and links therein.) But I just wonder if I will ever experience joy in our walks. Thanks. Like anything Im sure using it wrong or without training can be bad but using it as training tool correctly can be a great benefit and my dog has responded amazing to it., I just started training with the prong collar, I immediately see a difference in my pitt/boxer mix. We just got a new 5 month old Australian shepherd last week. Doing so exposes your dog to an inordinate amount of danger, damage and risks that just are not worth talking about. WebWhere are prong collars banned? This forces the dog into a state of learned helplessness. If you are just using it to train not to pull, there is no need to keep it on all day. Additionally he pulled my husband to the ground one time. I went into the city to give him some new experiences besides our boring suburb walks and didnt use the prong collar. I might regret asking this but can I get opinions please? The dog didnt even attempt to pull, lunge or drag me anywhere anymore. I had to give him a couple of sharp tugs but after that he soon got the message that if he pulled I would tug him back My views of these evil looking collars has changed and I had got to the stage of not taking Sam out for daily walks as I was scared of being injured myself or him injuring or frightening other people. 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. Its structured like a martingale collar, where the bulk of the collar is tightened by a cinching chain which attaches to your leash. 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. Illegal Dog Collars - My Animals I love my dogs very much and I know in my heart that I am not a bad dog mom. They started our dog on a martingale collar, then upgraded him to a choke, and finally the prong. A prong collar worked wonders on my hooligan, made her walk like a lady. Lab. 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.. We have dogs in training classes with prong collars, slip collars, harnesses everything. I have tried 2 different harnesses and if he gets really excited he can escape both.once after a groundhog, once when a farm combine crossed in front of us he escaped the harness only 4 times total in a year, but each time was dangerous. 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. 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. I have walked him w/ the prong collar here at home several times since our session and he is not pulling or lunging. He was also extremely leash reactive and aggressive towards other dogs in general. 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. Our dog seems calmer and more self-controlled and pays more attention than all the treats and tugs and words were able to do. We just started with a trainer for our 16wk Lab/Shepherd puppy that uses the Herm S prong collar. Or I could actually teach them to love a jellyfish on their head. He would pull so hard that I wound up on the ground a time or two and injured just by walking him. The prong collar is a tool to train leash manners. We would like to try one more time to change their walking behavior. 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 the dogs were bred for has absolutely no relationship to their bad manners (which you have inadvertently taught them). I just found this page after admitting to a dog-focused friendly advice group on facebook that I REALLY struggle with walking my dog. The Effects of Using Aversive Training Methods in Dogs: A Review. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 19 (2017): 5060. Shes a 5 year old Great Pyrenees cross that Ive had the joy of owning for a year now. (My dog is super sweet and not aggressive just stubborn!) In addition, the government of Australia The prong collar training gets a lot of attention from pure positive or force free dog trainers. We started using the collars and the pulling has gotten so much better. You should be exhausting other means before resorting to a prong collar.And I know that sometimes it can feel like you have done so, but typically? I have yet to see a dog injured by normal use of a prong collar (of course I only use Herm as well. I bet Sam is looking forward to enjoying his walks with you just as much as you are! But I urge you to give it a try, as youve read by all the comments below, the prong collar can be life changing. My new rescue golden girls neck (just below her ears) measures 14. in. I want to make sure that they wont get hurt when using the collars that I will buy for them. The pain and discomfort of of a prong collar isnt going to beat out the bad behavior. prong collars Like a child, I believe the structure it provides, is helping to build a better relationship. Furthermore, it is downright dangerous to leave either choke chain or prong collar on dogs if not working. At first, she thought it was OK, but she had a bad feeling about it. 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. I whole heartedly believe the prong collar can change peoples and dogs lives. You need to correct the behavior at that point. Thanks for your advice and recommend!! We have been working at it for 5 months now and occasionally I will just use his regular collar.he pulls every time! Quebec will institute a ban on choke, prong, and shock collars in 2020. Depending on what you are using it for, you can keep it on during the day, but take it off at night when the dog is sleeping. He did well about 75% of the time but at some point he figured out that he was bigger and stronger than me and started to lung at people and other dogs (he loves people and dogs what can I say). 