Illusion Dog Training Collar Gets Mixed Reviews
Cesar Millan’s Illusion Collar is Not Suitable for Most Dogs
Aug 31, 2009
The Illusion Collar consists of two buckle-style collars attached below a slender choke collar that fits high on the dog’s neck. It is the choke collar that controls the dog and the rest of the apparatus keeps the choker in place. Millan himself warns that his collar is not for puppies, small dogs or breeds with slender necks.
Flaws in the Illusion Collar
The narrowness of the slip portion of this collar makes it very severe, so it would be safest on large, very strong dogs with thick fur or heavy muscle on the underside of the neck.
With a severe collar like this, people unfamiliar with the use of a slip collar can exert too much force or keep it continuously tight, choking the dog and causing it to gasp and even vomit. This can cause bruising or damage to the dog’s windpipe.
Another problem is the way the choking action works: from the top, not from the side like a traditional slip collar. This encourages a tight lead, and makes the correction more difficult to apply. Nor will the slip portion release as easily as a side-slip collar.
Customer reviews and comments show that the collar does nothing to help the dog learn not to pull. The Illusion Collar leads people to believe that it will help teach their dog to stop pulling. It won’t. What it does is give the handler more control and a quick fix to replace proper training, which takes a lot of time and patience.
Canine Slip Collars
As with any collar, a regular slip collar comes in different widths and must be correctly fitted (barely big enough to go over the dog’s head), put on properly and used correctly. Wider slip collars are best because they are much less likely to injure the dog if used incorrectly. Chain collars and cord-shaped leather or nylon work better than flat styles because they slide more easily through the collar's ring.
A slip collar is used to correct the dog with a quick snap and release (trainers call it a “pop”) to get the dog’s attention. There should not be continuous pressure applied, and it should not hurt or choke the dog. If it does, it is being used incorrectly. The collar releases automatically before and after a pop; if it doesn't, it's on upside down (see photo). Many trainers favour chain slip collars because they make a noise when they are popped, and the dog learns to react to the noise of the moving links before the collar actually tightens.
A slip collar of any kind must be removed after the walk or training session. They are not for constant wear. If left on the dog, a training collar can catch in fences, branches, toys or even the jaws or teeth of another dog during play. Such accidents are often fatal.
Train a Dog to Heel
Training, not the collar design, is the real tool that causes a rambunctious dog to walk nicely on a leash. People taught dogs to heel long before there were such things as Illusion Collars, prong collars and shock collars.
For some very difficult dogs or people lacking the strength to control a very strong, excitable dog, the $40 Illusion Collar may indeed be the right choice, since it does control the dog. But it’s not for everyone, and the average dog won’t need it.
Instead of buying such an expensive specialty collar, enroll the dog in an obedience training class or use a good training book that advocates using praise and reward instead of domination, punishment and severe collars. Consistency, repetition and especially praise are the best way to teach a dog to walk on leash without pulling. The result will be a happy, obedient dog and happy owner.
Please note: In the photographs, a small resin model dog has been used to demonstrate how various collars work. An Illusion Collar is too large to fit the model used here. However, there are many photos on-line which show the collar being used.
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