This page is a component of the Glossary of the Dog Science, CBC
Dog Training Workshop, and an element of the Dog Science Network
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The Dominant Dog Collar
The dominant dog collar is used for belligerently aggressive dogs who cannot be depended upon to respond to verbal instructions and who will not respond to more gentle corrections given by way of a less restrictive collar.
Like a prong collar, the dominant collar must be fitted just behind your dog's ears and under the jaw line, as opposed to further down along your dog's neck.
The idea of the dominant collar is not to inflict pain on your dog. Rather, the idea is to lift upward with a steady, gentle pressure, thereby cutting off the dog's air supply as you lift him up off the ground by the collar, if necessary.
It is essential that you never jerk on a dominant collar, since sudden violent movements can do terrible damage your dog's neck muscles. Rather, the collar must be drawn tight with a gentle, steady pressure.
For an extra layer of security, you can attach a dominant collar to your dog's lead along with his prong collar, so that if the latter should pull apart, you will still have the former in place to help you deal with any sudden displays of belligerence.
No dog acquired as a puppy and raised according to the instructions of this workshop should ever require a dominant collar. Indeed, if your dog reaches the point that a dominant dog collar is needed, then, to be sure, a great many things will have already gone very seriously wrong along the way.
No dog so poorly controlled as to require a dominant collar, should ever be taken out to any public place.