Training Tool Recommendations
I’m often asked what I recommend in terms of the best collars, harnesses, leashes, treats, treat bags, etc. And I always tell people “it’s entirely up to you!” Ultimately YOU are the one who will be walking your dog, playing with her, and spending the most time with her, so whatever you and your dog decide works best is what’s right for you.
But I know sometimes it can be overwhelming for new pup guardians, and here is a list to help get you started with some photos and reasons why these would be my personal choices! For some things, I don’t have specific favorites…but I do recommend having one.
Collar
Not all dogs are built for collars, but if you plan to use one, I personally prefer nylon martingale collars. My favorites are made by Max and Neo, and you can get them directly from their site (and they have a guarantee!) I do ask that you never have a martingale collar so tight that when it is at its tightest, it pinches. Rather, it should just fit flat for safety if your dog is one to try to slip his collar by backing out of it. I do not prefer collars for walking, for many reasons. When a dog pulls on his collar, at worst, it can result in injury. At best, it can create stress, and result in your dog pulling even harder to get away from it.
Harness
Finding the right harness can be incredibly overwhelming. For all dogs, I haven’t found anything I like more than the Freedom No Pull Harness. The adjustability alone makes for the perfect fit. I love the martingale design on the back loop. Many trainers will use the front ring as well for control, but I find it to be unnecessary. It also comes in all sorts of color options!
Leash
A leash is a leash is a leash, right? Wrong. I LOVE having options. I prefer 6’ for walking, but it’s nice to have a comfy extra neoprene handle or two, to shorten it up for high traffic situations. Durability is also paramount, and reflective material? Bonus! This one by Max and Neo is the best I’ve found, for all those reasons, but one more great big one…They have a one-for-one program where they donate a product to a rescue for every product purchased. BOOM.
Long Line
A long line is exactly what it sounds like - basically a very long leash. To avoid injury, I do prefer it be flat nylon, like a regular leash…just longer, and with at least one handle. Some of them have extra rings and connectors, which is nice. I don’t particularly have a favorite product here, but I *do* prefer at least 20ft for a long line. Typically, I like a 6ft lead, so anything under 20’ doesn’t seem to quite be enough. You can get long lines from pet stores or online, from 15’ to 100’ and more. (This is not a flexi-lead, which I am not personally fond of.) I use a long line for Recall training and practice, off-leash work, and safety in areas we’d rather be off leash but can’t, for whatever reason.
Whistle
Whistle training is another thing I really like to do, and when done consistently can be an extremely helpful backup to a simple Recall. Sometimes dogs get a little far away from us, or we’re put in situations where they can’t see us, or hear our voices over something else. Some trainers will use a whistle as an aversive, but I prefer to create a positive association with it and go from there. First, we “charge” the whistle. This is simple, and simply Pavlovian. We are conditioning your dog to respond a certain way to the sound of the whistle. The way we do this is easy.
Get your whistle
Make sure you have a VERY high value reward that you will ONLY use directly with the whistle.
Start in a room with no distractions.
Then, whistle, treat. You can choose to blow the whistle, say the dog’s name, and treat, but basically we are not asking for a specific behavior yet.
Repeat. Repeat, Repeat…
Let your dog get distracted
Repeat
We are pairing the whistle with the most yummiest wonderfulest bestest treat in the whole wide world. If your dog is not food motivated, use a toy, or something incredibly high value to them that you will not use with any other training. For this, I use a basic referee whistle, which you can get basically anywhere. You can choose to connect it to their leash, your treat pouch, a lanyard around your neck…your choice!
Treat Pouch
Again, I don’t have a particular first choice for this…many of my clients have pouches I covet! I don’t care what you use…but I highly recommend having one.