Tools of the Trade
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Everything you need to train and manage your dog!
Bait Bag - also known as a treat bag. You need to have your
rewards handy. Timing is very important in training, so having your
treats easily accessible is super important.
Treats - make sure you have food that your dog will really get
excited about. Most dogs won't work for just plain old kibble. We
like hot dogs, cheese, and salmon. Remember the 3 S's! Small, soft
and smelly! The dog really shouldn't have to chew it up. Think
instant gratification. Also, don't work your dog on a full stomach.
They are likely to work harder for food if they are hungry.
Clicker - The clicker does just what it says - clicks! It is a great
training tool because it helps you send a clear message to your
dog when they do the right thing. We'll talk more about the clicker
later. There are two basic types, the box clickers and ergonomic
clickers. As long as it clicks and you feel comfortable with it, you'll
be good to go.
Collars, collars, collars... not all created equally.
Side Release Buckle Collars - While they may be the easy to
adjust and come in lots of cute colors and patterns, we've seen
them break too many times. The snappy buckles come in plastic
and metal, and though the metal is stronger and more reliable
than the plastic, we are still not big fans. They are great for
fashion and id tags, but unless your dog is a non-puller, we
suggest that you rely on something with a bit more strength.
Flat Buckle Collars - The old standby. A well made flat buckle
collar will last years. They come in nylon, leather and cotton. The
only issue you may have is getting a precise fit. If you own a
leather or fabric punch you can put the holes right where you need
them. The fitting rule is that you should only be able to slide two
fingers under your dogs collar. Collars that are too loose are an
accident waiting to happen.
Martingales - Once used almost exclusively for sight hounds, the
martingale has become a favorite among many Pit owners.
Martingales have two loops, one large and one small. The smaller
loop can be made from nylon or fabric or chain. When engaged,
the large loop closes for a snug fit. With proper fitting, a
martingale will never choke your dog, but will always prevent
backing out or escaping. We really love the fabric martingales
because they are comfortably loose when not in use and the are
available in a variety of widths, colors and patterns.
The Other Collars (Chokes, Shocks and Prongs) - We saved
these for last because there's nothing good to say about them.
Relying on physical punishment as a way to train your dog is just
wrong. Positive reinforcement training works for you and your dog.
It strengthens communication and bonding and it doesn't have the
ugly side effects of punishment based methods.
Harnesses - It seems there's a new type of harness coming out
every week. From no pull to no jump, there's one that promises
help for every issue. We're not going to talk about the no jump
harnesses because they are awful (enough said?) Traditional
harnesses that clip on the back actually encourage pulling, it is
said that it triggers their opposition reflex. But there is one type of
harness that we think is cat's meow (or the pittie's bark)...
Front Clip Harness - Probably the best thing to happen to dog
walking in a very long time. We've used these on countless dogs
and they work nearly all the time. Because the leash is attached at
the chest, the rest is self correcting. Whenever your dog puts
tension on the leash, it redirects them back towards you. So
simple! We prefer the ones that don't have a slide feature on the
front because it seems to somewhat defeat the purpose. Because
these harnesses are made with plastic side release buckles, we
sometime recommend using a collar and coupler as a back up.
Remember - this is a management tool. Once your dog can walk
without being a total idiot, work on teaching the heel command.
*Front clip harnesses will be available for sale on our sight soon!*
Head Halters - Some Pit parents swear by them. They are meant
to help calm reactive dogs by putting light pressure on calming
points on the head. These are not to be confused with a muzzle.
The head halter will not prevent the dog from drinking or eating
when fitted properly. These can be a great management tool for
owners who have dogs that are highly reactive around other
dogs. Because many Pits have short snouts, we recommend
coupling to a flat buckle or loop martingale collar to prevent
possible escape.
Leads - Chain leads are dangerous (try wrapping that baby
around you or your dog's leg.) Retractable leads are an
amputation or loose dog waiting to happen. That leaves nylon,
leather and rope. We recommend double thick nylon or rope.
When we say rope we mean Ella's Leads. Notice we don't give
many company plugs here but we love Ella's! These leads are
super strong and they come in many varieties. They are available
online at www.ellaslead.com
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN EDUCATION PAGE
Bait Bag - also known as a treat bag. You need to have your
rewards handy. Timing is very important in training, so having your
treats easily accessible is super important.
