/collars/photos/Slip%20collar%20movement.jpg
this is the kind I get at Walmart> http://www.collarsandleads.co.uk/images/Slip_Collar_200_pic.jpg

The advantages to the nylon collars, is the ease to keep them clean..

Answer 2

A rolled leather collar is great but you should wait until he is full grown. He will out grow it and odds are he is pulling still which will just damage the collar.

Leather is by far the best for the dog because it doesn't damage the coat, nylon will damage the coat. A simple buckle collar is enough for his day to day life. If you train him to be outdoors off leash he either needs one that can break if it snags or one that can turn via a ring.

There are more specialist collars such as the one I have with a built in handle for agitation or fly ball. I saw a neat one the other day that has an elastic handle to grab and walk the dog in an emergency. Right know just get another soft nylon adjustable buckle collar and when he is older get him his fancy leather one.

Good luck and good question.

Oh yeah harnesses, until he does not pull on a collar don't put him in a chest harness or you will just give him more pulling power. If you want to put him in a harness I would really insist on leather.

My service dog only wear leather harnesses because of the amount of damage to the coat that occurs with nylon. Anyone who disagrees with me should look at the guard hairs under the nylon collar, they are always broken. The dog is alway itchy under it and if you have a short haired dog (like my last pit bull) you can actually wear the dogs hair off and give them painful sores.

Answer 3

We use leather buckle collars on all our dogs. The collar holds the tags and is quite comfortable. We don't purchase collars until the dog is at least 10 months old (close to full grown).
We use chain choke collars for training. It's only worn when we work our dogs.
We also have inexpensive nylon collars that our dogs wear when they're in the water (no tags). They don't get ruined when they're wet and they give us a quick way to ID our dogs.
Our dogs do not wear collars all the time (although rare, there are cases where playing dogs had terrible accidents). They're only worn when we travel together or go for walks.
Except for leather collars, they're all fairly cheap (compared to most other dog supplies), so buy a few collars and find out what works best for you.
Good luck.

Answer 4

I'm a big fan of nylon, especially the clasp kind vs the buckle (just in case your dog is out and gets caught on something when you aren't around, so he can get out eventually and not choke). I don't like harnasses as, although they may be easier on the throat, they don't teach your dog to walk on a leash properly and now's the time to teach them as a pup when they are smaller than later when they are big. I have found the best collar maker is Lupine - not only do they come in beautiful collars and types, they have a variety of sizes, some have the choke built into them which is nice, especially w/ hyper breed dogs, and if your dog ever chews it up or destroys it (puppies love to chew!), Lupine replaces them 100%. They are awesome!

Answer 5

I agree that harnesses are safer for puppies. Until your dog is leash trained it may pull too hard on a collar and injure it trachea. Once it has some nice leash manners I would switch to a flat collar. I use both nylon and leather and change them every few weeks. My pup doesn't seem to mind or prefer either he does fine with both.

Answer 6

I would use the nylon type but if you are walking him you might want to try a no pull harnest or the type of harnest that goes around his sholders and belly i think they are better than a collar for walking the dog. Collars are good to keep there id tags on.

Answer 7

You should get him a harness, puppies and smaller dogs can damage their throats buy pulling against a collar and I find it easier to keep control of my little spaz when we are out walking. I don't know of a difference in certain collars though. You might want to consult somebody who works at the pet store because they might get ones returned more often for lack of quality.

Answer 8

Leather collars can become stiff when they get wet. I used to buy top quality leather collars & used to clean them with saddle soap & then used dubbing to keep them supple. It became too much like hard work, so now I have soft webbing. They last a lifetime & when they get really dirty I put them in my coat pocket & wash them in the washing machine. Come out looking like new!

Answer 9

Don't put a harness on him dogs seem to pull more when they are wearing a harness.
I have Rottweilers and they are similar to the boxer as far as strength goes.
I have found that for my rotties a martingale collar works the best.
If you go to purchase one be sure it says martingale not premier they look similar but the work different.

Answer 10

I always get an adjustable nylon collar because it is soft on their neck, not too expensive and it can double in size because I am sure that your pups neck is still growing!