There are so many collars out there on the market today, it's enough to make your head swim. How do you know which collar is the right one for you? Should I use a collar or a harness? Should I buy leather or nylon?  Just what is a training collar and if I'm going to buy one, which one is right for my dog? Selecting the right collar or harness for your dog can be a confusing job.  Each one has its own unique qualities and benefits. Hopefully this information will help you to make the right choice.

First off, you need to look at your dog's behavior, size and personality before making any decision at all. You're not going to want the same kind of collar for a poodle that you would for a Mastiff, or use the same style collar to show your dog off at family reunion than you would for training, agility or hunting. The right product for you is going to be determined by your dog's particular needs and the occasion you are using it for. Some general comparisons and descriptions of the various types of collar and harnesses should help.

Buckle Collars Vs. Quick-Snap Collars
A  Buckle Collar is your standard belt-like collar with holes for adjusting the size. Once fastened, they do not tighten on your dog's neck. Most leather collars use buckle fasteners, but they're also made in nylon and can come in a variety of colors. The biggest advantage of the buckle collar is that it generally gives you more latitude for adjusting the size. Quick-Snap Collars are flat collars with a plastic fasteners that snap on and off. These collars can also be made larger or smaller by pulling the strap to adjust the size.The biggest advantage of the Quick-Snap collar is its name. With merely a "quick-snap" of your finger, the collar is on. They are convenient and very easy to use.

Nylon Collars Vs. LeatherCollars
Nylon Collars are a great choice for dogs who are going to be in or around water or playing where they are apt to get dirty. Nylon dog collars are machine washable, shrink-free, surprisingly durable and they come in a variety of bright colors. Generally speaking, they are also less expensive than your standard leather collar. Leather Collars, however,  are also very durable. The are comfortable, long-lasting and become pleasantly soft as the oils from your dog's skin work to soften them. Leather collars stand the test of time being considered the "collar of choice" for your standard dog collar, especially in Hollywood!

Rolled Collars Vs. Flat Collars
Rolled Collars are leather collars that are narrow and rolled. Originally made for the smaller breeds becasue of their size, they are now made suitable for any size dog. The biggest advantage of a rolled collar is that it keeps the hair from lying flat against the coat and prevents matting around the neck area. A rolled collar is recommended for longhaired dogs - especially suitable for Collies, Shelties, Border Collies, Old English Sheepdogs, and English or Irish Setters. The Flat Leather Collars lay flat like your standard collar or leash and is the shorter-haired dogs like Labs, Jack Russels, Goldens and English Pointers.

Standard Collar Vs. Harness
Although there are many, many types of collars, they all have one thing in common. Collars fit around the neck area of your dog. They are no doubt the standard choice for use because they are easy to use, practical, and offer so many different type products to fit your needs. Harnesses, on the other hand, are placed around the dog's chest and ribcage leaving nothing to touch the neck area.  If having a collar around your dog's neck is a problem, harnesses are a great choice because they never cause gagging, choking or coughing. And because the chest strap lies low across the breastbone, not on the delicate tracheal area, they are especially useful on dogs known to pull, gentle walking or when transporting dogs in a car along with the use of a car control strap. Since they serve such different needs, we suggest one of each.

Training Collars Vs. BehaviorCollars
Training Collars are specifically geared for training purposes - designed to teach your dog basic skills and manners (e.g. heeling, walking gently on a leash, coming when called etc.) and to deliver corrections when needed. Behavior Collars are designed specifically designed to correct your dog's behavior when he has misbehaved. The most common examples of behavior collars are  collars to keep him in the yard or to quiet his barking. More specific training and behavior collars are described below.

Safety Collars
Unfortunately you don't hear a lot about Safety Collars in the pet industry and that's too bad.  Considering the number of dogs who have died because they either backed out of a collar got away, weren't seen in the dark and got killed, or got their collar caught on something that injured or choked them to death. Our safety collars - the Keepsafe Break-Away Collar, Playsafe Daycare Safety Collar, Reflective Break-Away Collar, our Nite-Lite Reflective Collars and Leashes and the Premier Martingale Collar are all excellent collars for safety .For a person like myself, who doesn't want to gamble with my pets where safety is at risk,  I firmly believe that whether it's from our store or not, at least one safety collar should be a must have in your pet's household. More info below.

