Thank you Melanie for sharing your story! Truth is she was the best dog I could have ever had the privilege of rescuing. Now, at age 6 it doesnt seem to be as effective. She is happy and waiting for me to put it on. I have used a prong collar to walk my German shepherd and it has been a blessing. P.S. Many people have never seen a prong or pinch collar properly used in dog training. It is not OK. Though she is a pretty good heeler without it I feel safer and feel like she is calmer with it on. What a great story Donna, thank you for sharing. Thank you Patty for sharing your story! Theres a lot of myths and a lack of information because it all comes from a passionate place. On our first walk, with a 20 minute session he was heeling, sitting, and responding to down and stay commands like never before. Its crazy how the internet is overwhelmed with posts claiming how dangerous these collars are when I find they have done wonders for both me and the dogs Im walking, all without hurting them. Marc thanks Jessica Pierce for her collaboration on this and other projects. A quick, gentle tug is all thats needed. Stand behind your product and tell people openly the truth! Check Latest Price. Like anything Im sure using it wrong or without training can be bad but using it as training tool correctly can be a great benefit and my dog has responded amazing to it., I just started training with the prong collar, I immediately see a difference in my pitt/boxer mix. Initially I was not crazy about this, especially since our previous trainer was purely positive and I thought thatd be best, but her reasoning made sense to me since it was clear our dogs did not care about the treats in our hands when they saw something they wanted more. After class the instructor told me that she would bring a collar to the next class that should help with him and asked that I come a little early so she could show me how to use it. She actually does really well but is strong with high prey drive. Teaching pressure & release is fast, easy, and helps build the dogs confidence. You dont need a prong collar. My trainer switched her to a prong collar with flat round ends. I somewhat reluctantly use the prong collar because I know I have control regardless of situation & can keep him safe. Thats all. We are switching over to a 1 on 1 trainer very soon hoping it will help with his other problems we are having at home. WebHidden Prong Collars. It made a difference! We are in 80s and vet says pinch collar will save our lives. 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. Free shipping for many products! Use a no-pull, or a choke chain, and train them w/ positive reinforcement. I am in your same boat. Great article!! It depends on the severity of his fearfulness. this si my best buddy and my soul mutt and i am not going to give up on him, though both he and i need help! I will write as unbiasedly as I can, and be informative and factual, allowing you to make your own decisions. If youre going to miss something, would you rather that your dog misunderstood a reward, or a punishment? So, the time to start using it is whenever youve genuinely exhausted your options when youve tried the kinder methodology, youve tried a professional positive trainer, and youve gotten to a point where your dog cannot progress despite your dedication, patience and addressing all of the aspects of your dogs life that may be inhibiting their learning. You can walk your dog around without a collar, harness, leash (please dont do it in public, there are laws in place) and they will listen to you every step of the way.. My latest furbaby the half boston/half lab was so smart that all the positive training methods only trained him to misbehave. She is passionate about helping puppy parents get things right, right from the start. Thank you for this article! The one thing I dont do is avoid walking her altogether. Thank you for saving a dogs life! Herm Sprenger brand (this is the exact one I have), https://positively.com/dog-training/methods-equipment/training-equipment/choke-and-prong-collars/, https://www.rescuedogs101.com/bringing-new-dog-home-3-3-3-rule/, https://www.facebook.com/MajorsAcademyDogTraining/, https://www.facebook.com/SolidK9TrainingRI/, How to make dehydrated sweet potato dog treats, 15 Tips for being a great foster dog parent, Spaying and Neutering Your Dog [everything you NEED to know]. I recommend reading https://www.rescuedogs101.com/bringing-new-dog-home-3-3-3-rule/. Thousands of trainers and Id wager millions of owners train their dogseasy dogs and challenging dogsand manage their behavior without any of this stuff. I dont want her to listen to me just because she fears what comes if she doesnt. Dr. Jean Dodds. By the way, the vet also said to only use the Herm Sprenger brand. I did training and watched several videos regarding the use of the collar and in less than 2 week the lunging was OVER. The use of any type of restraint, whether a collar that goes around a dog's neck or a front-clip harness, is elective. If fitting is not the problem, then next review