Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

These are not defective. You just need to know how to use them. I’ve added a video for a bit of reference, but will also explain. When using one of these, you first need to make sure you get the right size. Measure your the widest part of the dog’s head, from under the chin and around the back of the head and behind the ears. Then add between 2 to 3 inches. Too much slack and you risk the collar coming off when the dog lowers their head. It will also require more effort when you try to correct behaviors. Too little and the dog will be uncomfortable, and it will be difficult to take on and off. Two to three inches added to your dog's measurements should suffice. Just remember that the measurements include the rings. After you get the measurements, think about the thickness of the collar. Thicker doesn’t always mean better. The thicker they are, the less of an impact the correction will have. So if you’re using the collar for behavior correction, thicker isn’t better. Thinner collars have a greater impact, and as long as they’re truly stainless steel they shouldn’t break. They also shouldn’t rust or cause any discoloration. (I can’t comment on that about with this collar as I haven’t had it long enough, but I will update this review if needed.) Now that I’ve gone over size and thickness, the next step is use. To use the collar you need to slide the chain through one of the loops to make it into an actual collar. Then figure out what side your dog normally walks on. Now, this is important, FACE YOUR DOG. Have them sit in front of you, and if, when walking, they walk on your right, shape the collar in “q” and slide it over their head. If they walk on your left, shape it in a “p” and slide it over their head. It should slide over their head easily, but not be super loose. It should be like how it feels when you put on a new T-shirt. Snug, but not tight. When it slides past their head it should have about two inches, maybe more, again depending on the breed, of slack. To make sure you’ve put it on correctly, stand next to your dog the way you expect to walk, with the leash attached. Now pull up on the leash. If the collar relaxes back to its original position, you’ve put it on properly. Have fun and be safe. Never leave your dog unattended with this collar on. It is for training purposes only. If your collar does break, try not to panic. Most dogs don’t realise right away that they’ve gotten free. If you can, stay calm and make a slip lead with your leash. That way you can possibly avoid a disaster. If your dogs already running loose two ways to possibly get a dog to come back to you is: 1. open a car door and ask them if they “want to go for a ride” or 2. lay on the ground. The second one sounds dumb, I know, but for some reason, it seems to work. Obviously, the second one is not an option if your dog is in an aggressive mood. However, the first one is a proven method for that. Just make sure it’s your car. Yeah, that was an interesting day. As far as the efficacy of this collar: If my Malinois hasn’t destroyed it yet, I’m pretty sure it’s strong enough for most dogs out there. I can’t speak about it rusting or discoloring my dogs fur but will update if it does. Or if anything changes for better or worse.