How To Choose The Right Training collar For A German Shepherd

Choosing the right training collar and Leash for training your German Shepherd is going to be an important training tool for you and your dog.

With so many training collars and leashes on the market today, it can be a little overwhelming. After reading this article, you’ll know how to pick the best training collar for your dog.

When I was training at the park last week. I met a young lady that was using a pinch collar on her dog. I noticed that the collar was not sized properly, and she was struggling with the dog pulling on the leash. So I decided to help her and resize the collar to fit her dog. She could not believe the difference after I sized the collar.

She said it’s going to be much more enjoyable to walk my dog now. I told her now that the collar is sized properly you will prevent doing any damage to your dog’s throat.  Because German Shepherds are such a high breed working dog.  

If you’re trying to train your German Shepherd with a regular nylon Buckle collar you are going to be struggling. That collar was designed for your dog license and dog tags. Some people believe that they can train a German Shepherd in a dog harness. The only thing we use the harness for when training a German Shepherd is for tracking and protection training for agitation work.

If your dog pulls on a nylon collar, it’s going to put pressure on the dog’s throat and it’s not healthy for your dog. We do not want to hurt a dog’s throat. Just like when I resized the pinch collar for that young lady, so she would not hurt a dog’s throat. All the tools are designed for different purposes, so when we use them right we are playing it safe when training our dog.

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Best dog walking training collar for German Shepherd puppies:

The puppy pinch collar is my favorite tool to use for walking my dog. This collar can stop pulling immediately when using It right. This collar was designed for puppies up to 60 lb. I have always used the puppy pinch collar for all my female German Shepherds, except for one female that I own weight 80 lb. That’s when I used the medium pinch to train her to walk on a leash.

GSD pitch collarHow to size the pinch color: The pinch collar was designed to stop pulling immediately, There are a lot of people using this collar the wrong way. They do not size It properly. So if you are using a pinch collar to train your dog. The pinch collar is designed to go up behind the dog’s ears where you can get two fingers down the side of the dog’s neck comfortably. By adding and subtracting links to fit your dog’s neck. (Affiliate Link) Herm Springer puppy collar.

That is the proper way to size a pinch collar with your dog, So when your dog goes to pull it will give a light pinch and you will see your dog stop pulling fast.

Warning: Never use a pinch collar on your German Shepherd until he or she is 5 to six months old. Do not use it if your puppy is under 4 months of age. Your puppy is too young.

Never leave any calls on your dog’s neck unless you’re there to supervise them. If you’re not there take them off. A big part of being a German Shepherd owner comes with the responsibility of keeping our dog safe.

Best collar for large GSD dog:

Medium-sized Herm Springer: 

The medium-sized herb spring pinch collar is built for German shepherds that way 70 lb and up. This is the best collar to stop pulling. And it is the safest training collar for your dog. If you’re looking for more information on these (Affiliate Link) training collars

E-collar technology:

Mini Educator 1/2 mile remote trainer Review.

The mini educator is my favorite remote e-collar of choice. This caller is packed with features that allow you to control the stimulation level to the temperament of your dog. Loaded with unique features, including “lock and set” stimulation levels from 1 to 100. This collar can be used with small dogs too.

Never use an e-collar on a German Shepherd puppy under 5 months of age, and never use an e-collar on a puppy under 10 lbs. To get the best results. Never use the E-collar to teach your dog commands.

Always teach the dog commands by using Positive reinforcement training before using the e-collar. Your dog should know the following commands first, that you are training them, like sit, down, come, etc… Learn more here: (Affiliate Link) about Mini Educator

Remote collar Technologies have come a long way in the last two decades. These collars were designed to be used as a communication device with your dog. This is the only training tool that gives safe reliable off-leash control to your dog. Most dog trainers use these collars when training for off-leash with their GSD dog.

I have used remote collar training to advance my German Shepherd training for off-leash control. It’s a great tool when used properly. I highly recommend you follow the directions that come with the collar if you’re thinking about using a remote collar to train your dog.

You should always find a professional dog trainer who understands how to use e-collar technology to help you with training your German Shepherd dog.

6 Foot LeatherLeash:

Now that we looked at the proper training collar for walking your dog.  Let’s look at the best leashes to use. My favorite is a 6-foot leather leash.

I like leather because it does not burn your hand if your dog decides to pull on the leash when walking him.

 If you’re not going to use a leather leash, then I recommend a six-foot-nylon leash.

 

k9 collars:  It’s always a good idea to have a nice strong safe collar on our dogs that looks great and fits your dog perfectly. When someone asks me about a collar for their dog, I always recommend a nice leather collar. I like to have a strong collar that fits well and looks great on my dog. (Affiliate Link) GSD Dog leather collar. k9 collars. 

Before you choose a collar always measure the size of your dog’s neck so you get the right size. 

Just in case you were wondering,

There are a lot of people wearing harnesses on their dogs these days. It never fails anytime I’m out training my dog, I always see at least one or two dogs wearing dog vests. So I thought it would be a good idea to look into it and write a little bit about it, to help any new dog owner on making a great decision if they are interested in a dog vest for their German Shepherd.

These are the most popular ones that I see on dogs today.

Best dog harness: 

There are many dog harnesses in the marketplace today. This is another thing that can be overwhelming when trying to make the right decision to purchase a harness.

So I did a little research and this is what I learned.

Best Outdoor Adventure Dog Harness: It comes in all sizes: extra small, small, medium, and large. Working dog training. (Affiliate Link) Therapy dog vest. When it comes to picking a dog vest and harnesses, there are many different types.

This is a lightweight harness that will fit your dog properly and it’s very comfortable because it’s lightweight. Having a lightweight harness is very important for your dog.

Best dog harness for German Shepherd: If you’re looking for a nice harness for your German Shepherd, then I would definitely recommend this outdoor Adventure dog harness.

German shepherd k9 harness: GSD_DOG_K9_VEST

This harness comes with soft durable material & soft padded. It’s made with high-quality 100 D nylon and well padded in all pressure areas for a comfortable fit. The easily adjustable dog harness with 4 quick-release buckles for easy to put on and off with extra security. With one top handle for your dog’s lead and control and one v-ring on the front for dog leash attachment.

This vest is really popular: My friend has one for his German Shepherd. I am familiar with it and he wears it on his German Shepherd, and it fits him well and looks fantastic on his dog.

He is very happy with it. People tell him all the time how great the harness looks on his dog. If you are the type of person who looking for a cool-looking vest that looks great and will fit your GSD dog. This is it. More info- on (Affiliate Link) K9 Harness.

With so many products and choices in the marketplace today. It can get overwhelming for us just getting started as a beginner and for new German Shepherd owners.

I hope that reading this article will help you make the right decision when purchasing any of these training tools.

Whatever you decide. I wish you the best of luck.

Thanks for stopping by. Dennis.

 

About the author: Dennis is the founder of German Shepherd Behavior. I have owned this breed for over 25 years and looking forward to sharing my German Shepherd journey with you.