the way you are correcting his pulling, do not pull or nag on the collar, it should always be a quick tug or snap of the collar. This is always very stressful for me and I get there praying there wont be another dog in the waiting room. Look into Ed Frawley with Leerburg-has many articles, videos, and you can ask his wife Cindy questions, she is a trainer too. Give it a chance, try it out and see what a difference it can make with your relationship with your dog. And although I knew they were just barking and pulling because they wanted to investigate and make friends, staffies barks tend to be quite scary, which Im sure intimidate my neighbors. I remember over 10 years ago they seemed to have a bad rap. But there is no getting away from the fact that if they didn't cause the discomfort/pain, they wouldn't work. I love the prong collar! She gets so over excited in this, and a few other, situations that I have real trouble holding her back she has on occasions pulled me over! Barely had to use the collar; I mean BARLEY, and we got into the groove. I just ordered a Sprenger 2.25 mm 12 inch prong collar and will let you know how it works out in trainingit should arrive in 2 days. If you have experience and skill in reading a study objectively and without bias, you can see that it actually disproves the point you and the citing website are trying to make. 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. Will that be a problem when he wears the prong collar? Nothing worked until I found this site and started using a prong collar. WebProng collars should only be used under the guidance of a professional trainer. WebProng collars work by causing discomfort (pain/punishment) when the dog pulls against it. The prong is simply a tool as if to tap the dogs shoulder to get her attention. Note: I just received an interesting email asking if it's possible that some dogs hold grudges against their guardians and trainers who mistreat them with aversive collars and "other abusive training techniques." If you find that its not working because of the lack of a neck try using a slip lead. My dog like to take off after rabbits . Our first walk getting her home she barked and lunged at anything that moved be it person or dog. The first of its kind, the flagship plan aims to ensure the UK is leading the way in animal welfare and includes a ban on the use of electric shock collars, a move which has been long-campaigned for by The Kennel Club. 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. However, the first reference to dog collars comes from Ancient Egypt. On the other end of the spectrum, there are also dog trainers who are force-free and rewards-based who lack the education and knowledge base to be effective concerning choices of neck restraints. I recommend using a carabiniere for a back up just in case the links come apart. Or I could actually teach them to love a jellyfish on their head. BUT she does need help with socialization. We have dogs in training classes with prong collars, slip collars, harnesses everything. I tried to walk her and i actually just was dragged. The prong collar training gets a lot of attention from pure positive or force free dog trainers. 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. I do agree positive reinforcement is key in fear based cases. If you want the bones of how to train your dog to walk on a loose leash without a prong collar? Kilian you are very welcome. I am emigrating to Germany next year and i do not want to be taking a dog with me that is going to drag me through the streets, barking and being hyper and scaring everyone by giving the impression hes aggressive which he definitely is not.. Quebec will institute a ban on choke, _____. I just started using one. My teenage daughter begged me to adopt a pitbull puppy. Is it because it works so rapidly and they don't care what the dog thinks and feels?". Ive noticed several times that ours become lodged and arent connected all the way, leading to it easily being able to break apart when the dog pulls. During the first class Shadow had his own agenda and set out to personally meet and greet every student in the class. These are then used when you want to apply a Correction (also called a leash pop) that press into the skin around your dogs neck to apply discomfort or pain in order to communicate that your dog has done something incorrectly. She was a once in a lifetime soulmate of a dog. Dogs that I thought were a lost cause QUICKLY cease pulling and are walkable again! The woman left her choke collar at the vet clinic and took with her a donated harness. 