I urge you to not shy away from the prong collar just because of what it looks like or what youve heard about it in the past. Its helped ensure that MY dog is well controlled and attending to me. Being rather small in size at 5 he darn near out weighed me so it was nearly impossible for me to stop him. I was overjoyed when I was handed the leash and he did so for me as well!! And dont be a jerk and pull on it. So no, in theory it should not need to be used for ever. The puppy resumed her buoyant behavior, this time heading toward Mary and her dog, Buster. The collar is not designed to hurt the dog, but get the dogs attention. This harness is one of few that is genuinely military spec and is still useful for regular pet users. (We are in the process of training him to be a therapy dog to take to local nursing homes/schools etc)He thinks everyone is his friend and wants to play. Many people have never seen a prong or pinch collar properly used in dog training. This isn't the case in England, where they're legally allowed to be used without restriction. He had good manners (or so I thought) and was very very love able. Just remember, the collar doesnt train the dog, its a tool to train your training will train your dog. The one thing I dont do is avoid walking her altogether. It in fact dates the police academys training techniques back to the 1990s, along with their computer systems and their approach to the law is that something you really wish to stand with?, The My dog loves his prong, and gets all excited when he sees it is simple classical conditioning, such that your dog recognises that means training or walkies, that doesnt mean that they feel positive about the experience when the prong tightens around their neck., I mean, I can train your dog to see a lemon and think its the best thing in the world it doesnt mean theyll like the taste of lemon.. I have exacty the same story! About 30% of the time he will heel/sit/stay with the choke collar but there is no real control without constant pulling on him. Right this instant. Have watched several videos by Jeff Geller and purchased a Herm Sprenger prong collar. I contacted a reputable local trainer who I met at a local park the next day. What is different about a prong collar is that as the martingale tightens it brings in teeth or prongs. With the prong, he is walking next to me instead of pulling and I can walk him easily with one hand. Exhaust other options Fit it properly Use an experienced trainer (who admits what it is and how it works) Use as designed Pick a quality one (no rubber tips! Some foster dogs come to us without any leash skills and in order for me to be able to walk them with my dogs, I need to quickly teach them how to walk on the leash without pulling, and a prong collar is a great tool for this. Now we're loose leash and enjoying our walks and adventures. I asked the vet if she could give me some gentle tranquillisers to use on such occasions, just to calm her down, but the vet was very reluctant to do this. I was having a hard time finding others. Front-Clip Harness. What is Positive Punishment in Dog Training? And Herm Sprenger agrees. The prong collar has been a life-saver for so many dogs. Dr. Jean Dodds says choke or prong collars are not recommended as they can easily injure the delicate butterfly-shaped thyroid gland that sits just below the larynx and in front of the trachea. With the collar we walked last night and twice today hes a totally different dog .A real gentlepup. Many trainers suggest using a carabiner to connect the prong to the collar. I have needed to figure out how to contain this pup that will weigh as much as me at a full grown 130lbs. She brought to class a prong collar and instructed me how to fit it and how to use it. And there are two much better alternatives, halters and walk harnesses https://positively.com/dog-training/methods-equipment/training-equipment/choke-and-prong-collars/. Walks were ok, except if he saw a squirrel or a cat or another dog or wanted to drag me to the park etc. Thank You!!! The training program we used 20 years ago used a choke collar, so that is what we were used to. And by the way, love the name Bear, thats our yellow labs name too . Electric shock collars for cats and dogs will be banned in England, the government has announced. The pair review the recent Norwegian breeding bans on English Bulldogs and Cavalier King Charles Spaniels, Marylands newly-passed prohibition on feline declaw surgery, and other recent legal changes in animal law. The content in this post is a breath of fresh air. Unfortunately, Kodi is one of those dogs that take you for a walk and not the other way around.. so i am wanting to try a prong collar, he gets so over stimulated when we go for a walk its almost unbearable.. pulling, barking, hyper over the top behaviour. Toronto (Canada) attempted a ban on prong and choke collars, and it passed, but was then turned over within the next month. Yes. I want to make sure that they wont get hurt when using the collars that I will buy for them. What are your thoughts? I get it, I thought the prong collar was cruel at first too, but quickly learned its the exact opposite. I have walked him w/ the prong collar here at home several times since our session and he is not pulling or lunging. Shame they dont research the damage done to dogs by flat buckle ! Thats what they were built for, is to learn. (If youre struggling to teach a loose leash, this