The one thing I dont do is avoid walking her altogether. I dont think so. A strong dog actually puked while I was walking him from the pressure on his throat. I can see how someone would see it as dangerous or harmful. OSPet Dog Prong Collar. Would the place where the lead clips on end up under the neck and, thus, drag on the ground on a long lead? It literally saved his life. Psychology Today, December 4, 2017. I spend more than 40 hours a week writing, researching and helping dog owners, I can not do it for free and still feed my family. She was especially dialed in when hiking in Alaska, saved me from crossing paths with many bears, moose, & wolverines. 6. Thats not how the tool works and thats not the humane way to go about it. At first, yes once you take the collar off, he will pull. They got lucky. I had an English Bulldog and, true to their bullheadedness, when a puppy on our first walks would pull out of his collar and leash and take off. If you are just using it to train not to pull, there is no need to keep it on all day. The people are told to wait for the dog to offer the behavior. It seems like the use of collars is a readily accepted part of dog guardianship. The dog must learn to pay attention and do exactly what you sayfor your sake and its. You are truly saving lives. My boy is a saint bernard mix too. Hello, while I dont have a prong collar yet (getting one from work soon) I greatly appreciate your article. Are you supposed to leave the spike collar on all the time? We have beautiful, stress-free walks thanks to this great tool. Then we started a balanced training class, and they showed us how to use the prong collar. She was still her happy-go-lucky self playing. If I did not get his behavior under control I would have to re-home my dog, if I could not walk him that would be cruel and if he hurt me or someone by lunging that would be even worse. I used to be someone who thought the prong collar was evil and harmful.. until I met a former LEO K-9 trainer who taught ME how to use one, properly, on a GSD. Any advice would be appreciated. Virginia transformed her into an absolutely normal dog. The fact is, the prong collar, when fitted properly, is designed to be the most humane way to train and to NOT harm your dog. Wasted $100 at PetSmart (clicker training ????). I will post my update soon! Choke collars, prong collars or flat collars are harmful training tools, Choose a Dog Trainer as Carefully as You Would a Surgeon, Dog Training's Dirty Little Secret: Anyone Can Legally Do It, what's good for the human must be good for the dog. This puppy's social behavior was a gift! After I brought him home I tried to take him for walks but he would literally drag me down the street at a pretty fast pace. A quick, gentle tug is all thats needed. Required fields are marked. 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. There is enough research to know they are not humane or safe. Whether or not a dog wearing an e-collar, prong collar, or shock collar is largely happy or living a good life, the reason these devices work is that they cause some degree of discomfort, pain, or distress (regardless of the level of intensity). 3 months is too young for a prong collar in my opinion. We have tried positive reinforcement with food items, turning to head a different direction when he pulls (hoping he will learn to follow the human), and have tried at least another half dozen other recommended methods. Good luck! I have a ten month old foxhound that I walk daily in the forest for two miles in rugged terrain. No. They are used as an aversive training tool that enforces punishment in an attempt to make a dog perform desired behaviours. I have a 7-month-old Doberman who has been in training classes since he was 3 months old. P.S. CodeMiko posted in her Discord yesterday, sharing that she was suspended on Twitch for her use of a shock collar on herself during her Sunday, Feb. 26 stream. 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! Im certain it must at least in part be me. I should say that my dog is quite highly trained and in a training environment excels at quite advanced exercises. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. I dont want my dog to fear me or become aggressive towards other people or dogs. I swore Id never use a prong, they are cruel, I thought. Now what should I do? I am looking forward to using this, in an even better way of using. There has to be a clear line of communication between you and you dog and the prong is just a quick reminder of the expectation. I have a 140 BRT, and he is only 14 months old. Its about patience and consistency. Many dogs will still pull, despite the discomfort, and are at risk of injury to their necks. A prong collar (also called a pinch collar) is an example of a dog training collar, and usually replaces a flat collar. Teaching pressure & release is fast, easy, and helps build the dogs confidence. I can walk him with a regular collar now, but not when he gets 150 pounds. Love the prong collarI always thought they were cruelbut they're not. Can Humans Detect Text by AI Chatbot GPT? Animal activists have been attempting to issue a Europe-wide ban on