So happy that your tool worked out for you and your dobie. I have a strong 100 pound GSD. In addition, the government of Australia But yesterday I had to take my dog, an 8 year old 84lb rottweiler, to the vet. 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. No. The neck and cervical spine are one of the most important energy channels in the body. The Lindsay Lowe, "5 Ways Collars Can Harm Your Dog". Used well, it gives dogs access to their world and can be a critically important freedom enhancer. This made walking him difficult as he wanted to get to anyone or anything he saw. Even with a prong? ) Dont forget to train them off of it. I agree 100%, the right collar and training are essential. You dont use it to punish, you use it to guide. He was also extremely leash reactive and aggressive towards other dogs in general. 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. Thinking it looked barbaric and painful, and not wanting to subject my dog to torture, I put it on myself and gave it a tug before I ever used it on him. I have used the prong collar with my Lab. 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. Physical Damage Choke and Prong Collars: Health Concerns Call for Equipment Change in Dog Training Scotland The use of electric shock collars was The prong collar is adjustable in size by adding/removing links. The Effects of Using Aversive Training Methods in Dogs: A Review. Have you had success on this type of dog which is bred to hunt rodents? 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 Im not sure you have the experience to recommend this nor have the dogs best interest in mind. Many civilized countries have outlawed prong collars, recognizing the harm they can do! I enrolled her in puppy class and the prong collar has changed my life and the dogs life. I admit I was not paying full attention to him was conversing with a neighbor. So yes, I agree, if used properly no issues, in the grand picture it gave her ultimate freedom in living her best dog life. So a friend recommended a prong collar, I knew that I had nothing to lose by trying it. Viewfinders, what do you think about the ban on prong collars? I had an amazingly trained companion who was really an off the leash dog (always carried a leash), used mostly hand signal commands. 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. I have a 150lbs St Bernard mix, I cant walk her she is stronger then me. But its illegal for individuals to import them. WebPerhaps it was the way the cave people restrained their wild dogs from running away. Victoria, you and your pup are a perfect example on how the prong collar is such a life-saver! The guardian did not want to lose control of her dog, so she pulled him back toward her and continued to do so until the dog across the street was out of sight. You noted that you have used these devices for a quick fix when you need foster dogs to walk along side yours You also made notes about how to introduce the dog to the prong collar, and with the use of reassuring gestures and being patient with the animal, along side the use of treats why would the prong collar be needed? Until Jackson was 10 or so and slowing down did he really walk loose leash style even with a Gentle Leader head collar. Good luck, I wish you all the best. The use of these tools in any body of work (such as on police k9s) is not an excuse for you to use them on a pet dog. 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! Misuse covers : poor or The Thunderleash is clipped on his back so it stays up high where he cant step on it but he does still pull a bit. 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.. . I didnt outweigh him by much. They dont hurt them at all to train them. Plain martingale collars dont provide the same type of pressure to catch a dogs attention. Hes not a bad dog and doesnt have any serious issues just your normal puppy stuff. The use of any type of restraint, whether a collar that goes around a dog's neck or a front-clip harness, is elective. Make sure you buy the Herm Sprenger brand I recommend. He hates them all except treats, of course, but they have zero effect on his lunging and pulling. Weve tried all our trainers suggestions like carrying a stick shaped treat and letting her have a nibble when shes at our knee, spatula with cheese/peanut butter, hot dogs, treat sack at our hip and feeding while walking NOTHING worked. The pain and discomfort of of a prong collar isnt going to beat out the bad behavior. 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Knowing this and caring about our dogs, we should be looking for the option that most quickly trains the dog not to pull. | rebarkable.comPrivacy Policy|Terms and Conditions, This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase through a link. It is unfortunate that some people just arent willing to see past that book cover, and see what the prong collar really is a very humane dog training tool. Austria, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway, Slovenia, Scotland, Sweden, Wales, and some parts of Australia all currently have a ban on electronic collars for dogs. 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. 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. 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. When he hears me pick it up he comes running because he knows were going out. About 4 mths ago I enlisted the help of an amazing young woman who is a dog trainer and with her help my dogs behaviour on leash has improved 10 fold. That is so scary. Thank you for this resource. Please do more research, because your answer sounded very disturbing. The OSPet offers a prong collar that is ideal for medium and large dogs with the maximum length of the collar at 24 inches and a diameter of 0.14 inches or 3.5 mm. Slowly, youll transfer all the leash to the harness or collar, and leave the prong collar on, but unattached (still for short periods please, and under constant supervision!) I have a ten month old foxhound that I walk daily in the forest for two miles in rugged terrain. Prongs could help so many dogs and the misinformation out there is terrible. Good luck! And, while it's very clear that e-collars and prong collars are used because they cause psychological stress and pain, many people don't realize that choke collars also can cause a good deal of pain, suffering, and injury to dogs who wear them. I dont think the fear is based on the leash, but something else. personality. 