Nothing worked until I found this site and started using a prong collar. The reason why I am so weary of collars is that when dogs pull they can cause a lot of damage. I never wanted to try a prong collar because of the negative connotations, especially with a pit bull that people are already afraid of. He was a bully breed mutt and 100 +lbs. This is deliberate! Use a no-pull, or a choke chain, and train them w/ positive reinforcement. Where are prong collars banned? He is amazing on it, but I dont always use it because Im worried about what people might think. 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 want to make sure that they wont get hurt when using the collars that I will buy for them. I was overjoyed when I was handed the leash and he did so for me as well!! | They started our dog on a martingale collar, then upgraded him to a choke, and finally the prong. When you adopt a dog that pulls so hard you can not walk him, then come talk to me do you want to go through a 6-12-18 month (or more) positive-only training program so this dog can finally take a walk in a public space? Teaching pressure & release is fast, easy, and helps build the dogs confidence. Needless to say Shadow and I were able to participate in class and he wasnt the class clown he was in the first class. Walking on a leash is not a natural behavior for a dog, and indeed it goes against their natural instincts to run and explore. Plain martingale collars dont provide the same type of pressure to catch a dogs attention. Ummmm not so fast. . You will hear strong opinions about prong collars on both sides, for and against. Prong/Choke = obedience training, Harness = tracking work, flat collar = protection work. I have tried a few with our foster dogs, and they never truly work. Ultimately, a leash is simply a tool, a kind of umbilical cord between human and dog that can be used well or poorly. 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. But when it came down to either his discomfort or my injuries I agreed to try it. The only barbaric thing here Lora, is the human mind. 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. The dog must learn to pay attention and do exactly what you sayfor your sake and its. Why was CodeMiko banned? For small dogs you can get the 2.25 mm. Most of the citys bylaws carry a $240 fine for infraction. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. A Guide From A Professional Dog Trainer, How To Manage A Dog Who Is An Escape Artist. He already knew all basic commands, house broken and crate trained. Now he is licking me instead of biting, watching me and interacting with me. We are in 80s and vet says pinch collar will save our lives. I do believe the prong collar has saved many dogs lives. I noticed early on that other dog owners or even people who have seen a dog somewhere in their lifetime, have become experts on how to care for MY dog, irrespective of how theyre known me! Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, Scotland, Sweden, Wales, and some parts of Australia all currently have a ban on electronic collars for dogs. I need to be able to use my prong collar! I was stunned how quickly her behavior improved once I started using the prong collar! Dont be afraid to use it if your trainer suggests it. She is a quick learner with all the usual commands and is due to graduate her first round of puppy training classes this Sunday. I rescued Shadow, a black Newfoundland, many years ago, that was when I was introduced to the prong collar in an obedience class I took with Shadow. She is very sweet but its obvious now that she hasnt been socialized at all. Prong Advocacy Kit - SF SPCA Make sure you buy the Herm Sprenger brand I recommend. ), All you have to do to unlock that? And if your trainer tells you that this is not the case, then theyre not a trainer you should be working with. I have a 150lbs St Bernard mix, I cant walk her she is stronger then me. This has been our experience with all three of our rescued dogs as well. I finally bought a Herm Sprenger collar and it was moderately helpful. Doing so exposes your dog to an inordinate amount of danger, damage and risks that just are not worth talking about. A bloody Tiger!!! If it werent for this collar we would never be able to do that. Reading this article and the comments made me realize I have to get over what people might think. You are doing everything right, just take it slow. He gets to decide to eliminate that discomfort by not pulling. I would think they would still work as long as you have the collar up high on the neck. However, its really important that throughout the process of training a dog with a prong collar that we are aware, that we admit that it causes pain or discomfort in order to have an effect. I have yet to find anything in writing that says this is ok. Can a pinch collar be used on short face dogs such as French Bulldogs,Bostons or Pugs? Not that it wont work, but because he is still young enough to teach him not to pull without it. But I also believe that most people that are dead against the prong collar never experienced a dog with any severe reactive behavior issues. Shell lunge right onto a road sometimes which is so scary for me. I was going to buy a front clip harness (for more control as she is either following her nose without listening to me or tries to run away from scary things) but after reading your article Im wondering if a prong collar would be better?. I think its a bad idea. Picking up a prong collar tomorrow. But I will never be completely relaxed walking her if shes going to lunge and bark at every person, bike, dog we see on our walks. Prong collar is the only way, Headcollar training harness with a front point Balance harness etc etc. You dont use it to punish, you use it to guide. My boy is a saint bernard mix too. No matter how prey driven, no matter how strong. Once I started using a prong collar on my girl (along with the time commitment of training! You can do it with patience and guidance.. Hi Debi, I have a pit Pyrenees rescue and have been in weekly training. It depends on the severity of his fearfulness. My dog trainer helped us find the most comfortable prong collar and fit it properly behind Blu's ears. Thank you for most educational article on pinch collar. A prong collar will give you a bit of power steering with a larger dog that pulls hard, but its no substitute for training., So if youre training? Quebec will institute a ban on choke, prong, and shock collars in 2020. The training program we used 20 years ago used a choke collar, so that is what we were used to. Ill let you know how our first walk goes! We found out that her dog, while on a choke collar, started pulling when he saw another dog across the street, so much so that his paws came off the ground. Its very common for puppies to go through several fear periods throughout the 2-9 months of life. 