their sale and use, while no movement on a ban has been created in the "), There are few quick fixes with dog training. Thank you, I dont have one, but found this in a Google search: Source: precisionk9training.com. Putting a prong collar on him that would make him uncomfortable or hurt him would further harm him mentally. His triggers are squirrels, any wonderful smells, etc. My latest furbaby the half boston/half lab was so smart that all the positive training methods only trained him to misbehave. Our campus officially banned prong collars on January 24, 2017. And in the mean time the poor dog is confined to his home? So please Herm Sprenger! I want to be able to enjoy walking him not only within the neighborhood but along trails this summer. He likes them, just not enough to be bribed by them. As soon as the GSD would hear the prong collar, he would sit and wait for it to be put on for his walks and never tugged on me ever again. And be consistent. And it absolutely does!!! I have had 0 success teaching dogs to walk correctly using a harness. A word of caution thoughif you do use one expect criticism from others. He will begin to associate the prong collar with pain, which is something he is afraid of. Make sure you buy the Herm Sprenger brand I recommend. If youre going to miss something, would you rather that your dog misunderstood a reward, or a punishment? Many thanks for your advice and recommendation. You could have taught a loose leash without a prong. Thanks for your advice and recommend!! Have you had success on this type of dog which is bred to hunt rodents? A jerk on the leash to suddenly, quickly restrict airflow as the teeth of the prong squeeze the neck, often misappropriated as a mommy bite Ill discuss that one another time) actually just reinforces the idea that they were right to be scared of the oncoming threat., Over time? Dr. Alix Partnow, a neurologist at VCA Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle, and Grisha Stewart, a Seattle dog trainer and author, answer this weeks questions. A TWITCH influencer has stunned her fans and was temporarily banned from the platform after a terrifying video. Our bet recommends it for our lab puppy. The use of any electrical devices for disciplinary purposes (electrical fence, anti-bark, collars with remote control) is not allowed. Sweet dog who is highly, highly excitable and anxious. That it appears on google when people search Prong collar for my dog and they have the opportunity to learn. Even with a prong? This also could be possible. She is so much happier on her walks and so am I. Before that, we tried the gentle-leader head harness, which she HATED, and either shut down when we put it on or she would often push through it anyway, to where I worried that she would hurt her neck. Eye contact, "follower" state was much fasterI was connecting with him like his real mother would. Whilst I would hope youd use it right (though, I dont think I would trust myself to use it right consistently over long periods of time), it also doesnt surpass the fact that you can probably achieve your loose leash walking goals way easier than banishing your pup or dog to this device., No, they are not suitable for use on a puppy. Check Latest Price. We put it on her and it was like she was a different dog I could take her anywhere . ), she completely changed. This merely trained him to bite me, then sit back and wait for a treat when he quit. When he hears me pick it up he comes running because he knows were going out. Thoughts? Why would he still be so excited to go on walks if the prong collar was so terrible? 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. I was overjoyed when I was handed the leash and he did so for me as well!! Lately, I am getting hounded on social media about responding to a post saying it was a great tool for training. With the use of a prong collar, you immediately become your dogs source of punishment. The prong collar (similar to a choke chain or slip lead) works on constriction. Have watched several videos by Jeff Geller and purchased a Herm Sprenger prong collar. Lauren, thank you so much for sharing your story. Is that this information gets shared, lots. Physical Damage Choke and Prong Collars: Health Concerns Call for Equipment Change in Dog Training I was a bit taken aback, as I didn't expect it and thought it was cruel. We would like to try one more time to change their walking behavior. And if you genuinely feel like thats the case? Lindsay Lowe, "5 Ways Collars Can Harm Your Dog". Numerous people who choose to share their lives with a dog also choose to use various types of collars, including electric shock collars (e-collars), choke collars, or prong collars that are connected to different sorts of leashes, both of which give people varying degrees of control over their canine companions. Thanks for sharing this. If you can figure that out? Yes, the prong trains the dog not to pull and yes eventually your dog will no longer need the collar. If you are consistently pulling the collar he may become numb to any corrections. We pull out the prong collar and he come and sits patiently for us to put it on..hes excited knowing hes