Training collars are different from regular collars in that their purpose is to enable a handler to guide a dog and to check the dog if necessary. A check is a tug on the leash that's followed immediately by a release of tension. The training collar is also removed when the trainer isn't training the dog and replaced with a regular buckle collar with the dog's ID tags. The best sort of training collar is a snap around collar. The snap around has a clasp that lets a trainer fasten the collar high on the dog's neck, where the trainer has the most control. It also doesn't have to be slipped over the dog's head and can fit snugly. Many of them are made of nylon and can be easily found in pet stores. They're also fairly inexpensive and effective training tools. However, they'll have to be replaced regularly, as a puppy will grow out of them. Snap around collars are also safe. Snap around collars come in half inch increments. They have a clasp on one side, a ring on the other side and another floating ring. The trainer or owner might think that the collar is much too tight at first, but after they put it on the dog they should wait for about five minutes, till the dog is relaxed. Then, they should try to slip two fingers between the collar and the dog's neck, or one finger if it's a toy dog. If the fingers can't fit, the collar is too tight. However, if the trainer can fit three or more fingers between the collar and the dog, it's too loose. Another sort of training collar is the pinch collar. This tends to work better on large dogs. It's also called a German collar or a prong collar, and though it looks gruesome, it is safe and most of all, effective. The pinch collar is also available in pet stores, but it's about twice as expensive as a snap around collar. It comes in large, medium, small and micro sizes. The micro size, which is appropriate for toy dogs, needs to be specially ordered.