Treats - make sure you have food that your dog will really get
excited about. Most dogs won't work for just plain old kibble. We
like hot dogs, cheese, and salmon. Remember the 3 S's! Small, soft
and smelly! The dog really shouldn't have to chew it up. Think
instant gratification. Also, don't work your dog on a full stomach.
They are likely to work harder for food if they are hungry.
Clicker - The clicker does just what it says - clicks! It is a great
training tool because it helps you send a clear message to your
dog when they do the right thing. We'll talk more about the clicker
later. There are two basic types, the box clickers and ergonomic
clickers. As long as it clicks and you feel comfortable with it, you'll
be good to go.
Collars, collars, collars... not all created equally.
Side Release Buckle Collars - While they may be the easy to
adjust and come in lots of cute colors and patterns, we've seen
them break too many times. The snappy buckles come in plastic
and metal, and though the metal is stronger and more reliable
than the plastic, we are still not big fans. They are great for
fashion and id tags, but unless your dog is a non-puller, we
suggest that you rely on something with a bit more strength.
Flat Buckle Collars - The old standby. A well made flat buckle
collar will last years. They come in nylon, leather and cotton. The
only issue you may have is getting a precise fit. If you own a
leather or fabric punch you can put the holes right where you need
them. The fitting rule is that you should only be able to slide two
fingers under your dogs collar. Collars that are too loose are an
accident waiting to happen.
Martingales - Once used almost exclusively for sight hounds, the
martingale has become a favorite among many Pit owners.
Martingales have two loops, one large and one small. The smaller
loop can be made from nylon or fabric or chain. When engaged,
the large loop closes for a snug fit. With proper fitting, a
martingale will never choke your dog, but will always prevent
backing out or escaping. We really love the fabric martingales
because they are comfortably loose when not in use and the are
available in a variety of widths, colors and patterns.
The Other Collars (Chokes, Shocks and Prongs) - We saved
these for last because there's nothing good to say about them.
Relying on physical punishment as a way to train your dog is just
wrong. Positive reinforcement training works for you and your dog.
It strengthens communication and bonding and it doesn't have the
ugly side effects of punishment based methods.
Harnesses - It seems there's a new type of harness coming out
every week. From no pull to no jump, there's one that promises
help for every issue. We're not going to talk about the no jump
harnesses because they are awful (enough said?) Traditional
harnesses that clip on the back actually encourage pulling, it is
said that it triggers their opposition reflex. But there is one type of
harness that we think is cat's meow (or the pittie's bark)...
Front Clip Harness - Probably the best thing to happen to dog
walking in a very long time. We've used these on countless dogs
and they work nearly all the time. Because the leash is attached at
the chest, the rest is self correcting. Whenever your dog puts
tension on the leash, it redirects them back towards you. So
simple! We prefer the ones that don't have a slide feature on the
front because it seems to somewhat defeat the purpose. Because
these harnesses are made with plastic side release buckles, we
sometime recommend using a collar and coupler as a back up.
Remember - this is a management tool. Once your dog can walk
without being a total idiot, work on teaching the heel command.
*Front clip harnesses will be available for sale on our sight soon!*
Head Halters - Some Pit parents swear by them. They are meant
to help calm reactive dogs by putting light pressure on calming
points on the head. These are not to be confused with a muzzle.
The head halter will not prevent the dog from drinking or eating
when fitted properly. These can be a great management tool for
owners who have dogs that are highly reactive around other
dogs. Because many Pits have short snouts, we recommend
coupling to a flat buckle or loop martingale collar to prevent
possible escape.
Leads - Chain leads are dangerous (try wrapping that baby
around you or your dog's leg.) Retractable leads are an
amputation or loose dog waiting to happen. That leaves nylon,
leather and rope. We recommend double thick nylon or rope.
When we say rope we mean Ella's Leads. Notice we don't give
many company plugs here but we love Ella's! These leads are
super strong and they come in many varieties. They are available
online at www.ellaslead.com
CLICK HERE TO RETURN TO THE MAIN EDUCATION PAGE
| BAIT BAG |
| CLICKERS |
| SIDE RELEASE BUCKLE COLLARS |
| FLAT BUCKLE COLLARS |
| MARTINGALES |
| FRONT CLIP HARNESS |
ROPE LEAD AND NYLON LEAD
| HEAD HALTER |