going for a walk. So, out comes my trusty prong collar. I found the prong collar to be far more humane than say a shock collar, a flat collar, or even an ill fitted harness. Quebec will institute a ban on choke, prong, and shock collars in 2020. You wont ever get to this stage, because youll be practising a loose leash long before theyre large and unruly! As a super strong pitty, he can yank a full sized adult over in a half a second to randomly lunge at a person or dog or squirrel. Shes a 5 year old Great Pyrenees cross that Ive had the joy of owning for a year now. Thank you for this article. She may also just be going through a fear period. However, I am afraid of breaking a wrist or worse; & I have some balance problems. We decide when they eat, what they eat, when and with whom they play and also decide when, where, and for how long dogs get to be outside each day and, perhaps more subtly, by imposing the physical constraints of collars and leashes, which guide the speed and direction of a dogs movements. I wanted to get one for him when we first started having problems with him but my dad seemed so against it so I decided on not getting one. This is supported by Herm Sprenger, the top manufacturer of prong collars in the world., Anything pain based is not suitable for a reactive dog.. We took different routes, different scenery with woods walks and hikes vs. in the neighborhood nothing helped. 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.". But I am also aware of how other people view the prong collar. Will the collar help all that? So, the reason he has to be carried into the house is that he wont move when he has a leash on. Some times he forgets its on and tries to run and its clear hes in pain. This is the worst tool you can use for a reactive dog. I wouldnt recommend trying one without researching how to properly use it but it works really well for some pups. Good luck! Oftentimes Prong collars are brandished around as the holy grail of owning a dog. But its illegal for individuals to import them. Used well, it gives dogs access to their world and can be a critically important freedom enhancer. 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). For my willful, hard-headed, inattentive Doberman yearling, thats definitely a prong collar for training sessions now. Yes, positive training will take longer and will be harder work, but is that any excuse to resort to something that will make your dogs life uncomfortable? The reason is that your dog might get spooked by something (fire works, thunder or whatever) and decide to make a dash for it. It's good to know that when many people learn how bad they really are, they stop using them. Filter by 1 Inch Custom Hidden Prong Embroidered Collar $0.00. Can a pinch collar be used on short face dogs such as French Bulldogs,Bostons or Pugs? Were hoping its a temporary training tool only, but Im still happy to have found this. But I also believe that most people that are dead against the prong collar never experienced a dog with any severe reactive behavior issues. She said doing this just makes the training go faster, which is helpful since she only has the dogs for a limited amount of time. Im still a little nervous about it, which is why Im doing more research on prong collars before I buy one to continue their training for when they come home. Every interaction made me terrified someone would try to get our dogs kicked out of the neighborhood, especially since staffies are technically dangerous. Is 3mm what I should use with a lab? Which in the summer months of course is everyone we see. Its cruel not to be able to walk your dog. Thank you! In addition, although positive punishment can be effective, there is no evidence that it is more effective than positive reinforcement-based training. WebWhere are prong collars banned? Shock collars have been banned in many states of Australia after considering the damaging effects of these e collars on dogs. Knowing this and caring about our dogs, we should be looking for the option that most quickly trains the dog not to pull. Front clip harnesses that simply manipulates the dog into not pulling and does NOT FIX the pulling. I think most people are afraid to publicly admit the prong collar is a great training tool. 4 years ago I would have never used it, until my dog trainer trained my dog on it. Adding in a prong collar and correcting their fear (aka. And Herm Sprenger agrees. Its very common for puppies to go through several fear periods throughout the 2-9 months of life. At this point, he rarely has to be corrected. I dont want her to listen to me just because she fears what comes if she doesnt. It is made up of a metal 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. At this point its stressful just trying to walk for basic excerise and needs. Should the collar only be used while walking? Many countries, including Austria and Switzerland, have made it illegal to use prong collars for canines. A video of the electrifying I cant agree more. I love a system, and the Ray Allen Manufacturing designed Nomad Interchangeable Harness System really does the trick. I dont have to pull on her constantly to keep her in heel. No trainers want to work with me because I have him on a prong. That is so scary. I just switched him back to a no-pull collar, and its working much better w/ training him to stick around and not pull, especially w/ positive enforcement and treats. We felt like failures having practiced with her every single day several times per day with no success. But I dont want to be cruel, OR injure him. We then moved and tried a force free trainer. Ill let you know how our first walk goes! 