is for you. ), she completely changed. I think most people are afraid to publicly admit the prong collar is a great training tool. It is not OK. But your points make sense to me. A few thoughts first, you need to not care what other people think. I havent used the collar since. All of the images in this post contain dogs who are wearing prong collars incorrectly. We rehomed a 8 month old GSD who was full of anxiety and nervousness. I have a 48 lb Whoodle who would wear the gentle harness on our walks in our old location (CT) where wed go 3-4 miles on a weekend and was great exercise for both of us. And she did it using a prong collar. Or must you be on the side of the dog on a short lead? You can purchases extra links if you have an extra large dog (just make sure to get the right mm size for the collar you have). Barely had to use the collar; I mean BARLEY, and we got into the groove. Thank you for this article. We have been trying positive reinforcement with him but he goes over threshold quickly if were out on a hike. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, Scotland, Sweden, Wales, and some parts of Australia all currently have a ban on electronic collars for dogs. As soon as the prong collar is on her, she is in full listen mode. You are truly saving lives. Yes, the prong trains the dog not to pull and yes eventually your dog will no longer need the collar. Quebec will institute a ban on choke, I have a 7-month-old Doberman who has been in training classes since he was 3 months old. The rescues and shelters are full of dogs that were not trained properly by their owners and so were abandoned. Though they are legal in the U.S. The prong is simply a tool as if to tap the dogs shoulder to get her attention. Debi McKee is a mom of three kids, three dogs and the creator of Rescue Dogs 101 where she guides you in your journey of adopting and raising a rescue dog every step of the way. I just want him to be the perfectly trained dog I know hes capable of becoming. These collars have been the subject of controversy in recent years, with some people arguing that they are inhumane and should be banned, while others claim that they are an effective tool for training and managing a dog's behavior. Thank you so much for your story Terry! Thank you Melanie for sharing your story! Controversial prong dog collars were recently banned by the government of Australias most popular tourist destinations, Queensland, home of the Great Barrier Reef and Gold and Sunshine Coasts. The San Francisco SPCAs website points out that the skin on a humans neck is ten to fifteen cells thick, whereas the skin on a dogs neck is only three to five cells thick. We could tell it was simply because their want to chase after whatever they saw was stronger than their want for treats. Were embarking on our first walk tomorrow!! He pulled on his leash and barked aggressively at other dogs and people when using a standard flat collar. He lunged once and never did it again. Im certain it must at least in part be me. Choke collars and collars with sharp prongs, which are designed to make pulling painful, can also do serious damage if not used with extreme caution and under carefully controlled conditions. Growing up I had a Doberman who couldnt be walked without it! After our outing I realized how overwhelmed he still gets with new scents and experiences. There is certainly a lot of misconception around the prong collar, and I feel the only way that will change is when people have a dog like yours and experience how it can be such an invaluable training tool. I dont want my dog to fear me or become aggressive towards other people or dogs. Prong, or pinch, collars can look similar to a limited slip or martingale collar, other than they have metal prongs that protrude toward the canines throat when the pet uses the collar. Its all about communicating with the dog, not about pain at all. Its structured like a martingale collar, where the bulk of the collar is tightened by a cinching chain which attaches to your leash. My question is I know it can be good for walks but can it also be used in training my dog to stop jumping and biting? Hes not a bad dog and doesnt have any serious issues just your normal puppy stuff. The prong could help with the jumping and biting if used correctly. Period. Your timid poodle may never need one. Try keeping him on a leash inside the house for a while. Also, as the author mention, there are huge differences in the quality of a Pet Smart pinch collar and a Herm Sprenger (the recommended brand). He was much better with not pulling for a period of time when I would take him on a walk, but then he went back to his old ways and now pulls like crazy now even with the prong collar. He growls a little but I know hes just reacting and not being aggressive. So a friend recommended a prong collar, I knew that I had nothing to lose by trying it. You have that. What can Prongs are widely, widely misunderstood and consequently widely misused., The fact that a reward or a correction can only be given within 2 seconds of the action for either to be of effect means that your reactions have very slim windows to achieve their goal. As subjects go, Prong collars are pretty divisive in the dog world.. You need to correct the behavior at that point. 