Prong collar

Comments

• CreamyShibaMom

  September 2009 edited November -1

  Our trainer advised that we used the prong collar with the quick release. I'm still not TOO sure if that was the best call, but after 2 weeks of not listening to him, and Shao New being a completely out of control on walks, we finally got the prong and used it daily (only on walks) for about a month. About another half a month of it just resting on her regular collar but attaching the leash to her regular collar. Now we're on the harness. The good thing about the prong, is that it really doesn't choke the dog, it probably instills fear though. Spuds does get more choked in the regular collar, which we do have to pull back on when she gets crazy, whereas the prong she didn't get crazy period..one try and that was enough for her. During the time we were transitioning and even now, if she does act up I usually just stop and wait for her to calm down...I think b/c of this combination of ways, she's a good dog on walks, and yet still can enjoy being a puppy when we let her (i.e. on the grass and not while trying to cross traffic). She's also very responsive to our commands while walking, and when it's a new place or somewhere she maybe get a bit nervous about, she knows to automatically to heel next to us and we'll take control of the situation.
  
  That being said, never ever EVER jerk a dog w/ a prong, and have a trainer show you how to properly use it..using a prong like a collar would, not could, would cause more harm than good.
• coraline

  September 2009 edited November -1

  owwie. that looks painful for a dog to put on ):
  
  so its not recommended to use that but if things get out of hand, we should use it?
• Nekopan

  September 2009 edited November -1

  We walk Jack using a prong collar. We tried the Halti, Gentle Leader, harnesses route but he despised the headcollars and the harnesses were just plain ineffective. With a regular collar and a distraction (dog, person, you name it) he will pull until he gags and pull some more. With the prong he doesn't pull at all. Occassionally he will forget and start to go toward the distraction, but as soon as the collar begins to tighten he returns.
  
  While I personally believe that Jack is simply in need of some "heel" and "focus" training, I can definitely see it as a useful tool to those who know how to use it properly.
• tjbart17

  September 2009 edited November -1

  Coraline, prong collars should only be used after a person is properly trained. I do not think your Shiba puppy needs one. lololol. BTW we need an update!!!
• WrylyBrindle

  September 2009 edited November -1

  These also come in various sizes, the large *looks* especially medieval, but there are smaller gauge ones, and you can buy extra links, so it is possible to have a larger dog wear a finer gauge prong collar with lots more links if that's all that's needed. And I have read about using the prong inside out, wrapped in cloth. I'd venture to say the short-coated dog in the pic in the other thread could have tried a smaller gauge prong collar first. Always the LEAST aversive method/tool necessary. Always.
  
  This is also not a collar for angry ("I'll show YOU, you little brat!") or lazy people- you NEVER leave this collar on a dog (or a choke chain). It goes on for a working walk or class and comes off when done. No agility, no dog park -I saw it all the time though >:(
  
  Furthermore, as Irene illustrates for us, it is also not forever- it's a communication tool for teaching. I think the prong speaks clearer for dogs with super thick coats and neck skin, as well, because they can feel it- like a spiky hairbrush- through their coat. And I dont even jingle it- its a very subtle tool in the hands of a kind trainer, but has potential for great damage by careless or Master types.
• CreamyShibaMom

  September 2009 edited November -1

  Coraline, like Chrystal said, it is a very good training tool for dogs w/ the thick necks, like my Shiba has....nothiing worked on her, and if you try the prong yourself and squeeze, it's uncomfortable, but doesn't hurt unless you really keep jabbing it in....we used the mini prongs on her. The stupid spiky hairbrush bothers Shao New more..she hates that thing. Prongs should not be used w/out first getting properly instructed by a trainer..it took me 15 minutes to really learn how to use it properly with the trainer using my arm as a training tool (and I only ever had to correct her twice on it, otherwise I'd just tell Spuds "don't make me use this").
  
  If you look at the picture of Spuds when we took her upstate to a park w/ loads of people and birds, she is wearing a Prong there, and she was just fine and had a great time. She was still fairly young and I did not want her getting out of control in an unfamiliar environment and getting loose. That was when she was 6 almost 7 months..I believe we got her of of the prong completely around 7 1/2 months. She is now 10 , almost 11 months and has been a good walker w/o the prong since then..my parents love walking her b/c she's responsive and doesn't pull them around, and that's a good thing.
• Heidi

  September 2009 edited November -1

  The prong isn't as painful as it looks. Actually, the larger links hurt less than the smaller links because they're more blunt and there are fewer points. I've put both a choke chain and a prong collar on my wrist and yanked as hard as I could, and the choke chain hurts a lot more. It pinches and jerks to one side. The prong collar applies pressure evenly, it doesn't pinch (unless the links you're using are too small) and it doesn't jerk their necks around.
  
  Unless you're like Jerkward Leerburg, who actually sharpens the points so that they stab the dog and yanks on them.
  
  That being said, I never jerk the prong collar on a dog, I just did it to myself as an experiment. The whole point is that it's completely self-correcting. They just learn that there's a very consistent reaction - which is exactly proportionate to the amount they pull - and they modify their behaviour.
  
  Also, it's important to get a good quality one, because the cheaper ones can have rough or sharp points, or even break to leave a jagged edge.
• tjbart17

  September 2009 edited November -1

  With Koda's extra skin and mane, I really don't think this would hurt him. With that said, it could be a good corrective tool, although we are in no need of one.
  
