subject: Martingale Collars For Dogs - The Solution to "Choking" and "Collar Slipping" Problems [print this page] Martingale Collars For Dogs - The Solution to "Choking" and "Collar Slipping" Problems
Chances are when you are trying to decide on a collar for your pet, a collar like a Martingale Collar is probably on your list of possibilities. These innovative collars are becoming more and more popular. The one thing most pet parents worry about when they are trying to find the right collar for their pal is the choking factor. In other words, is your dog going to choke itself if it should pull at the leash? While a well-trained dog doesn't normally pull at the lead you have to train the dog first, and even then there might be something that sets it off.
A traditional collar will cause a dog to temporarily choke itself when it pulls to the end of the lead. We've all heard that gagging sound when our dogs get excited and try to charge or rush something it sees. Again, even the best trained dog can occasionally see some sort of stimuli that will cause it to react. It's a heart wrenching sound. The great thing about the Martingale Collar is that your dog won't be able to choke itself even if he rushes full force to the end of the lead trying to get that squirrel.
You're probably thinking that the Martingale Collar then leads to the other problem most collars face. If it's not tight enough to stop them at the end of the lead then it'll just slip right off over its head. That can be an even bigger problem than choking. Generally when a dog gags itself it'll back off the lead so that the choking feeling goes away. If the collar is too loose though, you'll be running after your dog trying to catch it as it will get away. It's always a terror-stricken moment to see your dog running full force away from you.
So how does a Martingale Collar work? It's actually very simple. This collar is made of two loops. The larger loop is slid over the dog's head and around the neck. The D ring on the smaller loop is used to fasten the lead. When the dog jerks away from you the smaller ring contracts the larger ring until its snug enough to keep the collar in place but not so snug the dog chokes. This way the dog is secured on the lead without that gut wrenching gagging sound and there's no way he can free himself from the collar.