4 years ago I would have never used it, until my dog trainer trained my dog on it. This is why we often need to devote considerable time and attention to training dogs how to walk nicely when on lead. The prong collar training gets a lot of attention from pure positive or force free dog trainers. As soon as the collar goes on I have total control over him. Period. As a trainer, it breaks my heart, because I know how the story often goeswhile the owner may have been intending to diminish and disrupt jumping, she was likely unintentionally building an association between strangers, dogs, and shock. The prongs simulate another dog's mouth, which makes sense if you've ever taken your dog to the dog park. The information is readily available, but it is a little more buried than I would like to see. PostedApril 25, 2019 We adopted a 7 month old lab/pit/Brittany spaniel mix from our local rescue shelter. I think, a prong collar, having the constant fear and discomfort creates a different situation for a smart dog, and when they dont have that worry or fear, they just drop all their training. Now that I understand what I was doing wrong, I have all the confidence in the world that Ill be able to correct the problem with my mini Aussie and cant wait to give it a try this afternoon. Way to go Shadow!! ) Dont forget to train them off of it. These tools of control are often necessary, but we should remain alert to the diverse ways in which they can inhibit a dogs freedoms and the ways these devices can themselves be harmful to our dogs and to us. Many thanks for your advice and recommendation. Prong collars are designed to be on your dog for the duration of training only. WebPerhaps it was the way the cave people restrained their wild dogs from running away. They are simply NOT necessary; there are better ways to train! That should tell us something. Your comments are spot on that trainers are obsessively against this collar so fear there will be no where for me to go to get training if I were to purchase. The prong collar is adjustable in size by adding/removing links. In an essay called "What is Positive Punishment in Dog Training?" Psychology Today, December 4, 2017. As sweet as he is, I ended up on the ground numerous times and my husband was tired of having his arm yanked in the wrong direction. He already knew all basic commands, house broken and crate trained. Why do so many people choose to use various devices that make direct contact with a dog's neck and are known to inflict stress, discomfort, and pain, and potentially have long-term negative effects on dogs? I was stunned how quickly her behavior improved once I started using the prong collar! Psychology Today, June 22, 2018. Shadow was a big big dog, who loved everyone and everything. I have tried a few with our foster dogs, and they never truly work. It hasnt had any negative impact on his love or desire to go on walks. Thanks for the information. I am at the end of my rope, so to speak. Im a dog walker and deal with a lot of dogs of varying size, strength, and leash training. The reason why I am so weary of collars is that when dogs pull they can cause a lot of damage. I have a 60kg male rottweiler who got spooked by a kid on a scooter on one of our walks he lunged at the kid out of fear, one correction to my dog he snapped out of it place perfectly back into a heel position, I believe if I had a flat collar or a harness on that kid could well have a huge missing chunk out of his arm, thanks to the prong collar I was able to control my rottie and potentially saved that kids life and my dogs too. How Can I Find a Dog Trainer? And ask yourself, is it better for your dog to drag you through your walk, choking himself on his flat collar or to have a peaceful walk with your dog walking next to you, enjoying the smells and scenery? I have yet to see a dog injured by normal use of a prong collar (of course I only use Herm as well. Controversial prong dog collars were recently banned by the government of Australias most popular tourist destinations, Queensland, home of the Great Barrier Reef Every walk we took Bear was pulling me so hard no matter what I tried and sadly, I was seriously considering returning him to the shelter. P.S. All seemed to be going well with the prong except his reactivity to other dogs while on leash seemed to get worse. We all have that. Is the prong collar training my dog not to pull and then when he no longer pulls then well no longer need to use the collar? We now use the prong collar to train our own dogs and our foster dogs when needed. Teaching pressure & release is fast, easy, and helps build the dogs confidence. Forget a regular collar she did nothing but choke herself out the entire walk. hi,,, we got a herm sprenger collar yesterday, it was recommended by the owner of the daycare center. If youre going to use a Can you use the pinch collar on a 26lb puppy? I am certain it will help others that are struggling. It is like tapping the dog on the shoulder to get his attention. I had a guy ask me yesterday, as my dog and I were riding the bus, why I had a prong collar on him. I think thats what gets so many people especially with e-collars or prong/choke collars, they just get it thinking it will be a quick fix and have no idea how to use it. When the client was asked what happened to her dog, she frantically told us that she was just walking him and it happened out of nowhere. Good luck! Hes sweet smart and strong. What a great story Donna, thank you for sharing. In my years of dog training (at this point, Ive been involved in training over 1300 dogs