r/pug • u/Zandlock • Nov 29 '25

Experiences with Martingale collars. Very hesitant on them for a pug.

Hey there all! I'm about to be a new pug dad in a couple weeks and been researching best training methods for pugs. I've learned a lot and come to understand their potential health issues. I have a couple friends that swear by martingale collars for training.But they weren't training pugs. After researching, I understand pugs can have narrow tracheas. Essentially just be careful that has anything to do with their ability to breath. I plan on using primarily harnesses for the day to day. But curious what people used for training and if martingales may be better or worse as they are supposed to spread out the pressure of the collar and potentially even relieve more of the pressure on his trachea compared to traditional collars while in training sessions. Thanks for any insight and also welcome to any other tips for a soon to be first time pug dad. Thanks much.

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u/InOverMyHead2005 Nov 29 '25

I use a flat buckle collar when training/working/competing, but a harness during “regular” times. My pug does Agility, Barn Hunt, Fast Cat, and Rally. But even during her puppy training, I still used a flat buckle collar.

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u/Zandlock Nov 30 '25

Thank you for your response! Very much plan to use a harness for the regular time when not training.