The 8 Best Training Collars For Your Dog, According to Our Testing Experts

Best Overall

Dexil NERVOUS Collar

$20 At Amazon

If your dog needs space when you are out for a walk, then Dexil's NERVOUS Clip Collar is for you. The bright yellow color and the big bold embroidery spelling out "nervous" will let others you encounter know to keep their distance. Designed to prevent unwelcome encounters, this dog collar will enrich your training experience by minimizing triggers, so you'll be able to focus on slowly building positive habits with your dog. It's made of durable nylon and quick-dry neoprene with a padded back for comfort.

Dexil also offers a matching leash and a variety of other words available (Do Not Pet, Deaf, Training, Friendly, etc) available to reinforce your's pups preferred messaging and current needs.

_{Dog Size: X-small, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large | Lifestage: Puppy, adult, senior | Material: Nylon, neoprene}

Best for Pulling

PetSafe Gentle Leader Head Collar

$20 At Amazon $17 At Chewy $20 At Walmart

If you are trying to train your dog to walk on a leash without pulling, then a head collar might be useful. The PetSafe Gentle Leader loops around a dog’s nose and the back of their head. Your leash clips on under their chin, and if your dog ever starts to pull, the padded nose loop creates gentle pressure to deter the behavior without any choking. This collar has been effective with a petite Pomeranian, a 70 pound English Labrador Retriever, and a nearly 100 pound Great Pyrenees to successfully dissuade their pulling and lessen behavior that may be interpreted as aggressive while on walks.

This style comes in several sizes and colors, and it’s a gentle and safe option for dogs of all sizes. It's designed to redirect your dog’s attention toward you, and from there you can stop immediately and/or turn around so your dog is now behind you. This will demonstrate to your dog that pulling doesn't get them to their goal. We recommend the "Stop and Reward" training method which includes doling out a treat once they've stopped pulling and are able to walk alongside you—we promise your dog didn't bribe us to say that!

_{Dog Size: Petite to giant | Lifestage: Adult, senior | Material: Nylon}

Best for Hearing Loss

WOLFWILL Humane No-Shock Training Collar

$66 At Amazon

If your dog is hard of hearing or deaf, then it's important to find a replacement for voice commands. With the WOLFWILL training collar, you can introduce a gentle vibration to represent common commands such as come, sit, and stay.

There are 16 levels of adjustable vibration, a sound mode, and a built-in light that will flash 5 times. The ladder two may come in handy if your dog unexpectedly escapes. The receiver is waterproof, and the remote includes uniquely shaped buttons for vibration and tone activation. This collar does not have a shock stimulation setting so there is no risk of accidentally triggering and startling your dog.

"The receiver is fairly large and surprisingly heavy, so I can see it being an issue for smaller dogs," noted our tester, but their 60-pound dog had no problems with it. It's recommended for dogs between 22 and 88 pounds.

_{Dog Size: Medium to large | Lifestage: Puppy, adult, senior | Material: Plastic, nylon}

Best for Sighthounds

PetSafe Martingale Collar

$8 At Amazon $8 At Chewy $8 At Walmart

Also known as limited slip collars, a Martingale Collar is used to prevent a dog from slithering out of their collar while walking on a leash. It's especially useful for breeds and mixes whose neck is thicker than their head. Sighthounds, such as Afghans, Greyhounds, and Whippets, fall into this category.

On a small mixed breed dog (primarily Miniature Schnauzer and Yorkshire Terrier to give you a visual) who was adopted at eight years of age and processing abandonment issues, the PetSafe Martingale Collar—paired with direction from an certified dog trainer—has help them learn to be stop pulling. And their human has learned more about what might trigger pulling, which makes behavior more predictable on their walks together.

When a dog pulls on its leash, the Martingale loop prevents it by tightening it just enough to keep the dog secure without choking or discomfort. It will then loosen once your dog stops pulling to help reinforce how they should be walking. With this type of collar, getting the right fit for your dog is very important, so we recommend consulting with your veterinarian or a dog trainer who has experience using this style of training collar. This affordable option from PetSafe is made of nylon and available in a variety of colors.