Martingale Collar
The Martingale Collar is a collar made to slip over the dog's head. There are no fasteners used. Once around the dog's neckthe collar lies flat but the leash is attached to a loop on the collar will consrtict the collar to the exact size of your dog's neck. The benefits of this collar is that it will not choke the dog but will  prevent him from being able to back out of a normal collar that has too much slack. These collars are often used for flyball training, agility and sled dog racing. For regular use, people like it because of the safety factor - dogs cannot back out of their collars. Our product, the Premier Collar, is claimed to be the best martingale collar on the market and is one of our best sellers. We also offer another version of the martingale - The Martingale Collar/Lead. See below.

Limited Slip Collar
Similar to the martingale, the Limited Slip Collar also slips over the dog's head and adjusts to the size of the dog's neck but it is constructed with two "O" rings on either end. The collar loops through one of the "O" rings and when pulled with the leash attached, it adjusts. See below for our Limited Slip.

Head Collar
Head Collars are extremely effective collars when training a dog, especially if your dog has the tendency to pull on his leash. The Gentle Leader Headcollar consists of two pieces: a neck strap which is positioned high up dog's neck, just above the Adam's apple and directly behind his ears. The attached nose loop is placed comfortable on his head, just beneath his eyes leaving him free to pant, bark or eat. Though the nose loop encircles your dog's head, it's important to know that it is NOT a muzzle. The function of the nose loop is to gently guide your dog where you want him to go. Because you now have control of the head, control of the body follows, making it virtually impossible for him to pull or lunge ahead! Though there are a few other headcollar systems on the market (Halti and Promise), once again Premier's Gentle Leader Headcollar and Headcollar System is widely acclaimed to be the best. See more info below.

The Choke Chain
The Choke Chain, commonly made of metal, also slips over the dog's head is used specifically for training purposes or very difficult dogs.  The primary concept of training with this collar is to "jerk and praise" - giving it a yank when your dog does not obey and praising him when he does. The problem with this fear and punishment teaching method is that because the chain puts a great deal of pressure on the dog's neck, tracheal injuries to the dog have been common and trauma for the dog is something he's not apt to forget. While there may, indeed, still be a use for this collar, in my opinion, it should only be used as a last resort and/or with the supervision of an experience trainer and I would personally rate this collar dead last! Obviously, we do not carry this collar but it still can be found on many pet store shelves.

The Pinch or Prong Collar
Like the Choke Collar, Pinch Collars also employ the "jerk and praise" method to train and correct dogs, but these collars (while the prongs sticking out on the underside of the collar look pretty mean), they have proved to be much safer than the choke collar and significant study has found very few neck/back/trachea injuries as a result of using this collar. This is because the prongs apply pressure only in the areas of the protuding "fingers" which poke out toward the dog's neck.  The feeling the dog gets is very similar to the feeling he gets fas a pup from his mother when she picks him up by the back of the neck to correct him. That being said, however, you do need to know that this collar is only a training tool and should only be used with proper instruction. It should never be used on puppies. We do not carry this product.

Electronic (Shock) Behavior Collars
There are numerous types of Electronic (Shock) Collars - collars to keep their dogs in the yard, collars to control their excessive barking and remote dog trainers to control their behavior in the house.  They learn through correction and their correction is a mild electric shock.  Though in most cases the shock is harmless and the trauma minimal, the devices are expensive and the consequences could be devastating should it be improperly used. You have to decide whether it's worth it or not to take the risks.  We do not carry this product.

Citronella Spray Behavior Collars
Very similar in use to the Electronic Shock Collars, the Cirtonella Spray Products (Anti-Bark, Spray Commander Remote Dog Trainer, Virtual Barrier and Virtual Fence) also use correction as a method for training you dog to avoid excessive barking, stay in the yard, stay within certain boundaries of the house and behave as you want him to. the main difference is that these products do not correct with shock. They correct with a harmless spray of citronella which to us is odorless but to the dog the smell is quite unpleasant. The same ends are met. The means of correction is just different. We do carry this product and you can see more info below.

Fashion, Design, Economical, Convenient and  Easy-to-Use Collars
This category describes every other collar that does not necessarily have a safety, behavior or training purpose. But that doesn't make them any less important. When it's time to take Fido to that family reunion, go on a family vacation, or just go out for fun, you're going to want to dress him or up in something nice. Our collars comes in all price ranges and styles, so you are sure to find something that will fit your best friend's personality and style. See below for more info.