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 dont think the fear is based on the leash, but something else. Can you use the pinch collar on a 26lb puppy? Also, the result of positive training isnt dependent on the presence of the device which is definitely a good thing., The other reason I would advise against prong collar usage is because of the time in which you have to apply the correction., You have 2 seconds to capture a behaviour, right or wrong, reward or correction., With positive reinforcement, you can use a marker word, and reward to give you a little longer for the treat/play reward. Good luck! And thank you for all you do. I personally never used a prong collar before being introduced to it a couple of years ago. I support so much the keep working till you find something that actually works, and make sure you know how to use it before using it. Theres rarely a time where a prong is genuinely needed in a good relationship with your dog. Prong Collars Her classes are pure chaos, as nobody has any control with head halters, harnesses and flat collars. Its important that the collar is snug around the base of the dogs ears, meaning high up on the neck. ID tags should not be put on a prong collar, and your dog should not be left in one for long periods of time. Try keeping him on a leash inside the house for a while. This puppy's social behavior was a gift! She nearly pulled my partner off her feet in the first week. 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? And if you follow my guidance with pupdates? There are other ways to train a puppy to walk nicely on a leash. The prong collar sounds just what we need. Results were immediate and wonderful with no signs of distress, only a few sounds of surprise. haha. She would get all excited to see me get it out and wait for me to put it on because it either meant going fir a walk or training which meant lots of one on one time with lots of praise and lovins. So I will be finally , not without some reservations , be trying your collar, at least i feel that when walking the dogs , they will know when to stop yanking, rather than me pulling or yanking on them for control. Thanks for sharing! Prong Collar I may look into a Herm Sprenger. So, they write, if you think wearing a prong collar would hurt, imagine how your dog feels., Along these lines, Dr. Zazie Todd, who runs the Companion Animal Psychology website, notes, We tend to think that since dogs have fur they must be more protected from these things than us with just our skin. Rainalo Its all a matter of dog and what the owner is comfortable with! "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." This is the information I'l looking for also. Ive recently joined a couple of Service Dog sites and everyone on there says that it IS OK to use a prong collar on a trained Service Dog. The prong could help with the jumping and biting if used correctly. 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. But are prong collars cruel? It is amazing! From tracking to bite work (agitation work), and even an every day harness! 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. My dogs come running with excitement when they hear their prong collar come out. Thank you for this article! The Halti works great to end the pulling but the lead runs on the ground between his legs so he steps on it. 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? It literally saved his life. If you find that its not working because of the lack of a neck try using a slip lead. What theyre made to do, and what theyre not made to do.. 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. When the client was asked what happened to her dog, she frantically told us that she was just walking him and it happened out of nowhere. Thanks. So I would not recommend the prong in your scenario. Does the prong collar hinder your relationship with your dog? The prong collar is a life saving tool for many dog owners. I have physical disabilities and any pulling from my 62 pound Labradoodle will hurt me. But with training he will learn. I admit I was not paying full attention to him was conversing with a neighbor. Good luck. I dont see dog trainer in your credentials, but do see a link to a product which suggests you make money off of your recommendation. Im not a fan of harnesses, as they provoke pulling. Consequently, its my advice to not use corrections because theyre too easy to miss. But your points make sense to me. BTW the trainer only recommended this after understanding the extent of our dogs A.D.D. It's good to know that when many people learn how bad they really are, they stop using them. A Twitch star was temporarily banned from the live-streaming platform after zapping herself with a shock collar as part of a bizarre stunt. If it werent for the prong collar, our super sweet 70+lb lapdog would not have been able to stay with us. In other words, the use of violence in dog training is not correlated with particular dogs or with particular behavior problems. I walk him 4-6 miles a day, am in obedience & he generally does really well. A large loving pit bull wondered its way up to the shop where I was working and we had decided to take care of it while it was there. I exercised and walked my new buddy for 3 weeks using no prong collar. I am looking forward to using this, in an even better way of using. I did training and watched several videos regarding the use of the collar and in less than 2 week the lunging was OVER. 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. How Can I Find a Dog Trainer? I even sustained a back injury when he took off after a dog on a walk. But yesterday I had to take my dog, an 8 year old 84lb rottweiler, to the vet. The pulling can be very tiring and tiresome.