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. This one is really important, before you use any tool with your dog that you understand how they work and why your dog will respond to it especially when they cannot communicate their needs or feelings clearly. The Effects of Using Aversive Training Methods in Dogs: A Review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 19 (2017): 5060. . Offering him a toy when he attacks me, biting and scratching me, only taught him to attack me in order to get a toy. So yes, I agree, if used properly no issues, in the grand picture it gave her ultimate freedom in living her best dog life. In fact, they do quite the opposite for the latter. And a Gentle leader or head collar that goes around a dogs muzzle is that really comfortable for your dog? You can get the standard size: https://amzn.to/2Hwnbzp. It was like I was walking a totally different dog altogether. Leashes and collars are tools of control and should be used very carefully, In Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible, Jessica Pierce and I write that while tools of control are often necessary, we should remain alert to the diverse ways in which they can inhibit a dogs freedoms and the ways these devices themselves can be harmful., Research tells us that the use of force via aversive equipment is not only ineffective but can be psychologically and physically damaging. Training is a life long learning experience, for dogs and humans! I used a pinch collar on Chester and he and I were happy walkers for 10+ years. It is much better than the flat collars we had tried since she doesnt pull now, her trachea isnt under pressure on walks. I am with a training group right now, not training with them at present. Again 99.9% of the time he is a joy to walk & im walking him and my other dog which could greatly overpower me. If it hurt him in any way I seriously doubt he would come running for me to put it on him. Please do more research, because your answer sounded very disturbing. 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. Recommended just for you: Top 5 Reasons to Take Your Dog for a Walk. Im a dog walker and deal with a lot of dogs of varying size, strength, and leash training. Many dogs will still pull, despite the discomfort, and are at risk of injury to their necks. Yes, the prong trains the dog not to pull and yes eventually your dog will no longer need the collar. Some people She is slowly getting used to our house and noises but has a very difficult time with walks (shes afraid of everything car, people, loud sounds). I decided to share my story because so many people have not. A prong collar is a device that has metal fang-shaped prongs on it that is worn around a dogs neck. We rescued our pit-lab mix as a puppy and underwent training with him for eight weeks, then again when he was a year old and even had the trainer come to our home to work on specific issues. For my willful, hard-headed, inattentive Doberman yearling, thats definitely a prong collar for training sessions now. I have more confidence and she listens effectively. New Zealand, Austria, Australia, Switzerland, the Canadian Province of Quebec, and many others have made prong collars (and in many cases choke and shock collars) illegal. 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. In the end, I realize the prong collar is very controversial, but please do not bash it unless youve had experience with a dog that pulls so hard you can not walk him. He is doing well but, as he is getting older, he is pulling toward other dogs and people. He pulls when i walk him half the time. One just pulls excessively while the other is actually more reactive on the leash. Thank You!!! However, the first reference to dog collars comes from Ancient Egypt. (See "Do Dogs Hold Grudges?" I contacted a reputable local trainer who I met at a local park the next day. We plan on taking him to training classes for sure but the dog is making everyone in the family cry, angry, sad because of the jumping/biting. We rescued a 4 month old 50 lb Anatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenees mix 5 months ago. He only does the right things when he has the prong collar on cause hes smart and knows not to mess around w/ it on. and know that the collar is the least likely choice of training tools to hurt your dog. It seems like the use of collars is a readily accepted part of dog guardianship. I have won over a few of my clients here in Monaco & France re. To help create a puppy capable of being a confident and adaptable family member and keep puppies out of shelters. They got lucky. WebE-Collars & prong collars are banned in several countries in Europe. For example, shock collars, sometimes called e-collars or electronic collars, are banned in the United Kingdom, but they are legal in the United States. We are taking things really slow, but Im concerned if we take them too slow, we will actually be reinforcing behaviors learned from the abuse, i.e. I will answer my own question for youIt works by causing pain and uncomfortableness for the dog, causing the dog to avoid the pain . Lauren, thank you so much for sharing your story. If we love our companion animals so very much, the call to treat them kindly should be paramount, and there's no reason why these devices shouldnt be banned in favor of readily available and less aversive force-free alternatives. But, after attending a seminar with a balanced dog trainer and doing a lot of research, I realized what a great dog training tool the prong collar can be.