_{Dog Size: Small, medium, large | Lifestage: Puppy, adult, senior | Material: Nylon}

Best for Geofencing

Cube GPS Tracker

$88 At Amazon $100 At Chewy $100 At Walmart

If your dog tends to escape, then this waterproof tracker is the one for you. It is built to keep up with your pup and easily attaches to a collar. A subscription is required for use and includes the ability to view your dog's location from your mobile device, program geofences, and get real-time notifications if your dog crosses a boundary—very helpful if they tend to be an unwelcome visitor in your neighbor's garden.

To help you locate your dog, you can use the app to ping the device and work towards having your dog recognize that a ping means "come" and they'll get a treat. The sound is 100 decibels and it startled our tester's dog on the initial use. We recommend introducing this feature to your dog in a secure space so they can gradually associate the sound as a signal that you are looking for them.

While this collar has a streamlined build, we do not recommend it for smaller breeds due to its size and weight.

_{Dog Size: Medium, large, x-large, xx-large | Lifestage: Adult, senior | Material: N/A}

Best Harness

2 Hounds Design Freedom No Pull Dog Harness

$42 At Amazon $40 At Chewy $32 At Walmart

If a harness is better suited for your dog, we recommend the 2 Hounds Design Freedom No Pull Harness which we have used it to deter a seven year old rescue from pulling on their leash while on a walk. To discourage pulling, the harness features a martingale loop on the back of the harness that tightens gently around your dog's chest and a front leash connection clip to help redirect your dog's forward motion when they suddenly lunge forward. When fitted properly, the harness will sit below the trachea, but above the leg muscles. This prevents choking and gagging while allowing a full range of leg motion.

This harness focuses on a dog's chest because that's their center of gravity, so it can help control dogs of all sizes, even the larger breeds. It features four points of adjustment so you can find the perfect fit for your dog. It's made with stainless steel hardware and nylon with velvet lining behind the front legs to prevent rubbing and chafing.

_{Dog Size: X-small, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large | Lifestage: Puppy, adult, senior | Material: Nylon, velvet}

Best Convertible Leash

ThunderLeash No Pull Nylon Dog Leash

$30 At Amazon $30 At Chewy

To give you more control with a dog that pulls, the ThunderLeash No Pull Nylon Dog Leash transforms from a standard leash to a no-pull leash with padded handle.

With a two year old Australian Cattle dog mix weighing 50 pounds, this leash gave our real world testing participant an instant boost in control, especially when their dog suddenly propelled themself toward wildlife. The leash connects to a dog's existing collar, wraps around a dog's torso, and then comes together securely on a hook, so you can more easily correct your dog when they pull. The innovative design eliminates the need for a harness and alleviates pressure from a dog's neck.

The nylon leash comes in two sizes, small and medium/large. The small size is six feet long and recommended for dogs weighing 12–25 pounds, and the medium/large is seven feet long and designed for dogs 25 to 100 pounds.

_{Dog Size: Small (12-25 pounds) or medium/ large (25-100 pounds) | Material: Nylon | Lifestage: Puppy, adult}

Best for Healing

All Four Paws Original Comfy Cone

$36 At Amazon $36 At Chewy View On Walmart

From surgery to hot spots and allergy flare-ups, if your dog is healing your biggest challenge is probably keeping them away from the area in question. An Elizabethan Collar, also known as a cone, is designed to help pets recover by redirecting their attention and blocking their mouth from reaching the troubled site.

We recommend the Original Comfy Cone from All Four Paws because it's padded for comfort and allows you to adjust the rigidity to align with your dog's needs. The opaque material reduces shadows and distorted views that can cause nervousness and stress, and it can also be reversed to cover the neck and upper chest. It's also more flexible than a traditional cone so dogs can navigate through doorways and furniture.

_{Dog Size: X-small, small, medium, large, x-large, xx-large | Lifestage: Puppy, adult, senior | Material: Hook & loop, nylon, foam}