When thinking of purchasing dog collars, you have a lot of choices. From nylon to leather, from designer dog collars to crystal encrusted beauties, all you are limited by is your imagination and your budget. They are more than just looks, however. A collar is an important part of a dog’s training.

The main consideration for the purchase of dog collars is fit. Measure your dog’s neck carefully, and allow for no more than two fingers of space between the collar and your pet’s neck, or he may slip the collar. Keep in mind that a leather collar will likely stretch over time, and make sure you have enough space to tighten it if needed.

The type of collar you choose can have an important effect on how you train your pet. Choke collars can be used to train a dog to heel or behave when out walking, but if you’re attempting to train your dog to stay in the yard, electronic or “shock” collars may be a better choice.

These types of collars are essentially painless, but they will give off a small charge to remind your pet to stay within bounds. Depending on your needs, shock dog collars have a short, medium, or long range of up to one mile, and can be found for small, medium, and large dogs. This system can also be used to help train dogs to hunt, stop dogs from dangerous activities such as chasing cars, or establish good habits in public areas.