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. After reading the article on prong collars, went and bought one. Just last week, while at a local dog park, she saw a very social puppy who was running up to every strange human and dog she passed, excitedly soliciting attention, with a loose, exuberantly waggy body. She introduced me to the idea of using a prong collar as a training tool which I initially had strong concerns about having never seen one in use and having just lost a dog to laryngeal damage issues. I swore Id never use a prong, they are cruel, I thought. We were working with a purely positive trainer for a while, who was really great, but when it came to real-world practice out and about it was still nearly impossible for me to get my dogs attention with just treats when they saw something they wanted to go after, usually a squirrel but sometimes a friendly neighbor. Im thinking about buying for my dog a prong collar so your article is very helpful to me. The instructor is set against prong and choke collars. Dogs become reactive (largely) through fear or excitement. Collars are known to be associated with whiplash, fainting, spinal cord injuries, paralysis, crushing of the trachea, partial or complete asphyxiation, crushing or fracture of the bones in the larynx, dislocation of the vertebrae in the neck, bruising of the esophagus, damage to the skin and tissue of the neck, prolapsed eyeballs, and brain damage. The content in this post is a breath of fresh air. It took everything in me to hold him back and walking him was physically hard on me. Dog Collars: The Shock and Prong War An Opinion (My dog is super sweet and not aggressive just stubborn!) The former associates you as a good thing, the latter associates you with bad things.. 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? As a Chewy affiliate I earn commissions for qualifying purchases. However, loose leash walking has literally been impossible. Will that be a problem when he wears the prong collar? Putting a prong collar on him that would make him uncomfortable or hurt him would further harm him mentally. I admit I was not paying full attention to him was conversing with a neighbor. I trained my German Shepard/Siberian Husky mix using a pinch collar, got tips on training from a gal who trained duck hunting dogs, she taught me hand signals and all. Barely had to use the collar; I mean BARLEY, and we got into the groove. I have only used the style that the prongs go all the way around the neck, so I cant speak of the effectiveness of the ones that dont. If you want the bones of how to train your dog to walk on a loose leash without a prong collar? She is happy and waiting for me to put it on. These collars can save a dogs life and make him the gentle fur baby the owner wants. Due to the lack of oversight and requirement for education, certification, or professional standards, as well as the often ambiguous language used by various dog trainers, many well-meaning dog guardians who just want the best for their dogs are being misled and often talked into using force, fear, and pain to train. Slip leads and choke collars can do the same and cut off air supply. Like others have mentioned, Im sure the dog is not afraid of this collar if theyre running to you to put it on for a walk. Its especially discouraging because most articles Im reading argue against prong collars. I dont care what breed you have, how strong they are, or how small you are. 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. Now, at age 6 it doesnt seem to be as effective. Youre welcome ! Because I adopted a 90 pound dog that, once he settled in, became seriously dog reactive in a city full of dogs that walk their owners and have no manners. I personally never used a prong collar before being introduced to it a couple of years ago. The state government will introduce legislation into parliament to end the use of pronged dog collars, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Sunday. The absolute best feeling was able to have a family trip to a busy seaside and she walked calmly through crowds, passed dogs, runners and cyclists and she was good as gold. In full transparency, we do use the prong collar for our dogs. The prong collar training gets a lot of attention from pure positive or force free dog trainers. Ive come to the conclusion that the people bashing the prong collar never had a dog like yours. Quebec will institute a ban on choke, For my willful, hard-headed, inattentive Doberman yearling, thats definitely a prong collar for training sessions now. If you think prong collars are cruel, think about it this way. Thank you so much for sharing. Train with your brain, not with The Prong Collar, the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly - Rescue Dogs 101 I have a 140 BRT, and he is only 14 months old. WebProng collars work by causing discomfort (pain/punishment) when the dog pulls against it. Of course, if you see regression, then make sure that the previous training method is reverted to., This is a really subjective question. Lab. This leash training is extremely important for puppies, but even adult dogs who havent been properly schooled in polite leash walking can learn to accommodate their human. Old Medication, New Use: Can Prazosin Curb Drinking? So far, only a handful of countries have moved to ban shock collars. Dr. Jean Dodds. 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. The warning said that they should be banned and included a photo of a dog with several lacerations on its neck, allegedly caused by a
where are prong collars banned