(It is really hard to stay positive and calm when your shoulder and arm are being ripped away from your body!) Meaning, they are walking well with no correction needed. I always enjoyed walking my dog because I love him and I like to get out and walk, but now walking him is sooooooo much better. Click here to read my full disclosure policy. He would drag me all over. 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.. Anyone else has used it on large dogs? I dont want her to listen to me just because she fears what comes if she doesnt. So yes, Prong Collars can have the ability to be very harmful, very easily. You need to measure her neck. 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? Did not work at all. Thats what they were built for, is to learn. (If youre struggling to teach a loose leash, this is for you. Some of the above is excerpted from Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible. 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?. Dog Collars: The Shock and Prong War An Opinion This post is from the perspective of a dog owner (me) that has experience with all types of training techniques, and yes that includes reactive dogs, shy dogs, scared dogs, and happy go lucky dogs. Its very common for puppies to go through several fear periods throughout the 2-9 months of life. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. I think hes smart enough to realize that hes in control, if he doesnt pull, his collar is comfortable for him. The 2 Most Psychologically Incisive Films of 2022, The Surprising Role of Empathy in Traumatic Bonding. I am certainly not here to push, either way, just to give the facts and my opinion on what a great training tool it can be when used properly. I will make a couple of notes: 1, It was a bit of a trick to fit the thing at first, especially since she has long fur. Our canine companion is usually a part of our life that we love, and humans tend to show affection with a cuddle, An escape artist dog or a hound-ini is another kind of dog that is really stressful to care for. Positively, constructively and with an open mind) theres a positive solution you can take to achieve the same goal. Regular collars allow the dogs to hurt themselves if they have no leash manners, and Ive personally seen this many times choking, damage to the neck, etc. Its important to check that all links are secure before putting on your dog. Training is a life long learning experience, for dogs and humans! Thanks for your wonderful training resources. I personally would not recommend using a prong on a puppy younger than 5 or 6 months old. We put it on her and it was like she was a different dog I could take her anywhere . Additionally he pulled my husband to the ground one time. A prong collar must be placed around a dog's neck in a specific manner to be safe and helpful for training purposes. So many people think the prong collar is terrible, yet the flat collar is okay? The UK has also banned shock collars. 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. Look into Ed Frawley with Leerburg-has many articles, videos, and you can ask his wife Cindy questions, she is a trainer too. I have tried regular collars, a harness, e collar now my last resort is a prong collar. 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. I would also suggest finding a good behaviorist trainer in your area that can help you one on one. 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! So glad it is working for your and your big pup! 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. Whilst I dont agree with them, that doesnt mean you have to. If it works to stop a behaviour, it must be because the animal found it aversive (if they liked it or didnt notice it, it wouldnt reduce the frequency of the behaviour).". By: Evelyn Konopik, RVT I knew that I had to learn how to control him if I wanted to be able to walk him without it being a dangerous task. As in all different sorts of dog-human interactions, what's good for the human must be good for the dog. It has been a life-saver. 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 At first, she thought it was OK, but she had a bad feeling about it. With the use of a prong collar, you immediately become your dogs source of punishment. Thank you for sharing your story Darci! Illegal Dog Collars - My Animals Inevitably inaccuracies get thrown around and overall? Keep doing what you are doing . 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. Now before you pass judgment, please read on to learn more and then decide for yourself. Bekoff, Marc. Collars 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. So glad you both can walk together and be happy! Is it normal to have a few inches of chain that dont have the prongs, and does that work as well? prong collars I have just had a 1 to 1 training session with a trainer and when he first suggested the prong collar I said NO straight away, but I put the collar around my thigh to see the effect. Required fields are marked. I dont think so. Do you think these changes are happening quickly enough in the US? What a great story Donna, thank you for sharing. I am trying to gain more knowledge and be a responsible dog owner (esp. 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. 2. 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. Humanely training your dog as with children should be a personal choice not one dictated by supposed do gooders and government policies Thanks for your free download I look forward to reading it and sharing! We took our oldest daughters Welsh Pembroke Corgi to a trainer. Get the help you need from a therapist near youa FREE service from Psychology Today. And she did it using a prong collar. I didnt outweigh him by much. 