Gear & equipment
The tools included in our programs
People ask about the gear almost as often as the training. Fair enough: it comes home with you and you will be the one holding it. Here is what each program includes, what each piece is actually for, how it should sit on your dog, and the handful of mistakes that show up when a tool goes home without a lesson attached.
Last reviewed October 4, 2026
What comes home
Each piece has one job, and the jobs differ.
The slip lead is a single length of rope that forms its own loop. It is quick on and off, it sits high on the neck, and it gives clear, brief information when a dog drifts or pulls. The training collar is fitted to your individual dog and carries the leash-manners work into your daily walks. Both go home with Puppy Fundamentals and On-Leash Foundations graduates.
The off-leash programs add a remote collar. Functional Off-Leash includes an Educator remote collar, and Advanced Off-Leash includes a remote collar too. Its job is distance: a way to reach a dog who is well down the trail and has already learned the recall with markers and rewards. It is a phone line to a dog who knows the words, not a replacement for teaching them.
- Slip lead for quick, clear guidance
- Training collar fitted to your dog
- Educator remote collar for distance work
- Every tool taught at handover
Fit and common mistakes
Many gear problems turn out to be fit problems.
A slip lead belongs just behind the ears and under the jaw, loose whenever the dog is in position. Slid down to the base of the neck, it turns into something to lean against. A training collar should sit snug and high rather than dangling. A remote collar needs its contact points touching skin, not fur, and fit is part of what the handover lesson covers.
The common mistakes are predictable. Constant tension, so the lead never goes quiet. A remote collar worn only for off-leash outings, so the dog learns that the collar means rules and its absence means freedom. Levels set by frustration instead of by what the dog barely notices. These are exactly what the handover lesson and owner education are there for, which is why every tool in our programs is taught to the owner.
Asked and answered
The questions people ask us.
Do you keep the slip lead and collar after the program?
Yes. Puppy Fundamentals and On-Leash Foundations both include a slip lead and a training collar to take home. We fit them to your dog and show you how to use them at the handover lesson.
Which e-collar comes with the off-leash program?
Functional Off-Leash includes an Educator remote collar, and Advanced Off-Leash also includes a remote collar. The recall is taught with markers and rewards first, and the collar is introduced properly from there.
Is a slip lead bad for a dog's neck?
Used properly, a slip lead sits high, stays loose when the dog is in position, and only tightens briefly. Problems usually come from constant pulling or a lead that has slid low. If your dog has any neck, throat or breathing concern, ask your vet before using one.
Will someone show owners how to use the remote collar?
Yes. Owner education on using every tool properly is part of the off-leash programs, alongside the handover lesson. The collar is explained to you before it becomes your job.
Keep reading
Learn the gear properly
Book a consultation and we will talk through which program fits your dog and what tools would come home with it.
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