Need opinion

Kati

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#1
Hello everyone! I would like your opinion on prong collars. Any positive and negative. I don't personally want to use them, just interested in the topic.
 
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#3
You will find everyone has a different opinion on them. Many people feel strongly, one way or another.

I resorted to trying one with my very large, very strong adolescent male Bouvier who decided to forget his leash manners from time to time. I would say it slightly improved his leash walking when distracted and excited.

I then moved to several no-pull harnesses, and again, they were moderately effective.

I have now moved to a head halter, and can tell you that it is by far the most effective solution for us. I walk him on the head halter most of the time, collar some of the time, and always head halter when I know he's going to be excited. He's simply far too strong for me to adequately control when excited.
 

pinkspore

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#4
They're a training tool that, like so many, can be good or bad depending on the person at the other end of the leash. The general public seems to have no idea how to fit or use them, as per usual. I don't mind them on physically insensitive jolly oblivious dogs, but cringe when I see them on obviously sensitive dogs that cower every time they hit the end of the leash. They would not be my first choice for a dog with any sort of reactivity issue as the dog may learn to associate the collar correction with whatever causes them to react.

In general I'd rather see a prong than a choke chain on Joe Public's overzealous Labrador.
 

MicksMom

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#5
They're a training tool that, like so many, can be good or bad depending on the person at the other end of the leash. The general public seems to have no idea how to fit or use them, as per usual. I don't mind them on physically insensitive jolly oblivious dogs, but cringe when I see them on obviously sensitive dogs that cower every time they hit the end of the leash. They would not be my first choice for a dog with any sort of reactivity issue as the dog may learn to associate the collar correction with whatever causes them to react.

In general I'd rather see a prong than a choke chain on Joe Public's overzealous Labrador.
Yeah, what she said.
 

Samsonyte!

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#6
What pinkspore said as well.

I have no problem with them being used correctly. As a tool to aid with training rather than a quick-fix to a problem that requires actual work. For example, if you are working with a large, excitable, difficult to control dog, use the prong collar to aid you in maintaining control of the dog while you work with them on remaining calm in whatever situations excites them. Don't expect it to just magically calm down your dog.

I also think that there are certain types of dogs that you should NEVER EVER put an aversive tool like that on. If your dog is incredibly sensitive, maybe even fear-reactive, I wouldn't put a prong on it and expect it to help at all. In fact, I'd expect it to make the problem worse. I have two of these dogs so it's not a tool I currently have a need for, but in the future if I had a dog with the right temperament and a need for it, I wouldn't be opposed to using one.
 

Southpaw

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#7
I use them so obviously am fine with them. :)

If they're used correctly - fitted properly, not just cranking the dog around, and the dog is not shutting-down-sensitive about it - then I don't have a problem.

Of course, I would prefer to not use them (just like I also would prefer to not need head harnesses and other gadgets), so I've been putting in a lot of work with Sawyer's leash skills from day 1 so that hopefully I'll never feel the need to use anything more than just a flat collar/harness. But I think they're a valuable tool, so if someday it comes up that I feel I need that extra control with him... so be it, I'll put it on him.

Juno and Cajun do great on prongs and aren't sad about it at all. They don't really need them anymore for regular walks, but I will still have them wear them when I take them to pet stores or other crowded events just so I know I have them under control. It was mind boggling to me when I was watching my sister's dog for a couple weeks, who would still pull like a freight train even with a prong on so after 1 walk I did not take her for any more walks... my dogs respect the heck out of their collars.

I also do not mind if people use them with no intention of weaning off the collar.
 

Kati

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#8
I have now moved to a head halter, and can tell you that it is by far the most effective solution for us. I walk him on the head halter most of the time, collar some of the time, and always head halter when I know he's going to be excited. He's simply far too strong for me to adequately control when excited.
I have never used a head halter before, but it is great that you have found something that worked well for you. So when you started using it what were you experiences with it? Pros and cons maybe?
I would love to learn more and more.
 
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#9
The only real con for us would be potential for neck injury. However, by the time I introduced it when he was about 14 months old, I had already spend a considerable amount of time actively training LLW, so he knew the drill.

He didn't love me putting it on him, but he's very hard physically, so most things like this don't really bother him. He's not a dog that needs slow introductions to things. After about a month of use, he's really excited when he sees me getting the head harness out.

I think when using it you have to be 100% focused on your dog, to ensure they don't lunge and injure themselves. I would never have him wear it while doing another activity because of the potential for inadvertent serious corrections.

I also never actively correct him with it. I just hold the leash still, bracing against my hip to ensure he doesn't get inadvertently corrected. But it offers me a way to very to very easily control a 90 lb, very strong dog.

It's the best tool I've ever tried (and I tried several no-pull harnesses, and a prong collar).
 

Kati

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#10
The only real con for us would be potential for neck injury. However, by the time I introduced it when he was about 14 months old, I had already spend a considerable amount of time actively training LLW, so he knew the drill.

He didn't love me putting it on him, but he's very hard physically, so most things like this don't really bother him. He's not a dog that needs slow introductions to things. After about a month of use, he's really excited when he sees me getting the head harness out.

I think when using it you have to be 100% focused on your dog, to ensure they don't lunge and injure themselves. I would never have him wear it while doing another activity because of the potential for inadvertent serious corrections.

I also never actively correct him with it. I just hold the leash still, bracing against my hip to ensure he doesn't get inadvertently corrected. But it offers me a way to very to very easily control a 90 lb, very strong dog.

It's the best tool I've ever tried (and I tried several no-pull harnesses, and a prong collar).
I'm so happy for you that you've found something that works for you. Thank you for your information :)
 

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