Its important to understand your pup is still adjusting and pushing the limits. Is It Time to Ban Shock Collars for Dogs In All Situations? I have had 0 success teaching dogs to walk correctly using a harness. Used well, it gives dogs access to their world and can be a critically important freedom enhancer. OSPet Dog Prong Collar. That collar changed the way Shadow behaved in an instant. Still a long way to go but this collar has put us on the right tracks. Weve invested a lot of time and money in our training and I feel like we have to go back to the drawing board. Give it a chance, try it out and see what a difference it can make with your relationship with your dog. Or pulling his owner over, cause owners not to walk their dog? Thank you for the article it helped ease my mind in using this for our pups. This has been our experience with all three of our rescued dogs as well. . This is the worst tool you can use for a reactive dog. I have a strong 100 pound GSD. I work with high drive, hard working dogs. I despise using harnesses because I find they ALWAYS encourage pulling. Not to mention that the window of opportunity for use becomes so slim that these dogs are actually probably really easy to train anyway. (My dog is super sweet and not aggressive just stubborn!) There has to be a clear line of communication between you and you dog and the prong is just a quick reminder of the expectation. Prong collar was recommended by a co-worker (who received the rec. No trainers want to work with me because I have him on a prong. Im sorry to hear that you havent found a trainer that will work with you. If fitting is not the problem, then next review the way you are correcting his pulling, do not pull or nag on the collar, it should always be a quick tug or snap of the collar. 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. It is cruel to these dogs for them to be abandoned over and over again, adding to their unsuitability as pets, by people who believe themselves humane, when a gentle training session with a prong collar can turn those wonderful dogs into the kind of pet the owner dreams of. Try the stop and go method first, by not moving forward anytime there is any tension on the leash should teach him not to pull. Negative experiences that they have learned to problem solve with looking mighty scary, scare the other dog away, and then safety is restored. The prong has been like the cherry on top a great tool if everything else is in place. I know my dog and one day well eventually work away from the prong collar but hes not there yet. After our trainer introduced us to the prong collar walking with him is a joy. | Now we're loose leash and enjoying our walks and adventures. The Halti works great to end the pulling but the lead runs on the ground between his legs so he steps on it. 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). Your email address will not be published. Im not a fan of harnesses, as they provoke pulling. Im not finding anything in the ADA that says anything about these collars ( any collars for that matter). Of course I do not know this dog. No matter how stubborn. I might regret asking this but can I get opinions please? 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. 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. Prong Collars Are NOT Illegal In The U.S. Prong collars are not illegal in most nations, even the US. WebHidden Prong Collars. Dr. Alix Partnow, a neurologist at VCA Veterinary Specialty Center of Seattle, and Grisha Stewart, a Seattle dog trainer and author, answer this weeks questions. Thank you for sharing your story Gemma. Its cruel not to be able to walk your dog. 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. After using it for a while youll notice taking on and off gets easier. I dont think so. Mark Furner, Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities, said the government is delivering on its election commitment to review the As soon as the GSD would hear the prong collar, he would sit and wait for it to be put on for his walks and never tugged on me ever again. Why was CodeMiko banned? One is 2.0mm (small) and the other is 3.0mm (medium). As a trainer, Mary sees many dogs struggling with fear, reactivity, and aggression toward unfamiliar people and dogs. But theyre not.. 2. The prong collar is not meant to instill fear. WebAustria, Germany, maybe Netherlands and some scandinavian countries. I signed up for obedience classes at a well known and reputable training center in our area and they recommended and explained prong collars to us. With the gentlest reminder, and no indication that she had felt anything at all, my dog turned straight back to me, looking happy and ready to take notice of me. Where are prong collars banned? It totally changed our lives!!! When shown attention, she licked human hands and dog faces with something that could only be described as joy. He started really being obedient when the trainer put a prong collar on him and she showed him whos boss with a firm tug or two. The Ray Allen multi-function harness is designed with a lot of sports in mind. Sure someone could use it to hurt a dog if they want to pull tight and nag on the dogs neck. A dog has to have the following floor space available: WebThank you for downloading the San Francisco SPCAs Prong Collar Advocacy Kit. If you use the prong collar correctly and correct your dog BEFORE he takes off for the rabbit, then yes. Shes one of those rescues that really rescue you. You will need to read the dogs body language. but the fallout can be significant. A trainer can help with that. I have a 15 lb, 1 year old shih-poo who, because he is overly excited, attempt to pull and lunge to meet other people and dogs. 