Choosing Great Dane Collars for Training & Style

When choosing collars for obedience training, style, or the show ring...

Great Dane collars and harnesses now available @ FDT! Click on the Dane and use "Browse by Breed" about half way down on the left navigation menu :)

A training collar and sturdy lead are the key to successful results. Your equipment selection is the first step!

As we did not previously elaborate on electronic training devices, they are omitted from this article.

Basically, there are two types of collars used with leash correction training. Slip collars, often referred to as "chokers", are either made of chain or nylon, they fit loosely around the dogs neck and are tightened with a quick leash snap to apply a correction.

Prong, or pinch type collars are usually made of steel. Rubber caps are available that to cover the tips of the prongs should they cause irritation to your dog's neck. Additional pinch type collars are now available and made of plastic.

Prong Versus Slip

This is pretty much a personal preference yet their are notable differences. You may think a prong collar looks cruel and painful, in reality, they are not. Corrections may also be lighter as the collar plays off the dogs imprinted instinct of canine behavior. As mentioned previously on our training pages, a nip, or bite to the neck is a common form of establishing pack hierarchy among canines.

With a slip collar, corrections are usually harder and if you have a large, stubborn dog, they may be ineffective.

A Good Solid Lead

Tip: For a hard to find "quick release" prong collar, plus additional quality Great Dane collars & training equipment, visit fordogtrainer. They carry dog training equipment used by professionals of outstanding quality & durability.

Quality of a training lead is also very important. To apply a proper correction, you need a sturdy lead that doesn't stretch. Those cotton, or cotton blend leashes for sale at the local pet shop just won't do the trick! We recommend a 6-foot leather lead for close work, and a 30-foot, 3/4-inch leather, or 1-inch nylon web, for long work and recall training.

Fitting Great Dane Collars

Proper fit of your training collar is also very important, the dog collar preferably should sit high on the neck. This is somewhat difficult with a slip collar as they tend to rest at the base of a Danes neck. To properly size a slip collar, measure the girth of your dog's neck and add 2 to 3-inches.

Prong collars are sized by gauge, "weight and thickness", while show collars must fit high on the neck, just below the ears. The length of the collar is then adjusted by either adding, or removing individual links. Many people make the mistake of sizing a prong collar large enough to go over their dogs head.

The proper way to put on prong type Great Dane collars is to either seperate a link, or buy a collar with a quick release clasp, (Highly Recommended). The dog collar is put on as if it were a necklace and should be sized tight enough to stay high on the neck. The leash is then attached to either the "live", or "dead" ring.

Having problems keeping the collar high enough for effective corrections?, do what many trainers do. Put a thick leather collar on just below the training collar.

Very Important!Training collars must be removed after your done with training! Do not leave training devices around the neck while your dog is unattended, this can be fatal!

Additional info and photos on fitting a collar opens in a new window here.

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