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. Toronto (Canada) attempted a ban on prong and choke collars, and it passed, but was then turned over within the next month. If hes really excited treats have no value, even hot dogs. Disappointed by the bias. I spent a year night after night, hours in all weathers, trying thresholds etc to help our dog and while we saw improvement she was still had some reactivity issues. We worked with a balanced trainer to begin with and we saw some improvement but didnt want to use a prong because of their reputation. He growls a little but I know hes just reacting and not being aggressive. collar 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. Im not a fan of harnesses, as they provoke pulling. You wont ever get to this stage, because youll be practising a loose leash long before theyre large and unruly! For the first time ever I relaxed and smiled while in a vets waiting room! Physical Damage Choke and Prong Collars: Health Concerns Call for Equipment Change in Dog Training A prong collar is a device that has metal fang-shaped prongs on it that is worn around a dogs neck. My only complaint is that it is a bit of a bitch to put on and take off. And then comes the debate of aversive vs positive. I think its a bad idea. However, the tool will work no matter where its been placed. 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. We just started with a trainer for our 16wk Lab/Shepherd puppy that uses the Herm S prong collar. The former associates you as a good thing, the latter associates you with bad things.. Highnote612 1 yr. ago. I have never had him so much as attempt to lunge on the prong collar. haha. with kid number two on the way in just a few weeks). Hes pretty good on walks but pulls to the point of choking himself. You are truly saving lives. Hes pretty good on our boring suburb walks with a regular collar, but any new experience he is almost uncontrollable. 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. I may not have a certificate as a dog trainer, but I have attended more training sessions with dog trainers than I can count. What theyre made to do, and what theyre not made to do.. Of course I do not know this dog. In addition, although positive punishment can be effective, there is no evidence that it is more effective than positive reinforcement-based training. 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. Thanks for sharing this. The people are told to wait for the dog to offer the behavior. I love my dogs very much and I know in my heart that I am not a bad dog mom. You need to work with him letting him know the leash is a good thing..associate the leash with something positive. She is very sweet but its obvious now that she hasnt been socialized at all. But theyre not.. 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. With the prong, he is walking next to me instead of pulling and I can walk him easily with one hand. This isn't the case in England, where they're legally allowed to be used without restriction. Now he is under control and gentle. What the dogs were bred for has absolutely no relationship to their bad manners (which you have inadvertently taught them). The prong collar controversy is real! But according to a new study published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, there is no credible scientific evidence to justify electronic collar use and the use of spray collars or electronic fences for dogs.. If you want the bones of how to train your dog to walk on a loose leash without a prong collar? I so hate to see good, effective training tools totally demonized. For my willful, hard-headed, inattentive Doberman yearling, thats definitely a prong collar for training sessions now. 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? At this point its stressful just trying to walk for basic excerise and needs. Its not an issue. She actually does really well but is strong with high prey drive. I needed to read this because I didnt want to be too harsh but realized I must have control of him. Thats not the case. When it is pulled tight the prongs create a pinching effect, which causes pain or discomfort for the dog. He is now 9 months old, over 90 lbs and still growing! My dog has been going through training to be my service dog and I have been researching weather or not its ok to continue using my prong collar with her. Worked fine for a month then he saw a dog and jerked And the collar broke and went flying and he attacked the dog. They certainly can be if misused. Russian/West Germany working/showline. 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). The prongs simulate another dog's mouth, which makes sense if you've ever taken your dog to the dog park. Shame they dont research the damage done to dogs by flat buckle ! 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! I followed her to the nearest pet store and purchased a Sprenger prong collar and she fitted it properly for us and instructed me in how to apply it. He was also extremely leash reactive and aggressive towards other dogs in general. Not ideal for small breeds. I knew that if we kept at it, eventually the dogs would figure it out and be better behaved, but the fear of losing our pups made me feel we didnt have the time to be patient. From tracking to bite work (agitation work), and even an every day harness! WebE-Collars & prong collars are banned in several countries in Europe. 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. Everything Debbie has mentioned suggests not using the prong collar to jerk, yank, or whatever on dogs. Hi Lesa, I appreciate your feedback and the fact youve never needed to use a prong is great. . I was a bit taken aback, as I didn't expect it and thought it was cruel. Thanks! But do you suggest a prong collar for my Great Dane?
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