Dog training equipment: what to buy, what to skip
Walk into any pet shop and there are forty ways to spend a hundred pounds, and roughly four of them will help. This is the kit list we give clients, based on what actually gets used after the trainer leaves.
You need a fixed lead of about one and a half metres, one well fitted collar or harness, a five to ten metre long line for recall work, a treat pouch and food the dog genuinely likes. That is nearly everything. Skip retractable leads, most anti pull gadgets, bark collars and the third harness you buy in the hope it will train the dog for you.
The short buy list
Everything on this list earns its place:
- ●A fixed lead, one and a half to two metres, in a material your hands like.
- ●A flat collar with an identification tag, which is a legal requirement in public.
- ●A well fitted harness if the dog is strong, ideally with a front and back attachment point.
- ●A long line of five to ten metres in biothane or webbing, for recall work only.
- ●A treat pouch that opens one handed, because fiddling with a pocket ruins your timing.
- ●High value food: cheese, chicken, sausage. Dry biscuits do not compete with a squirrel.
- ●A crate or pen if you want one, plus a settle mat that travels with you.
What to skip
Retractable leads teach constant tension and the reel pays out when the dog pulls, which is the exact opposite of the lesson. Anti pull gadgets that tighten around the body suppress the pull without teaching the dog anything, and the pulling returns the moment the kit comes off.
Bark collars of all kinds punish the symptom and add a bad association to the situation. And the drawer full of half used chews and puzzle toys is usually a boredom problem being solved with money rather than with a plan.
Getting the fit right
Most kit complaints are fit complaints. A harness should not sit in the armpit, should not restrict the shoulder, and should have two fingers of room under every strap. A collar should allow two fingers and no more, and should be checked monthly on a growing dog.
If your dog suddenly refuses to walk or stops mid pavement, check the kit before you conclude it is being difficult. Rubbing and pinching are extremely common and dogs are stoical about it until they are not.
Food, and why it matters more than kit
Training food is not treats. It is payment, and the rate needs to match the difficulty. A dry biscuit is fine for a sit in the kitchen and completely inadequate for recall away from another dog.
Take the day's allowance into account so the dog does not gain weight, and vary what you use. A dog that knows exactly what is coming works less hard than one that might get cheese.
Kit for specific jobs
For scent and enrichment, nothing beats a snuffle mat or simply scattering food in the grass. For car safety, a crash tested crate or a proper harness with a short tether, not a lead clipped to a seatbelt. For dogs that scavenge or need safety, a basket muzzle introduced properly.
For dark Essex evenings, a light on the collar and a reflective lead is worth more than most training gadgets, because visibility prevents the incidents you would otherwise have to train through.
The rule underneath all of it
Equipment buys you control while you train. It never replaces the training. If a product claims to fix a behaviour by itself, the claim is about the sale rather than the dog. Spend the money on an hour with somebody who can watch your timing instead, and the kit list above will be enough.
Looking after what you buy
Kit fails at the worst possible time. Check clips, stitching and the metal ring on the collar every month, and replace anything that has started to fray. A lead that snaps on a busy road is not a purchase decision, it is a maintenance one.
Wash harnesses, because a salty, muddy harness rubs and then the dog starts resisting the walk. Long lines last far longer if you rinse the mud off rather than coiling them wet into a bag.
Keep it all in one place by the door. Almost everybody trains more when the long line, the pouch and the food are in a bag they can pick up in one movement.
Need hands on help?
Bring your kit to a session and we will check the fit and the handling together. It is usually the fastest improvement of the hour.
Three generations of the same family, over 8,000 dogs trained.
Common questions
Either can work. Use a harness for strong dogs and for long line work, and a flat collar for a dog with a mild pull and no neck issues.
They have a place in experienced hands for short periods. For most family households there are simpler options with less scope for harm.
Not necessarily. A clear marker word used consistently does the same job, and you never leave your voice in the car.
Very little. A good lead, a fitted harness, a long line and decent food will cover almost every household under sixty pounds.
Related guides
Looking for training near you? See our dog training areas, our protection dog areas, or all services.