and won awards), Ive never found a reason for a prong collar that cannot be resolved with positive training. The prong collar is the opposite of cruel in the right hands. Decide which equipment you would like your dog to walk on, and grab a double ended leash, like a halti training leash, and clip the prong to one end of the leash, and the harness or collar to the other., As your need for corrections lessen, allow the balance of the leash to lean towards the harness, and away from the prong.. That means that you have failed in training your dog and have taken a shortcut instead of learning to understand and work with your dog., I mean zookeepers train tigers. If used correctly prongs are a great tool and can greatly improve your and the dogs quality of life, I have four bouvier dogs whom i love dearly, but using the regular belt type choker, got me dragged under the wheels of truck, which fortunately stopped at the last second, saving my life and the probably the dogs as well, since i walk all four at once, so all i can say, is your information and positive comments on the use of the prong collar seems to be my only and final choice. You will need to read the dogs body language. They are not suitable for all dogs, and if used incorrectly, they can cause injury. Our bet recommends it for our lab puppy. After 5 years we still must put it on him when in public even though we still do training in private with him frequently to get him to behave on a regular collar. The prong collar has always been a life-saver for me and my dog! I just want her to be happy and enjoy the world! I had to give him a couple of sharp tugs but after that he soon got the message that if he pulled I would tug him back My views of these evil looking collars has changed and I had got to the stage of not taking Sam out for daily walks as I was scared of being injured myself or him injuring or frightening other people. What a life changer. I have a ten month old foxhound that I walk daily in the forest for two miles in rugged terrain. I see you have recommended a few times to use a carabiner and I dont know what you mean. I recommend reading https://www.rescuedogs101.com/bringing-new-dog-home-3-3-3-rule/. Toronto (Canada) attempted a ban on prong and choke collars, and it passed, but was then turned over within the next month. Hello, while I dont have a prong collar yet (getting one from work soon) I greatly appreciate your article. Thats not how the tool works and thats not the humane way to go about it. The prong is not meant to yank, pull or choke a dog. I so hate to see good, effective training tools totally demonized. Many civilized countries have outlawed prong collars, recognizing the harm they can do! That is a misconception. Our dog is very responsive to positive training with treats, but he is also food aggressive which makes me nervous to use around my son (and he is sometimes so excited about the treats he cant pay attention to training). Hes my service dog now. Shock collars have been banned in many states of Australia after considering the damaging effects of these e collars on dogs. Thanks for your wonderful training resources. Are you supposed to leave the spike collar on all the time? A petite woman in her mid-40s walks her 100 pound rottweiler with some difficulty. When we adopted our 95 lb lab, he had no leash manners at all. However, I am afraid of breaking a wrist or worse; & I have some balance problems. Youll never know whose life youve saved. I am trying to gain more knowledge and be a responsible dog owner (esp. We have dogs in training classes with prong collars, slip collars, harnesses everything. We have two dogs, both staffies, that are really bad on the leash. If it werent for this collar we would never be able to do that. When used correctly the prong collar will immediately stop your dog from pulling you. This will then tighten around the dogs neck while he is hanging and obviously suffocate him to death (I am sure that you do not wish this upon your family pet). I know that he understands what I want him to do when I tell him to walk close and he does it on occasion, but is too wired and easily distracted even at three years old to maintain a loose leash. Now he is eyes on me. Gentle leaders and the like can cause serious neck injuries like whiplash. Consult with Virginia from Olivers Travels dog training. Some dog breeds tend to be wanderers, and an intact dog or girls in heat can be problem too. It is cruel to these dogs for them to be abandoned over and over again, adding to their unsuitability as pets, by people who believe themselves humane, when a gentle training session with a prong collar can turn those wonderful dogs into the kind of pet the owner dreams of. In addition, the government of Australia What appealed to me the most in your blog is when you talked about how safe prong collar dogs are because they cant damage your dogs trachea given that they are going to be properly used. Lately, I am getting hounded on social media about responding to a post saying it was a great tool for training. Hi Beverly, Yes you can use a prong collar on a short face dog. 3, It definitely forces you to pay attention as youre concerned about pulling too hard but that /should/ be the case no matter what you use. Of course the length of time it takes for each dog varies. Great, checked that off the list. Below is a step-by-step guide outlining the steps we took and the timeline we used as we