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. He was really a wonderful dog that I wouldnt have enjoyed with out that collar. People would comment on how well-mannered she was on walks and after a few years, I didnt need the prong collar at all. Sure someone could use it to hurt a dog if they want to pull tight and nag on the dogs neck. 4 months old is border line too young in my opinion. Consequently, its my advice to not use corrections because theyre too easy to miss. Picking up a prong collar tomorrow. The state government will introduce legislation into parliament to end the use of pronged dog collars, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Sunday. Free shipping for many products! A Guide From A Professional Dog Trainer, How To Manage A Dog Who Is An Escape Artist. Yes it will help you a lot! 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. Why did I need to try all those tools? Ummmm not so fast. This essay was written with Boulder (Colorado) force-free certified dog trainer, Mary Angilly, who, in December 2017, started a campaign to ban shock, choke, and prong collars in the city. It does not work by causing pain when used properly. Had him two years now he has also been attacked by other stray pitbulls. He pulled on his leash and barked aggressively at other dogs and people when using a standard flat collar. Kelly, I think you will be pleasantly surprised on how quickly it will work. He started really being obedient when the trainer put a prong collar on him and she showed him whos boss with a firm tug or two. I was terrified to hurt him during the first 2 sessions, but my son was not and he was getting the dog to listen! Hi, I don't want to hijack Debi's post but would like to comment. Did not work at all. The information is readily available, but it is a little more buried than I would like to see. 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! Lab. They started our dog on a martingale collar, then upgraded him to a choke, and finally the prong. She jumped up to greet Mary and her owner shocked her for jumping while she was trying to say hello. I needed to read this because I didnt want to be too harsh but realized I must have control of him. This has been our experience with all three of our rescued dogs as well. When used correctly the prong collar will immediately stop your dog from pulling you. With this volume of no-nos its so freaking easy to get wrong that can cause damage to your dog physically, mentally, or just to the bond between you and your dog. As a trainer, Mary sees many dogs struggling with fear, reactivity, and aggression toward unfamiliar people and dogs. 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. A prong collar worked wonders on my hooligan, made her walk like a lady. A bloody Tiger!!! It could take months or years, depending on your training. Thank you so much for sharing your story! I have needed to figure out how to contain this pup that will weigh as much as me at a full grown 130lbs. A type of collar designed to hurt dogs as behavioural punishment is set to be banned in Queensland. She chatted with me about the prong and said we could try it to see if it helped. A trainer can help with that. This surely is a win-win for all. I have a reactive dog when out, other dogs, cars and people but an absolute gent when in the home. Rainalo The reason why I am so weary of collars is that when dogs pull they can cause a lot of damage. Thank you, the bandana is a good idea. This sort of state is not a state where learning can occur, its a state where all their options have been removed., The analogy used by a lot of people is imagine your worst fear, and then someone sitting there and forcing you to face it., Prong collars are not suitable for anything fear-based, which is where reactivity falls., Regardless of my training preferences. I swapped over to a prong collar, and got him to behave, and pull and run after other dogs less, but it doesnt stick when I put him on another collar. I get it, I thought the prong collar was cruel at first too, but quickly learned its the exact opposite. Controversial prong dog collars were recently banned by the government of Australias most popular tourist destinations, Queensland, home of the Great Barrier Reef I just want her to be happy and enjoy the world! I admit I have not tried them all. I love him to bits and am looking forward to enjoying our walks from now on. Shadow was a big big dog, who loved everyone and everything. Why? "As long as we are looking for shortcuts to proper training, both the dog and the guardian will likely suffer long term consequences from a poor choice of training tools, a poor use of these tools and the negative side effects from their aversive properties." These countries include Austria, Denmark, Germany, Slovenia, Switzerland, and parts of Australia. We have been trying positive reinforcement with him but he goes over threshold quickly if were out on a hike. WebThank you for downloading the San Francisco SPCAs Prong Collar Advocacy Kit. In addition, the government of Australia She needs her exercise and fresh air and i will never deny her of that because of my own fears. I have a large, leash-reactive male German Shepherd. . 