All dogs need training so that they learn to behave appropriately, especially in a family environment. To this end, training collars have been created to help you with this process, and they have proven to be very effective in this role. As with many things however, in the wrong hands, dog training collars can be used to hurt and abuse dogs, so you need to understand how they work and what they do.

The prong collar looks like a medieval torture device, but is actually one of the gentler training collars being investigated here. When the leash is pulled, the prongs start to pinch the back of the dog's neck. The thinking behind this is to replicate the memory of the dog's mother's teeth nipping the scruff of the puppy's neck. The collar is quite safe to use, the only real problem occurring if the fit is poor. If your dog is one that pulls strongly at the leash though, the prong collar might not be suitable.

The adjustment of these collars is quite easy though. Simply remove or add prongs to suit the neck of your dog. If you can just insert a finger between the neck of the dog and the prong collar, then you have just about got it right.

The Halti collar, also known as the Gentle Leader, is more akin to a harness than a collar. It fits over the dog's face and works by closing the dog's mouth when the leash attached to the collar is pulled. The theory is that if you can control the dog's head, you will be able to control the whole dog. This type of collar is especially good for pulling or aggressive dogs.

There is a downside to this type of collar though. Dog's, as a rule, do not like having restrainers on their face, and it might be quite a job to get your dog to accept a harness of this type. Care should also be taken bot to pull the head to hard, because the dog could suffer injuries to the neck or back.

Choke collars can be very effective in controlling a dog. Sadly, in the wrong hands, choke collars can be exceedingly cruel and can hurt dogs. Control lies within the trainer themselves. If you genuinely think that a choke collar will do what you want, but you are not sure how to use one properly, seek expert guidance.

Choke collars must be fitted correctly in order to be effective. When the leash is pulled, the collar will tighten around the dog's neck. When the leash is relaxed, so is the collar. At least that is what should happen. If the collar doesn't fit correctly, it might not loosen with the leash. This could obviously restrict the dog's airways and cause it to suffer.

One of the newest forms of dog collar are the electronic one's. They are considered to be a very humane way to train a dog, but equally can be abused in the wrong hands.

They work by passing a shock to the dog via a remote control, which is controlled by the trainer. The trainer has complete control over how big a shock to administer to the dog. It is generally accepted that the shock should be strong enough to make the dog's ears twitch, and no more. How much that is depends on the size of the dog and the collar itself. If your dog starts to yelp when you administer a shock, then the charge is probably too high. If you are unsure, seek advice.