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 not illegal to use He was much better with not pulling for a period of time when I would take him on a walk, but then he went back to his old ways and now pulls like crazy now even with the prong collar. The pulling can be very tiring and tiresome. She is so much happier on her walks and so am I. I think hes smart enough to realize that hes in control, if he doesnt pull, his collar is comfortable for him. I have a smart medium drive 5 1/2 month old GSD male pup. Positive only trainers will disagree, but no it will not make him more aggressive. Its a large part of what drove me to write this blog post was because people are using these tools and are not actually looking at the whole page, reading all the information and are consequently making poorly informed decisions., Or, theyre making their decision based on the word of a trainer who is practicing with outdated techniques which is a really easy mistake to make.. I bet Sam is looking forward to enjoying his walks with you just as much as you are! Now before you pass judgment, please read on to learn more and then decide for yourself. That is a misconception. I love my dogs very much and I know in my heart that I am not a bad dog mom. I have used one with a boxer, a half rottweiler/half lab, and a half boston terrier/half lab. Theyre primed for that. 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. So yes, I agree, if used properly no issues, in the grand picture it gave her ultimate freedom in living her best dog life. If you have experience and skill in reading a study objectively and without bias, you can see that it actually disproves the point you and the citing website are trying to make. He is only c. 30 lbs., a puggle, but very strong. Really? this si my best buddy and my soul mutt and i am not going to give up on him, though both he and i need help! Jennifer Cattet, "Choke collars, prong collars or flat collars are harmful training tools. She lived to be 17 yrs and 4 months, still hiked up until the last 4 months of her life. Inevitably inaccuracies get thrown around and overall? Woodrow doesnt mind it at all. I love a system, and the Ray Allen Manufacturing designed Nomad Interchangeable Harness System really does the trick. These collars are usually made of metal and are NEVER allowed on authorities therapy pet dog sees. That it appears on google when people search Prong collar for my dog and they have the opportunity to learn. WebCollars with inward facing spikes will be banned from dog shows and training classes under proposals to be discussed by the Kennel Club. It is your responsibility to use the amount of training force necessary to eventually produce instant obedience in public. Immediately Im an abuser, bla bla bla. I have been lectured by multiple people and even had someone who found my dog once remove the collar and refuse to give it back. Dr. Jean Dodds. I get it, I thought the prong collar was cruel at first too, but quickly learned its the exact opposite. As sweet as he is, I ended up on the ground numerous times and my husband was tired of having his arm yanked in the wrong direction. 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. He came out of two regular collars so I get a herm sprenger. P.s. A smart, quick, and gentle tug as he came at me, playfully, but vigorously and painfully, biting and scratching, caused him to halt and look at my face, asking me what I need from him, wanting to interact and please. I truly appreciate your blog for its resources and insights. And if your trainer tells you that this is not the case, then theyre not a trainer you should be working with. 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? Thank you for sharing your story Lindsay! She is a quick learner with all the usual commands and is due to graduate her first round of puppy training classes this Sunday. This one is really important, before you use any tool with your dog that you understand how they work and why your dog will respond to it especially when they cannot communicate their needs or feelings clearly. He lunged once and never did it again. Its an adaptation of choke chains, the links become larger and there are teeth on each link that encircle the neck. When used correctly the prong collar will immediately stop your dog from pulling you. Shes a 5 year old Great Pyrenees cross that Ive had the joy of owning for a year now. _____. A prong would have cleaned him right up. Im not sure you have the experience to recommend this nor have the dogs best interest in mind. It is up to you to do your research and make your own opinion. Give it a light tug if necessary and the unwanted behavior is over. Hell jump at people and dogs who walk by because he wants to visit, he thinks everyone is his friend. This is something that I will be sure to remember because Im planning to buy handmade dog prong collars for my dogs at home. 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. Like I said, he is very well behaved, until he is not. You have to interpret the action, and tell your arm to move at a certain speed/pace/whatever else and deliver it quickly, or else your dog will not understand what youre correcting., If that window is that small and you make a mistake, would you prefer to be delivering confusing rewards, or confusing punishment?, No. 