Please Help: How Should I Train My Puppy?

[Cindy]

martingale collar. They make it harder to back out of, since the Sheltie has a smaller head than neck a regular collar won't work. If you have ever seen what Greyhounds wear, it's just like that but not as wide.
You can get them at any pet store. Once the pup is all grown, you can look into getting a fancier one (leather or whatever). I never have because you never see my boy's collar under his ruff

 

[SKNerissa]

I agree with Cindy - I love the martigales for my Service Dog who's a sheltie. He's finished training but will slip a flat collar for the fun of showing off that he can get out of it on his own. The martingale prevents that.

 

[Cara Sandler]

My girls both wear collars, with their tags on them, but when I walk them they go out on a harness. I don't ever attach a leash to the collar.

 

[SKNerissa]

My guy can easily slip a harness. We've tried 5 different styles and he slipped them all when he was in training. Now he doesn't make the effort and I use one around the yard since it isn't fenced and our stratta insists on dogs being leashed. With the harness I don't have to worry about a collar yanking on his neck if the lline catches on something. I like the Comfort Flex harness as I find it the least restrictive and most comfortable for Riley.

 

[Cara Sandler]

My guy can easily slip a harness. We've tried 5 different styles and he slipped them all when he was in training. Now he doesn't make the effort and I use one around the yard since it isn't fenced and our stratta insists on dogs being leashed. With the harness I don't have to worry about a collar yanking on his neck if the lline catches on something. I like the Comfort Flex harness as I find it the least restrictive and most comfortable for Riley.

Spirit wears a BrilliantK9 harness - she has never managed to slip out of that one. Maybe I've just always gotten lucky ;-)

https://brilliantk9.com/

 

[Caro]

My guy can easily slip a harness. We've tried 5 different styles and he slipped them all when he was in training.

That's interesting. Deska always wore a harness if we were near cars or a car park because he can slip out of any collar (including martingales). He was such a sneak and knew just the right angle to slip out, he's never got out of a harness. Nowadays, being old and usually less stupid I just use the martingale; unless I want to use a flexi-lead so he can 'potter' (only put a flexi on a harness).

Tully has managed to wriggle out of car harnesses in less than a minute, but she doesn't get out of harnesses when walking. She hates harnesses and will runaway when I get them out (despite doing flyball in a harness) so I don't bother. She has really thick neck fur so is unlikely to slip a martingale.

When competing (except for flyball) the dogs always had to wear a flat collar - no martingale. We also are not allowed to wear martingales for out Delta therapy visits (which is stupid). As puppies mine just wore flat collars until they grew their ruffs, and we always always trained in a flat collar.

 

[Piper's mom]

When Piper was really young I just used a regular collar as the martingales were too big for him plus it took a little time for him to get used to a collar (although that was easier than the leash, he hated the leash lol). However you may have different stores that may carry the martingale in which case I'd go with that.

 

[SKNerissa]

We also are not allowed to wear martingales for out Delta therapy visits (which is stupid).

I am on the board of directors for the Pets and People Visiting Society and Riley and I do therapy dog visits through this group. Our society has a policy against the use of martingale collars with chain as the moving chain can and has cause damage to fragile skin. We do accept martingale collars that are all webbing. We started with this society because they are one of few that allow service dogs.