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. Training is a life long learning experience, for dogs and humans! I walk him 4-6 miles a day, am in obedience & he generally does really well. I know some people cringe at the sight of a prong collar, it looks barbaric and cruel. Im not a fan of harnesses, as they provoke pulling. What is different about a prong collar is that as the martingale tightens it brings in teeth or prongs. A short time later, Mary saw the puppy and guardian re-enter the park, with the puppy wearing an e-collar. At the moment, different regions are working Sincerely Brian Kelly. She brought to class a prong collar and instructed me how to fit it and how to use it. I work with high drive, hard working dogs. Is it worth it to subdue and suppress behavior, to use the threat of pain to train a dog? He hates them all except treats, of course, but they have zero effect on his lunging and pulling. Actually he has never gagged, choked or shown any discomfort to prong where Ive had dogs gag if they pulled hard with flat collar. Thank you so much for sharing. 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 do agree positive reinforcement is key in fear based cases. I love this link you provided. Dog collars can cause a good deal of physical and psychological harm to dogs. Got a wonderful lab mix last summer; believe he's never been trained or on a leash. Thats all. Like I said, he is very well behaved, until he is not. The Effects of Using Aversive Training Methods in Dogs: A Review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 19 (2017): 5060. But pronged collars have been a saving grace for both me and the problem walkers. 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. Many years ago, I had our dog and a foster dog go after another dog when it was icy out and I went flying down on my butt. I will write as unbiasedly as I can, and be informative and factual, allowing you to make your own decisions. Thats what they were built for, is to learn. (If youre struggling to teach a loose leash, this is for you. I guess I am one of those 100% pure positive dog trainers and yes their is a more humane way to train the dog. Ran into the road? We have read numerous articles and watched dog training videos. 1 Beaverdam Rd, NC 28804 US (828) 253-3393 Alternatives to Choke Chains, Prong Collars, and Other Aversive Methods Aversive methods such as choke chains, pinch collars, and shock collars can not only lead to painful injuries, they are less effective than more positive training methods. There was never so much as an indent in his skin and I was able to easily control him for the first time. So glad it is working for your and your big pup! It has been a life-saver. They certainly can be if misused. This made walking him difficult as he wanted to get to anyone or anything he saw. Prong collars are still legal in the US, but are highly I want him to walk ahead of me on a 20-30 lead along my single file trail. Our 90 pound puppy who gets excited and pulls on walks. 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.. We just started with a trainer for our 16wk Lab/Shepherd puppy that uses the Herm S prong collar. This is always very stressful for me and I get there praying there wont be another dog in the waiting room. I have seen all of those injuries in dogs, and I experimented with many of those tools before I tried the prong. Use of the prong/e collar & it has changed their lives all for the better & made some very happy dogs too. Prong collars have been banned in many countries that have announced them as illegal. In fact, there is some evidence that the opposite is true.. Will that be a problem when he wears the prong collar? Hes my service dog now. I broke down and bought a prong collar for my girls (18 month old pitbulls) theyre the sweetest dogs but pull like crazy especially when they see a person or another dog they want to play with. Hi Im 19 and have a 4 month old Great Dane and he is almost 70Ib I started him out in obedience puppy classes and the trainer there recommend to get a harness but he grew out of it so quickly that wasnt able to train much with him but even with the harness he was very difficult to walk because he pulls so hard and he chews on his leash like he wants to walk himself. He is a rescue who was only 77 lbs when he came to live with me. Another point that is important to stressa larger systemic issue facing dogs, their guardians, and dog trainersis that there is no regulation in the dog training industry. I raised him w/ a no-pull harness, and he quickly out grew that behavior. 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.