Have you ever thought about the different accessories that are available for your dog? The options are endless. Just think about it, you have regular dog collars, designer dog collars, dog leashes, dog leads and of course, dog harnesses. How is one to decide? The differences are many, but the outcome of the usage is the same, a very happy dog!
Making your dog happy is the ultimate goal of accessorizing your walk. When thinking of walking your dog, you, the pet owner have many choices to make between dog collars, harnesses and leads. You make ask yourself, “What difference does it make?” To you and your dog, having the right dog collar, leash, lead or harness can make all the difference in the world.
There are basically three types of dog collars: the traditional dog collar, the designer collar and the contemporary collar. All of the different types of collars have a use and a unique purpose. However, choosing the right one for you and your dog can be very time consuming.
The traditional dog collar is just that, “traditional.” It fits around the dog’s neck and holds the dog tags and of course, the dog leash or dog’s lead. As with most products, dog collars come in a variety of sizes, shapes and colors. The color and shape that you choose are unique to you and your dog. However, the size of the dog collar is very important. You should be able to fit the dog collar around the dog’s neck and have enough room to place two fingers under the collar.
The designer collar has flair! This type of dog collar makes you and your dog feel like a million dollars. The designs for the collars are very upscale and provide flash and appeal. These dog collars add a flash of class to your walk. In addition to get a designer dog collar, you can also purchase designer dog leads, leashes, and harnesses.
A designer dog lead can look great, but it must also be strong. Having a strong dog lead can change your walk.
When you are looking for the perfect dog collar consider what you want to get out of the collar. Does it need to be strong or should it just look good? Of course, this is a personal decision and should be based solely on the needs of the dog owner. To get a true perspective of what works best for the average dog walker, I visited a local dog park and asked a few questions to five different dog walkers using different accessories for dogs.
The first dog walker I interviewed was Michele. She was walking not one, but three dogs at the same time! I asked her how she did it and she showed me the unique dog leash that she uses. It has an individual dog leash for each dog connected together to form one dog leash. It was amazing to watch her walk her dogs around the park. Additionally, she attributed the ease of the walk on her dogs to the use of harnesses. She prefers dog harnesses to your typical dog collars. Her dogs were all a little older and heavier and the harnesses make the walking much easier on the dog’s body.
The next walker in the park was Jill. She was walking two black chow mixes. She had a very nice leather dog collar on each dog. Her girls(her dogs), also had matching harnesses with a lead attached. She said that she prefers to have the leather dog collars in addition to the harnesses. She only uses the harnesses when she’s walking her dogs. She prefers to continue using the leather dog collars in addition to the harnesses. She keeps the identification tags for each dog on their individual leather dog collar.
As I looked across the dog park, I noticed this lady with a small puppy and an unusual collar. So, I approached her and questioned what her puppy was wearing. She smiled and explained that it was a dog training collar. It was different in size than a typical dog collar, but it was made very sturdy and designed for the puppy that needs to learn to walk on a typical dog collar with a leash. The dog training collar appeared to fit the dog perfectly and was made to encourage the average dog walker to get their out puppy out and about with little ease.
The last two people I approached at the park had similar, but different means to walking their dogs. The first one was a gentleman that was walking about four dogs at once. His name was Bill and his dogs were well behaved and walking in the park without a dog leash. This totally amazed me. I asked Bill how he had managed to train them to do this. He was very pleased to tell me about the approach that he used years ago. He stated that he had started each dog out with a training dog collar and leash. According to Bill, the dog leash was the key to using the dog training collar correctly. He stated that if the dog leash and the collar were not used together correctly, then the whole process would not work. After watching Bill walk his four dogs at the same time, I believe that he may have had a point.
The final person I spoke with in the park was Martha. She was walking two beagles. Each beagle had a leather dog collar in addition to a harness. I asked her why she chose to use both and her answer was simple. She stated that she liked the security of using both at the same time. She said if they get out of either the dog collar or dog harness then she has the other as a backup. Her dogs seemed to enjoy the combination and seemed very content with their accessories.
