After publishing the last article concerning the debate about the various types of choke collars, several readers presented the question of how does one properly fit and position the Martingale or Half Check Collar. As requested, that will be the topic of this article.

To sum up the previous article, Half check collars and Martingale are similar to choke collars yet are considered to be more humane. Originally designed for sight hounds such as Greyhounds, Whippets, Italian Greyhounds, Bolzoi, Saluki, etc., to prevent them from backing out of a regular collar on account that their necks are larger than their heads.

Half check collars, or half choke collars, are usually made of leather or nylon webbing and chain, while Martingale collars are made totally of nylon webbing. Both of these specialty collars have a two-loop design that works by tightening on the dogs neck when it is trying to remove its head from the collar, but will loosen again when the dog stops struggling against it. The unique, limited closure of the half check collar and the Martingale collar prevents it from becoming too tight. However, the fit and positioning of each of these collars is extremely important.

The Martingale collar, which is generally constructed entirely of nylon webbing, has two loops. A smaller, control loop, contains a dee ring for attaching the leash. The second loop enables the collar to tighten or loosen to fit the dog perfectly. Buckles are sometimes added so the collar can be buckled around the dog’s neck.

To fit and position the Martingale collar correctly, slide it over the dog’s head and pull the collar vertically at the rear of the dogs ears. Adjust the collar at this point as this is the position where a regular collar slides over the head. When the dee ring is pulled, the control loop should close. The two pieces of hardware attached to the control loop should be no shorter than two inches from one another and they should never contact one another. If they do touch, the collar is too loose.

The Half Check Collar is similar to the Martingale except part of this collar is made with nylon webbing or leather and the other part is chain. It also has two loops that have the same functions as the Martingale collar. The control loop on this collar is the chain which is a circle. The dee ring is in this circle of chain and is also the attach point for the leash. This chain is also attached to the webbing or leather part of the collar with metal rings. The adjustment loop is in the part of the collar that is webbing or nylon.

The half check collar is placed in the same location as with the Martingale collar. If the dog tugs or attempts to slide the collar over its head, the chain tightens the webbing around the dog’s neck. The chain itself never comes in contact with the dog. The unique chain tightening noise also acts as a training tool as the dog pulls against the collar.

When trying out both of these collars, it becomes apparent how equivalent these two collars really are. Fundamentally, these collars act the same way. More importantly, these two collars are more gentle to your dog while tethered to a leash.

The owner of the dog should to be educated about the types of collars available and how to use them appropriately as to not cause harm to the dog. Jim Witt urges you to visit Country Brook Design to view the wide assortment of custom made Martingale Collars that are available in many sizes and colors.

categories: Martingale Collars,Half Check Collars,half choke collars,training collars,dog training,dog supplies,dogs