Using dog collars is a great way to train, protect, and give your dog an identity when you take it outside with you. But having a collar on your dog for too long or at the wrong time can diminish your efforts or cause a great deal of discomfort.
There are so many things to consider before buying dog collars. Asides that, you also have to get your dog collars from a reliable pet store if you want to buy a product that will stand the test of time. One of such stores is petwanna.
This article will give you three guidelines to help you know when to wear your dog a collar. Without further ado, let’s proceed.
When should your dog wear a collar?
1) What age?
During the first ten weeks of its life, you may not need to take your puppy out considering how small it still is. So, it would not be necessary to train him to use a collar yet. You can start training your dog to use a collar from its 10th week.
This will prepare it to adapt to using a collar from its 12th week when it’s old enough to go outside with you.
2) How long?
When your dog is old enough to go out with you for a run or to play outside, you can start training it to wear a collar. You can start small by slowly introducing the collar to your dog. Allow your dog to be familiar with it.
At first, you can let your puppy wear the collar only for a short time, preferably when doing things that it anticipates like going for a walk or going out to play. With time your puppy will get used to the collar and be comfortable with it, then you can introduce the leash. Again only for a short time.
When you begin training your puppy, it is important to have the collar on your dog for a short time. If it has to wear a collar for too long every day, it might build up a negative association with it making it difficult for your puppy to get used to the collar in the future.
3) How often?
While your dog might be happy to wear its collar most of the time, it is unhealthy to wear a collar around its neck all day, as it could damage its fur and skin. So how often can your dog wear a collar?
During training, you can wear your dog its collar for around 20 to 30 minutes daily. When your dog is fully trained and is familiar with its collar, it can wear a collar for 6 to 12 hours a day. It is never a good idea to have your dog wear its collar for up to 24 hours without taking it off.
Usually, a collar is to protect and identify your dog outdoors. So put a collar on your dog as long as you want to have it outside with you. Consider having a collar on your dog at certain times during the day and taking it off at night, to make it more comfortable while it sleeps.
Conclusion
Every dog owner has to care for their dog, give them attention, and protect them, hence the use of dog collars. Even if your dog is well behaved, you need to use a dog collar to control its movements and instill discipline to protect him from hazardous situations.