As I left the dog park, I walked around the city park looking and noticing what people were using to walk their dogs. I counted to myself as I walked. I saw fifteen people walking around the park with dogs and each of them had a similar, but didn’t approach to walking their dog (dogs in some cases). I noticed that ten people only used a typical dog collar and leash. Whereas, five used a combination of a dog harness and collar. I noticed that most of these people were the people that had the larger and stronger dogs, but a a couple of them had smaller dogs.
At this point, I decided to see who was using what kind of dog leads or leashes. Of the fifteen people walking their dogs, five had a regular dog leash and ten people used a retractable dog leash. The retractable dog leashes are made to allow the dogs to have a little more freedom, but yet maintain a sense of control for the dog’s owner.
As was discussed earlier, having a happy well exercised dog is what accessorizing your dog’s walk all is about. How you walk your dog and how often, will depend on you and the time that you have available. The accessories you use as completely up to you. Walking your dog should not be seen as difficult or a boring task.
We have now looked at dog collars, dog leashes, dog leads, dog training collars and of course, dog harnesses. Using one over the other is not the issue, but using the right dog accessory or lead for you and your dog is the key to a successful walk and exercise program.
Walking your dog successfully will definitely depend of the type of dog lead or leash that you use. Having a nice dog collar or dog harness will definitely make it easier. As you go to your local pet store or local retailer, you need to think about what you want and what will be best for both you and your pet. Additionally, you may want to look at the price and what will be the best price for you.
When looking at the pricing for your accessories. As you know, you always get what you pay for. If you are looking to purchase a cheaper dog collar or dog harness, then you are going to get a dog collar that is probably not very sturdy and probably will not last long. Whereas, if you pay a little more for your dog collar or dog harness, then you will probably get a little more sturdy of a collar or harness. The sturdiness of your dog collar and dog harness will ensure that your dog is safer and most often more comfortable.
How do you know what is the best buy for your money? Once again, that is only a question that you can answer. Dog collars, dog leashes, dog leads, and dog harnesses all come in a variety of sizes, types and material. The size of the dog collar depends on your dog. Remember when you purchase a dog collar; you need to leave enough room for two fingers to slip under. This will ensure that your dog can breathe and function with the collar around his or heck neck. Additionally, the materials that are used in the dog collars, dog harnesses, dog lead and dog trainers will make a great deal of difference in the durability and strength of what you are purchasing and therefore what you will pay. A leather dog collar will cost a lot more than a typical dog collar made out of a light material. This also holds true for a leash or lead. A chain lead or leash will be a lot more expensive than a leash made out of just material. It is just like anything else in this world, you get what you pay for. If you want a strong dog collar, then you need to make sure the dog collar is made out of a material that is meant to last and be durable.
As you have read through this article, I have you have been able to think about the different accessories that are available for your dog? As you know, the options are endless and the price that you pay for the accessories will vary depending on what you want and expect from the product. Dog leads, leashes, collars, harnesses, and other accessories are all meant to help you give your dog a great opportunity to exercise and enjoy his life. You, as the pet owner also will benefit from choosing the best dog accessory for both you and your pet.
You have a wide variety and endless options for choosing the best dog collar and harness for your dog. Additionally, you also have a bigger decision to make when it comes to what types, prices, and sizes that you will find are the best for you and your dog. This has to be your decision, but it also has to be the best decision for you and your dog. Remember, you have the following to choose from; your typical regular dog collars, designer dog collars, dog leashes, dog leads and of course, dog harnesses. You are now wondering how is one to decide which one is right and which one is wrong. Just remember, the differences are many, but the outcome of the usage of the dog collars, leads, leashes, and dog harnesses are the same, a very happy dog!
Having a very happy and well exercised dog will make your dog much happier and it will also make you, the pet owner, much happier.
Furthermore, making your dog happy is the ultimate goal of accessorizing your walk. When you are thinking of walking your dog, you, the pet owner have many choices to make between dog collars, harnesses and leads. You make ask yourself, “What difference does it make?” Remember, to you and your dog, having the right dog collar, leash, lead or harness can make all the difference in the world.