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. WebE-Collars & prong collars are banned in several countries in Europe. I cant agree more. I am a 12 year veteran of professional canine training and hands-down a prong collar is absolutely the safest most efficient way to train your fur babies!! Ill let you know if youre right! She no longer uses a prong collar to manage her dog and he is easily pulling her down the street as she struggles with her leash and flat collar. "), There are few quick fixes with dog training. Filter by 1 Inch Custom Hidden Prong Embroidered Collar $0.00. Just read some of the success stories in the comments. WebProng collars arent banned in Australia. 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. I have had 0 success teaching dogs to walk correctly using a harness. My dogs come running with excitement when they hear their prong collar come out. Again 99.9% of the time he is a joy to walk & im walking him and my other dog which could greatly overpower me. However, if used in the wrong way, collars can lead to serious or even fatal injury." Not once. Once your dog proper leash etiquette with the prong collar do you have to use it from here on out? The more we can share these real-life stories, the more people can realize that the prong collar is not cruel, but a life saving training tool. 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. If you correct the behavior before he gets into that state of mind, the prong will work. My dog trainer helped us find the most comfortable prong collar and fit it properly behind Blu's ears. I needed to read this because I didnt want to be too harsh but realized I must have control of him. Hi, I have a 90 lb intact lab that I adopted a week ago. Dr. Jennifer Cattet notes, "A study of 424 dogs seen by chiropractors revealed that 91% of them who had neck injuries were pullers or had experienced jerking on the leash by the guardian (Hallgren, 1991).". In full transparency, we do use the prong collar for our dogs. He pulled his previous owner down their porch steps! Do not allow any pulling from now on. 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. But we all need to know the truth about prong collars before passing judgment. 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. A word of caution thoughif you do use one expect criticism from others. 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. hi,,, we got a herm sprenger collar yesterday, it was recommended by the owner of the daycare center. For this reason, more and more trainers and veterinarians are recommending that a dog be walked or run on a chest harness. He was on the road to becoming an uncontrollable pet who would be doomed to being kept outside when the grandkids come to visit, or visitors come into the home. Yes theyre bad, because they have far too large an ability to be misused. Thank you for the article it helped ease my mind in using this for our pups. Another story that came our way involved a woman who discovered that a doggy day care center was using a prong collar on her dog without her permission. When it comes to young dogs and puppies, one of the most lethal and scary things in the dog world is Parvovirus, or Parvo. I want him to walk ahead of me on a 20-30 lead along my single file trail. Free shipping for many products! Good luck. Thousands of trainers and Id wager millions of owners train their dogseasy dogs and challenging dogsand manage their behavior without any of this stuff. Meaning, they are walking well with no correction needed. Is 3mm what I should use with a lab? Whilst I dont agree with them, that doesnt mean you have to. My hope? I have never been more grateful for this training tool, I love my dog and have put a lot of work and money into training him. With positive reinforcement. We put on the collar and took my dog out into the waiting room, where there was actually another dog waiting. We then moved and tried a force free trainer. The correctional collars are illegal to import in the country but are only banned in Victoria currently. We could tell it was simply because their want to chase after whatever they saw was stronger than their want for treats. When asked why they use a particular type of restraint, people often say something like, Its the thing to do, or someone who knows about dogs told them to do so. We use a mini prong collar and had to adjust the number of links. Got a wonderful lab mix last summer; believe he's never been trained or on a leash. Is to figure out how to communicate with them. Thanks for this info. Nothing worked until I found this site and started using a prong collar. Humane Society, PETA, & SPCA all speak against prong collars. _____. But I dont want to be cruel, OR injure him. If you think prong collars are cruel, think about it this way. If it werent for this collar we would never be able to do that. And be consistent. She is happy and waiting for me to put it on. After using it for a while youll notice taking on and off gets easier. Anyone else has used it on large dogs? Many dogs will still pull, despite the discomfort, and are at risk of injury to their necks. Is it worth it to subdue and suppress behavior, to use the threat of pain to train a dog? Sure someone could use it to hurt a dog if they want to pull tight and nag on the dogs neck. This is something that I will be sure to remember because Im planning to buy handmade dog prong collars for my dogs at home. My wife bought the plastic" command collar" it did have immediate results, but i cannot get past the fact that they are all plastic. Technically yes. I can walk him with a regular collar now, but not when he gets 150 pounds. But are prong collars cruel? This is always very stressful for me and I get there praying there wont be another dog in the waiting room.