New Puppy-Need collar

[KimberleyHabel]

Hello,

I just rescued a puppy that was born at the shelter. I am working on potty training and so far so good, I think. Still having mistakes but that is probably my fault. I was just wondering what is the best collar to get the little guy (for now little, we think he is lab/pit mix). I have read different opinions. Regular collar, pinch collar, harness? Any help would be greatly appreciated. 

[Adrienne]

Hi there, 

Welcome to the forums!

I would definitely suggest to skip the pinch collar due to potential for negative effects and for a pup this young. If this is a very young pup (younger that 5-6 months), a regular collar may work best as you introduce the basics of leash walking. If instead, this is an older puppy that already is starting to pull with force, you may find the use of front-attachment harness helpful. Side note: Never keep a puppy or dog wearing a collar inside a crate! There have been sad accidents this way. 

Make sure to read these basics to get your pup used to wearing collars:

Put the collar on right prior to feeding the pup his meals, or right prior to playing with a new toy, or right prior playing some brain games or training or right prior exploring in the yard, or right prior having some fun guests over. Then, right before these enjoyment activities are about to end, we can remove the collar before the pup returns to focusing on it. The word before is emphasized here because we don't want to be late and have to wait for the pup to stop trying to take it off on his own to remove it. 

Tip: Try to put the collar on before mealtime and keep it on during the meal. Remove it once your dog is done eating. With time, the collar will become a cue that food is coming! Just like a bib!

And before your vet gives the green light for walks, (after completing vaccinations usually), start conditioning him to giving in to leash pressure, here's how: 

Sit on the couch while he is wearing his collar and leash. Gently tug a bit on the leash and at the same time show him a kibble from your hand. The moment he gives in to the leash pressure moving in direction of the kibble, praise and give him the kibble. Rinse and repeat several times, until he gives signs of knowing that he should give in to the pressure rather than oppose to it. 

Then, try this same exercise standing up. Walk a bit  away from him and gently tug a bit on the leash and show him the kibble from your hand. The moment he gives in to the leash pressure moving in direction of the kibble, praise and give him the kibble. 

Next raise criteria, and start showing the kibble in heel position next to your knee. Follow the instructions in this guide: 

https://www.braintraining4dogs.com/members/brain-training/obedience-101/heeling-attention-heeling/

Hope this helps,

Happy training!

Best,

Adrienne