  Irene, lol
  "otherwise I'd just tell Spuds "don't make me use this"
  
  For a couple days, Koda tried walking me by holding onto his leash. One chain link leash and two days of walking with it later, he no longer touches his regular leash with his mouth. I still have it, and he knows it's still around, and before we go out I say to him "two words, metal leash. don't make me use it." lol
• KFontaine04

  September 2009 edited November -1

  I had to use prong collars on my huskies, they were a NIGHTMARE to walk without them, but they were super easy and calm when they had them on, not pulling at all.
  
  Miso is a PULLER, but we are trying all other methods because he is not nearly as bad as my huskies, and he weighs 30lbs less!
• tsukitsune

  September 2009 edited November -1

  I see huskies with them on all the time... then I see bully breeds with no fur buffer with them on, too.
  
  I can't help but wonder - if these instill some sort of corrective property or fear of some sort.. how can a dog differentiate when its 'pronged' with it because its pulling or because it wants to greet another dog? I'm totally convinced my friend's malamute is dog aggressive because it gets 'corrected' whenever it wants to greet another dog with the prong collar.
  
  Its not that I'm against them, but I'm against most reasons to use them. Luckily, I haven't *had* to use one on any dog of any breed that I've fostered so far!
• tjbart17

  September 2009 edited November -1

  Good point Jen. That's one reason why I think that someone REALLY needs to know what they are doing when using a prong. They are not for amateur trainers or people who just want to train by yanking or jerking on their dog to correct behavior.
• KFontaine04

  September 2009 edited November -1

  Yes, you really need to know how to handle your dog in one of them. My huskies would get overly excited to greet other dogs, but they were trained that in their prongs they had to wait and greet the dog nicely. I would never yank or pull on the prong while on a dog as a correction, but my huskies did understand they had to "mind their manners" while wearing them.
  
  And they only wore them on walks, never in the house/yard etc.
• WrylyBrindle

  September 2009 edited November -1

  booo! Leerburg also advocates putting the prong collar on tightly up by the ears 8O< ow! Dont do that.
  
  Sage wears it at the middle of his neck, and it is not tight- nor saggy- I'd describe it as present but relaxed. Kinda like in shooting, you want to make sure the shotgun butt is already AT your relaxed shoulder when you shoot (doesn't hurt), not away from and then slamming back INto your shoulder (ACK!)
  
  Another prong tip- no flexi leads, and no allowing them to run and HIT it. Sage's working leash is a 4 foot leather one. He may lunge into it from standing, but he doesnt get a head of steam and hit it. (that and he's lunging less and less! yay!)
• WrylyBrindle

  September 2009 edited November -1

  Good point. We also wear the flat martingale at the same time, but its looser so it sits lower. When we were walking and met a friend he wanted to greet, I asked him to sit and attached the leash to the martingale so he wouldn't get pronged on a friendly. He never greets dogs on the prong, we avoid them whenever possible.
• CreamyShibaMom

  September 2009 edited September 2009

  Spuds had 2 leashes on when on the prong. One on the prong, and one on her harness..whenever a doggy buddy or human buddy went by, I'd drop the leash to the prong so she can bounce around and do whatever. We are actually going to sign up for some doggy classes at Petco, so she understands it's OK to just hang out with another dog around, so far it seems she only sees dogs as instant play things and has a difficult time just walking with dogs along side. That's one thing about getting a trainer to come to the house..we missed out on proper socialization w/ other pups, i think, but still feel it was worth the investment since she needed to get the walking down properly, for everybody's safety in our situation.
• Kaddy

  September 2009 edited November -1

  I have to say... I was scared to admit we were using a prong collar (per suggestion of our trainer) on Mr. Lokiman... I REALLY didn't like the idea, and originally I told James there was no way in hell I'd do it. We worked with the trainer on the correct usage and I couldn't believe that it really worked... I did feel bad for him so I popped on my leg (only thing I could think that was nearly like his neck) and gave a REALLY hard tug. I couldn't believe that it wasn't 'painful', it was just a little uncomfortable.
  
  Anyway... he's doing SO much better - and like Chrys we unhook the prong and hook the leash to his collar if we think any pulling might happen because of his reactive nature.
• Sniperx

  September 2009 edited November -1

  I dunno. I used the pincher collar on my Shiba when he was pulling...oh boy...that was a nightmare. I knew how to use it and everything...but oh boy. LIterally, it lasted about 30 seconds. I out it on him and we headed out. As soon as we left the steps, he pulled a little...they clamped, he pulled more, they clamped harder...then the Shiba Shriek. Never tried again. INstead, put the choker high on his neck, right behind his ears....180 dog. Perfect walker now. I tried the leader thing and the harness. The leader was a joke, he was more just annoyed and it never sunk in. The harness though...worked...AFTER I modified it. The straps weren't quite discouraging enough, so I added a coule large knots to concentrate the pressure a little more. This worked, but was too much trouble...and he chewed the buckles when he was younger. For my Shiba, the choker up high was the ticket. For my Akita though...he learned and enjoys just his normal Nylon ID collar. He doesn't pull at all. I've recently put him on a choker too though as we are trying to teach him the appropriate ways to great people and when he is allowed to. Right now his super happy full energy into the person....and I love the positiveness and enthusiasim, but it needs to be reigned in....and not everyone is as happy to see him as he is to see them.