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.. The neck and cervical spine are one of the most important energy channels in the body. According to a review article published by Gal Ziv, the results show that using aversive training methods (e.g., positive punishment and negative reinforcement) can jeopardize both the physical and mental health of dogs. Any training resources or advice you can provide would be very helpful! I can see how someone would see it as dangerous or harmful. This isn't the case in England, where they're legally allowed to be used without restriction. started a campaign to ban shock, choke, and prong collars in the city, are known to inflict stress, discomfort, and pain, and potentially have long-term negative effects on dogs. Are shock collars banned in Europe? The prong collar (similar to a choke chain or slip lead) works on constriction. Is it normal to have a few inches of chain that dont have the prongs, and does that work as well? She jumped up to greet Mary and her owner shocked her for jumping while she was trying to say hello. Whether or not a dog wearing an e-collar, prong collar, or shock collar is largely happy or living a good life, the reason these devices work is that they cause some degree of discomfort, pain, or distress (regardless of the level of intensity). The prong is the best, the dogs pull much less, even with other dogs, cats and squirrels to distract them. This muddies the water for guardians seeking help with their companion dogs: If a force-free trainer with whom they worked didnt help them, does that push them to work with a trainer who uses force? Pulls a lot, lunges after wild rabbits and some other dogs etc. Mary writes, "I've seen situations like this more times than I can count at local dog parks and trails. Now he is licking me instead of biting, watching me and interacting with me. She is definitely non reactive to squirrels and birds ( her triggers) now. Thank you for this article! As a super strong pitty, he can yank a full sized adult over in a half a second to randomly lunge at a person or dog or squirrel. I bought a prong collar for my 12-year-old unfixed rescue dog, pitbull. 4 months old is border line too young in my opinion. 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. 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. Stand behind your product and tell people openly the truth! We put on the collar and took my dog out into the waiting room, where there was actually another dog waiting. And harnesses? The state government will introduce legislation into parliament to end the use of pronged dog collars, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced on Sunday. He is absolutely gorgeous and has the sweetest disposition. Prongs are widely, widely misunderstood and consequently widely misused., The fact that a reward or a correction can only be given within 2 seconds of the action for either to be of effect means that your reactions have very slim windows to achieve their goal. (See "Do Dogs Hold Grudges?" I found the prong collar to be far more humane than say a shock collar, a flat collar, or even an ill fitted harness. Unlike when our little baby sees her shampoo bottle she knows its bath time and disappears. I can't buy one here in Australia so will have to take a chance of ordering from overseas and hope it doesn't get stopped by Customs. WebDog keeping regulations in Germany 1. And I also know that the prong collar is designed to be the most humane way to train and to NOT harm our dogs. I went into the city to give him some new experiences besides our boring suburb walks and didnt use the prong collar. A quick, gentle tug is all thats needed. At first, yes once you take the collar off, he will pull. She actually does really well but is strong with high prey drive. 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. What have you got to lose? I recommend reading https://www.rescuedogs101.com/bringing-new-dog-home-3-3-3-rule/. Your story along with all the others brave enough to share will helps others in your same situation. Prong/Choke = obedience training, Harness = tracking work, flat collar = protection work. 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. The prong collar has always been a life-saver for me and my dog! Do you think there is growing interest in passing laws to improve animal welfare? Very pleased with the purchase and have recommended it to other dog owners. Furthermore, it is downright dangerous to leave either choke chain or prong collar on dogs if not working. At what age do you recommend that people start using a prong Collar? 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. This post does contains affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I will receive a small commission, but it wont cost you a penny more). He eventually started showing extreme aggression towards dogs including my other two rescues. Do the ends really justify the means? He pulls when i walk him half the time. Whilst I would hope youd use it right (though, I dont think I would trust myself to use it right consistently over long periods of time), it also doesnt surpass the fact that you can probably achieve your loose leash walking goals way easier than banishing your pup or dog to this device., No, they are not suitable for use on a puppy. Prong collars do NOT cause pain. Ive never tried a prong collar on anything but a 6 leash. Ill let you know how our first walk goes! The positive training methods consist of a verbal correction, which leads to a treat (definitely food motivated dog). We use a mini prong collar and had to adjust the number of links. There is no need to be heavy handed using a prong collar. I am certain it will help others that are struggling. However, I am primarily writing here because he recently growled and snapped at our 1.5 year old son while getting a correction with the collar he has never done this before. Some dog breeds tend to be wanderers, and an intact dog or girls in heat can be problem too. If it hurt him in any way I seriously doubt he would come running for me to put it on him. I have a question about prong collar fit- do the prongs need to go all the way around the neck circumference? Virginia transformed her into an absolutely normal dog. No warning, no rhyme or reason as to when it will occur. 