Most dogs wear collars on a daily basis. It’s a legal requirement for your dog to wear a collar in public places, with your address and phone number on an identification tag. Fashion, practicality and the need for restraint may be your priorities when choosing your collar, but it can also be a useful tool for training. The best dog training collars will allow you to target certain behaviour and help you to work on it.
Different training collars have different aims, for example, collars to discourage nuisance barking, stop the dog pulling on the lead, or improve his recall. Most training collars are designed to be used with leads while out and about – and some with specific dog training leads. As befits the name collar, they fit round the neck, and some also have straps over the nose like a headcollar.
Following a 10-year campaign by The Kennel Club, electric shock collars have now been banned in the UK, following the example of Wales and France. The law will come into force in February 2024. Collars that deliver vibration or a sound/beep to correct unwanted behaviour are still an option. These can work in tandem with a remote, so the handler can issue the vibration or sound from a distance. Anti-bark collars typically respond to the dog’s vocal cords vibrating to deliver the corrective signal. Some anti-bark collars deliver aversive stimuli such as a squirt of citronella or a high-pitched sound. The RSPCA is opposed to the use of these collars, however, and they are not recommended for those dogs who suffer from anxiety or are sensitive.
Training collars are simply a tool, they cannot change your dog’s behaviour by themselves. However, the best dog training collars, in the right hands, will help you teach your dog to be more obedient and make your walks together a joy.
6 of the best dog training collars
(Image credit: creditUnknown)
Beaphar Gentle Leader
Training focus: Anti-pull | Size: S–L | Colours: Red or black | RRP: From £14.30 |
This headcollar fits on the back of the neck and across the nose, so where the lead goes the dog follow. It works in three ways:
Gentle pressure is transferred to the back of the neck, naturally stimulating a relaxation response, the same as when a mother carries a puppy by the scruff of its neck
Gentle pressure around the muzzle also produces a relaxation response
Works like a halter, where the nose goes, the dog follows, for control when walking
Beaphar claims the effect is instant; it works in minutes not weeks. It should be used on all walks as part of a training regime. Endorsed by behaviourists.
Training focus: Anti-pull | Size: Six sizes, from mini dachshund to St Bernard | Colours: Red or black | RRP: From £10.85 |
Halti is the creator of the world’s first headcollar for dogs, “solving lead pulling problems for over 40 years”. This headcollar prevents pulling by gently steering and guiding your dog’s direction. It is made from strong, but lightweight nylon webbing, designed for comfort with adjustable nose and cheek straps and a padded neoprene noseband that won’t interfere with panting, eating or drinking.
It has reflective accents for improved visibility in low light and a safety link that attaches to your dog’s collar for complete peace of mind.
For dogs with broad noses or short snouts, the Halti Optifit is designed for dogs that don’t fit standard headcollars. It is recommended you use the headcollar with a double-clip Halti training lead.
Training focus: Anti-pull/general obedience| Size: 5 sizes, from <5lb to >130lb | Colours: 9 colours | RRP: From £24.99 |
This adjustable headcollar is designed to help the handler gently and safely control unwanted lead behaviours such as pulling, lunging and jumping.
The padded nose loop puts pressure on the back of the neck, instead of the dog’s throat, which prevents choking and gagging. Unlike with a muzzle, the dog can open its mouth to eat, drink, pant, fetch and bark.
Training focus: Recall | Size: One size fits all from neck circumference 12–25in/9–120lb | Power source: Rechargeable battery | RRP: £29.99 |
This waterproof remote training collar has a super long range of 1km meaning you can communicate with your dog at a distance. This training system is compliant with UK and EU laws. It features 16 intensity levels of regular or intensive vibrations and eight different types of warning tones. All training modes are tested to cause no harm.
The remote has a security locking button to prevent the handler inadvertently pressing the keys and confusing the dog.
LED lights are handy to locate the dog in poor light, and to check the collar is charged. The remote and collar can be charged together in three hours, for 15 days’ use time.
Training focus: Anti-bark | Size: One size fits all from neck circumference 5–22in/ 8–150lb | Power source: Rechargeable battery | RRP: £20.99 |
This collar has two humane training modes, vibration and beep. The vibration mode also has two options, vibrate and strong vibrate. Depending on your dog’s nature, you can set it on sensitivity levels from 0–5.
The collar contains a “4th-generation intelligent bark identification chip”, which is designed to detect a dog’s barking on a particular frequency and decibel, thereby only responding to your dog’s unique bark.
It can be charged in three hours for up to 15 days’ use.
Training focus: Anti-bark, recall, general obedience | Size: One size fits neck circumference of 8–27in | Power source: Rechargeable battery | RRP: £78.98 |
This remote collar has three training modes: beep, vibration and spray. The non-toxic citronella spray has three levels, squirting one, two or three times. It has no electric shock or ultrasonic feature, so is considered more humane and safer, while being effective. The collar is fully remote, so it will not activate when your dog barks, but can be used in response to unwanted behaviours.
The remote range is 300m and can pass through walls or trees. Waterproof in light rain or wet grass but not suitable for swimming.
Charges in three hours and the collar lasts for 11 days, the remote for 27 days.
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Martha is an experienced journalist who is mad-keen on horses and dogs. Her reporting CV includes the Paris Olympics, European championships, Aachen World Equestrian Festival and World Cup finals. After growing up with assorted liver and white springer spaniels, she enjoyed 14 years with two rescue dogs. Now, her constant companion is Fidget, an extremely energetic and habitually muddy black and white springer. Martha has written on topics as diverse as a top horse’s clone to the best GPS trackers for dogs, as well as equestrian and rural matters for Country Life, The Field, The Times, The Spectator and The Telegraph alongside Horse & Hound.