worked toward our prong collar ban. Have you had success on this type of dog which is bred to hunt rodents? No one ever claimed it so it became our shop dog and because I opened and closed the shop regularly I was the one in charge of walking him. Its a good thing I work out because I can reign her back in but I fear one day shell dislocate my shoulder!! Most of the citys bylaws carry a $240 fine for infraction. I have a strong 100 pound GSD. And if your trainer tells you that this is not the case, then theyre not a trainer you should be working with. What theyre made to do, and what theyre not made to do.. Are shock collars banned in Europe? For some dogs it is more than just patience. As you go through the article, see if you can tell why theyre wrong. I tried to walk her and i actually just was dragged. Its not illegal to use I remember over 10 years ago they seemed to have a bad rap. Thoughts? I recommend prong collars, but only after consulting a certified dog training professional. Now what should I do? Have you witnessed a dog pulled so hard on a flat collar that it chokes it self to the point of gagging? Really? I asked him why not? He went on to tell me theyre known for breaking dogs necks. Now I have an American Foxhound, and while she does pull a little bit at the beginning of a walk she settles right in with her harness pretty quick. Thank you for most educational article on pinch collar. They out weigh me, so its important to have them under control. The one linked in the article above fits dogs with up to a 18-inch neck. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. The woman left her choke collar at the vet clinic and took with her a donated harness. Hes my first dog and unfortunately socialization was very difficult and so he was highly reactive to dogs. Kind regards. Keep up the good work and dont let the ignorant and uneducated bring you down! If you were told you had the option to teach a child how to read by physically punishing them for every word they said incorrectly (option A) or by working incrementally and rewarding the words they got correct (option B), and that you could achieve the same results no matter which way you taught the child, which would you choose? Oftentimes, breed is an excuse Oh, hes a German Shepherd, he needs a prong or hell be out of control well no thats not really true is it? _____. Theres rarely a time where a prong is genuinely needed in a good relationship with your dog. Thousands of trainers and Id wager millions of owners train their dogseasy dogs and challenging dogsand manage their behavior without any of this stuff. This can create a scenario in which, at best, a dog doesn't offer any behaviors due to fear, and at worst, a dog who becomes more reactive, worried, and overtly aggressive, leading to bites.". We dog sat for a friends dog last week that has no leash manners, and the way he pulled on his flat collar scared me! Yes it will help you a lot! The prong collar helps keep his focus on me and makes it a positive experience for both of us. Ive compensated by going out during less busy times and the latest which has been driving to off leash dog parks as she is sooooo much off leash. Had him two years now he has also been attacked by other stray pitbulls. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for Herm Sprenger HS Ultra Chrome Metal Prong Dog Training Collar 162.25mm New Nice at the best online prices at eBay! The studies seem to show that choke collars are dangerous but not prong collars. I had held out at first because I was skeptical, but as I said, once I started using the prong collar it was like night and day! You may have pure positive trainers tell you there are more humane ways to control your dog. I have volunteered at numerous rescues that would allow for use of harnesses and Martingale or choke style collars but not prongs. He is amazing on it, but I dont always use it because Im worried about what people might think. Loved this post! He was really a wonderful dog that I wouldnt have enjoyed with out that collar. Keep up to date with the Rebarkable Newsletter! Her eyes arent red after a walk and she doesnt pant constantly walking now. Our goal should be to use these tools to facilitate access to a wide variety of positive physical and social experiences and to allow our dogs as much agency as possible so that they can control and make choices that suit them. Love the prong collarI always thought they were cruelbut they're not. I do believe it is each to their own, but to me it is still an aversive tool created for people who do not have time to train their dogs without punishment or the consequence of pain. There is no negative association for the dogs, and weve even been lucky and not have any people give us looks or comments on their collars either. We also tried the plain slip-chain/choke chain collar (per my Mother in laws recommendation), and found that she still pulled and choked herself despite us -trying- to use it responsibly and kindly, OR she would back out of it and completely slip away. My trainer switched her to a prong collar with flat round ends. If ur looking to get one please please please invest In a sprenger and not a cheap version as these have point ends that will do damage and please seek a reputable professional to show you how to use it properly.its meant for slow gradual increases in pressure not quick hard yanks.
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