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). Whilst I dont agree with them, that doesnt mean you have to. Our dog seems calmer and more self-controlled and pays more attention than all the treats and tugs and words were able to do. I urge you to not shy away from the prong collar just because of what it looks like or what youve heard about it in the past. Leashes and collars are tools of control and should be used very carefully, In Unleashing Your Dog: A Field Guide to Giving Your Canine Companion the Best Life Possible, Jessica Pierce and I write that while tools of control are often necessary, we should remain alert to the diverse ways in which they can inhibit a dogs freedoms and the ways these devices themselves can be harmful., Research tells us that the use of force via aversive equipment is not only ineffective but can be psychologically and physically damaging. For instance, our sweet River does so well with other dogs and people at the dog park, but once shes on the leash shes much more reactive. I definitely want to use it. Do not be afraid to try a prong collar. Wish more people would stop and educate themselves to see the value in them! All dogs will show signals that he is about to lung or go after prey, such as excitement, whining, eye contact, etc. After reading the article on prong collars, went and bought one. Try this post, and if you need more help? Putting a prong collar on him that would make him uncomfortable or hurt him would further harm him mentally. Learn how to fit it and use it properly before employing. You lost me at suggesting a prong collar for a reactive dog! I am a firm believer of the pros of a prong collar and I would never get on other then the Herm brand, the rest always break or corrode. Ive noticed several times that ours become lodged and arent connected all the way, leading to it easily being able to break apart when the dog pulls. If you are consistently pulling the collar he may become numb to any corrections. Way to go Shadow!! We adopted a 7 month old lab/pit/Brittany spaniel mix from our local rescue shelter. However he is 120 lbs and I am 62 and 140 lbs. Came to me weighing 43lbs, greatly malnourished (the rescue had fixed all the medical issues and had to adopt him out, so not complaining) since then, he is well nourished at 68 lbs.still pulls like a fiend sometimes. I have more confidence and she listens effectively. Training is a life long learning experience, for dogs and humans! With the prong, he is walking next to me instead of pulling and I can walk him easily with one hand. The straw that broke the camels back was after her pulling so much with her front-clip Halti harness that she rubbed her armpit bald. If you correct the behavior before he gets into that state of mind, the prong will work. You are most likely reading this because your dog pulls on the leash, is leash reactive or you cant control your dog on leash, right? Watch videos, learn how to use the collar correctly ( I wish YouTube had been around when I trained my first dog in 1995!) Thank you so much for sharing your story Carole! I have seen all of those injuries in dogs, and I experimented with many of those tools before I tried the prong. (We are in the process of training him to be a therapy dog to take to local nursing homes/schools etc)He thinks everyone is his friend and wants to play. Karen. I have a large, leash-reactive male German Shepherd. Where do we draw the line? Then we started a balanced training class, and they showed us how to use the prong collar. There are other ways to train a puppy to walk nicely on a leash. Agile_Zookeep 1 yr. ago. Whilst I know that the potential for misuse is not a reason to call something bad, its mainly a method of training that I see no reason for.. Be patient and give your dog the ability to learn. Do your dogs reach a point that you no longer have to use the prong collar? We put it on in the house about half an hour before taking her for a walk to make sure she was comfortable with it on. No more shoulder injuries for me. Filter by 1 Inch Custom Hidden Prong Embroidered Collar $0.00. Thanks! The other thing to remember is the way it works. Whilst Herm Sprenger advise that 5-6 months is the minimum? She also volunteers for a local dog rescue and Humane Society. WebIn this Q&A I address the important question:What do I think of countries that ban e-collars? Look into Ed Frawley with Leerburg-has many articles, videos, and you can ask his wife Cindy questions, she is a trainer too. 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).". So please Herm Sprenger! Comment below and share with the Rescue Dogs 101 Community that may be unsure on the benefits of the prong collar. Huge mistake, he was so overwhelmed he was pulling nonstop on our hour walk around the park. Among Scandinavian countries , Sweden bans e collars. A prong collar must be placed around a dog's neck in a specific manner to be safe and helpful for training purposes. And although I knew they were just barking and pulling because they wanted to investigate and make friends, staffies barks tend to be quite scary, which Im sure intimidate my neighbors. he wont make eye contact, has to be taken out of his kennel, has to be carried inside after be letting out to go to the bathroom, etc. Her classes are pure chaos, as nobody has any control with head halters, harnesses and flat collars. (See "Is Your Dogs Collar Dangerous?") No collar will permanently fix a dogs bad behavior. However, the tool will work no matter where its been placed. But for corrections? Do not allow any pulling from now on. Most dogs that are terrified of things have never been exposed to them rather than having been beaten by/with the thing theyre exposed to. Gentle Leader no longer works and just bought a front hitch harness which also does not work. I am in your same boat. She needs her exercise and fresh air and i will never deny her of that because of my own fears. Got a wonderful lab mix last summer; believe he's never been trained or on a leash. Psychology Today 2023 Sussex Publishers, LLC. We took different routes, different scenery with woods walks and hikes vs. in the neighborhood nothing helped. It literally saved his life. 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. 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.
